Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2022-12-27
Buyer: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Country: DE
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 71314300: Energy-efficiency consultancy services | 71323100 | 75211200
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: 81285886-Innovative new solar areas (INSolar) - Designing, prototyping, piloting and subsequent promotion of Indian made "Smart Hybrid Inverters - SHIN" for distributed solar PV systems
The Indian government is running an ambitious program for the installation of multi GW"s of grid connected distributed solar PV to tackle a twofold problem. Firstly, supplying clean energy to meet additional power requirement of the growing population and economy with minimal T&D losses. Secondly, reducing the dependency from a polluting source of power generation (e.g. coal) to fight climate change and meet its Paris commitments.
With such ambitious target, India has been able to deploy distributed solar PV capacities of around 6 GWp till date and this trend of proliferation is expected to continue in the future. However, such a large-scale deployment of distributed solar PV systems and their integration into the electricity distribution grid raises grid stability challenges.
Fortunately, smart hybrid inverters offer a solution to overcome these challenges through their advanced functions which enable the PV systems to not only provide back-up power but also contribute to grid stability which in turn can help the grid to reliably accommodate more distributed solar PV systems. Like traditional inverters, smart inverters convert the direct current (DC) output of solar modules into alternating current (AC) that can be used by consumers. Smart hybrid inverters go beyond this basic function to provide grid support functions, such as voltage regulation, frequency support, ride-through capabilities, remote access etc.
Thus, GIZ under its project "Innovative New Solar Areas" (INSolar, PN 20.2221.8-001.00) aims to mitigate the above-mentioned challenges by piloting and promoting Indian made "Smart Hybrid PV Inverters - SHIN" for distributed solar PV systems. The objective of these activities is to a) standardize the technical features of the smart hybrid inverters through the development and introduction of standards, b) to showcase and validate the technical and commercial viability through a pilot project and c) to promote and proliferate the Indian made smart hybrid inverters which would enable the expansion of PV penetration limits and provide grid support services through distributed solar PV systems and battery energy storage system.
GIZ is thus releasing this service contract to support the Designing, prototyping, piloting, and subsequent promotion of Indian made "Smart Hybrid Inverters - SHIN" for distributed solar PV systems.
GIZ under its project "Innovative New Solar Areas" (INSolar, PN 20.2221.8-001.00) aims to mitigate the grid stability challenges associated with distributed solar PV systems by piloting and promoting Indian made "Smart Hybrid PV Inverters - SHIN" for such systems. The objective of these activities is to a) standardize the technical features of the smart hybrid inverters through the development and introduction of standards, b) to showcase and validate the technical and commercial viability through a pilot project and c) to promote and proliferate the Indian made smart hybrid inverters which would enable the expansion of PV penetration limits and provide grid support services through distributed solar PV systems and battery energy storage system.
The workplan under this project is dived into 5 major work packages, which are described in brief below:
Work package 1: To develop the strategy and framework for the development, deployment, and promotion of "Made in India" smart hybrid inverters for distributed solar PV systems with battery energy storage system. To design and identify the critical additional components of smart hybrid inverters.
Objective: To analyse the existing and prospective global "smart hybrid inverter" market. To define the standards and features of the smart hybrid inverters and develop a strategy and framework for the piloting and subsequent promotion of Indian made smart hybrid inverters.
Work package 2: Support to GIZ project team in identifying and empanelling inverter manufacturer(s) for prototype testing and pilot deployment.
Objective: GIZ aims to undertake prototype testing and procure "critical components" for the pilot deployment to assess the technical feasibility and the commercial viability of the smart hybrid inverters. For this "prototype testing" and "pilot deployment", GIZ aims to empanel Inverter manufacturer(s) who will be responsible for manufacturing and deploying "Smart Hybrid Inverters" in a separate open competitive process.
Objective: The contractor to provide its support to the GIZ empaneled manufacturer(s), for the development of the prototypes of the designed, locally manufactured smart hybrid inverters for validating the technical features, assessing the commercial value of each smart hybrid inverter and subsequently authenticating the price of the "critical components".
Work package 4: Coordination with and necessary support to the empanelled manufacturers for the manufacturing and supply of smart hybrid inverters for pilot deployment.
Objective: To coordinate with GIZ-empanelled manufacture(s) for manufacturing of the "critical components" for the smart hybrid inverters (as per the standards and features developed in work package 1 and validated as per work package 3).