Rooftop photo voltaic development in India has largely been pushed by a couple of massive, creditworthy organizations within the industrial and industrial sector. Nevertheless, if accessible financing choices are made out there, development may also be replicated in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, in response to a brand new report.
From pv magazine India
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) might drive large-scale rooftop solar adoption in India if accessible financing choices turn out to be extra available, in response to a brand new report by the Institute for Power Economics and Monetary Evaluation (IEEFA) and JMK Research.
The “Financing Developments within the Rooftop Photo voltaic Industrial and Industrial (C&I) Section in India” report notes that a lot of the expansion in installations has been pushed by a couple of massive, creditworthy entities. Nevertheless, monetary establishments are sometimes reluctant to lend to MSMEs as a result of they like debtors with robust monetary observe data and good company credit score rankings.
“MSMEs are as but an untapped section and could possibly be the following drivers of development available in the market, particularly contemplating the numerous electrical energy price financial savings provided by the adoption of rooftop photo voltaic,” mentioned lead writer Jyoti Gulia, the founding father of JMK Analysis. “Textiles, meals, and packaging are among the many industries with a lot of potential.”
The report notes that rooftop photo voltaic installations are financed via fairness investments, debt capital, mergers and acquisitions, and loans or concessional financing such because the $625 million World Financial institution-State Financial institution of India (SBI) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Tata Cleantech credit score traces.
Since 2015, rooftop photo voltaic venture builders have raised greater than $2 billion, 48% ($985 million) of which got here from fairness funding and 29% ($599 million) from debt. Round 45% of those investments was raised within the first eight months of 2021 alone.
“The C&I rooftop photo voltaic section has seen a sudden surge regardless of Covid-induced disruptions,” says Gulia. “This means a major development pattern forward.”
Virtually the entire fairness investments in rooftop photo voltaic got here from international entities trying to faucet the Indian market, given the excessive development potential and wholesome return on fairness.
The report notes that during the last 5 years, many of the funds raised via the fairness and debt routes have been concentrated amongst 4 lively gamers within the section: Amplus, Fourth Partner, CleanMax, and CleanTech.
“Whereas these 4 gamers have been profitable in elevating funds for his or her initiatives and sustaining their enterprise, the sector has seen many main gamers together with Statkraft India, Sterling & Wilson, and Azure Power exit the market because of shrinking margins and regulatory setbacks by distribution firms (discoms),” says Gulia.
With a restricted variety of good, creditworthy prospects having rankings above BBB+, this section is turning into saturated, leading to decreased demand that has led main builders to have a look at international markets with potential development alternatives and likewise to construct offsite open-access personal photo voltaic parks that cater to the C&I section.
However, MSMEs stay largely untapped. These face many obstacles in acquiring financing for rooftop photo voltaic installations, together with inadequate credit score historical past, lack of collateral, and long-term uncertainties of their companies. Renewable power service firms (RESCOs), which personal and function photo voltaic vegetation for the patron, are unwilling to work with MSMEs because of these uncertainties.
Steps taken
Credit score enhancement schemes just like the World Financial institution’s upcoming first-loss assure fund and a $41 million line of credit score from the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) and DFC are examples of steps being taken to make financing for rooftop photo voltaic extra accessible [to MSMEs], says co-author Vibhuti Garg, an power economist at IEEFA.
“Schemes like these permit lenders to soak up dangers and enhance entry to collateral-free loans. In addition to loans out there from nationwide and regional banks and non-banking monetary firms (NBFCs) we’re additionally seeing engineering, procurement and development (EPC) contractors corresponding to Tata Energy Photo voltaic and Orb Power beginning to provide one-stop financing choices bundled with their rooftop photo voltaic merchandise,” mentioned Garg.
The report notes one of these financing is prone to scale up, significantly as most massive lenders and concessional credit score traces are largely centered on the main rooftop photo voltaic builders. It additionally highlights constructive developments corresponding to Tata Energy-SIDBI and Encourage Capital-Electronica Finance Restricted tie-ups that particularly cater to MSMEs.
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