India’s Rooftop Solar Program: The Game Changer
India’s rooftop solar (RTS) journey towards harnessing solar power has been marked by both significant strides and persistent challenges. India’s solar energy installed capacity has risen to over 87.21 GW as on July 31, 2024, as per the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. However, of the total capacity, the ground-mounted solar comprises a major chunk of 67.52 GW, while grid-connected rooftop solar remains far behind with a mere 13.40 GW of installed solar capacity. Remaining solar capacity comes from hybrid projects (solar component) and off-grid solar.??
Evolution of rooftop solar
To promote solar energy, the Indian government launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010. While initially focused on large-scale solar power plants, the mission gradually expanded to include rooftop solar initiatives. Even though the country boasts of over 87 GW of installed solar capacity, India has consistently failed to achieve the RTS target. At first, it failed to produce 20 GW of RTS that it committed to generate by 2022. After the launch of the Phase 2 of the rooftop solar program, the government revised the target to 40 GW of RTS by 2022. However, it could produce only 7.5 GW rooftop solar by December 2022, forcing the government to revise the target for 40 GW capacity by 2026. To give a push to rooftop solar, the government launched ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ with an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore in February this year. The scheme aims to provide 300 units of free electricity by facilitating installation of rooftop solar on 1 crore houses.?
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The way forward
Initially, complex regulatory frameworks, grid integration issues, and limited financing options affected the adoption of rooftop solar. However, with technological advancements, falling costs, and supportive government policies, the RTS started to pick up. The country’s installed RTS capacity rose by 2.99 GW in 2023-24, the highest growth reported in a year. Despite the country’s vast RTS potential, it remains much behind from realizing the full potential, which is pegged at approximately 796 GW.? In India’s 2030 vision and 2070 net zero goals, RTS alone will have to contribute about 100 GW by 2030. With PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, incentives and subsidies to households, innovative financing solutions, and increased awareness, the future of India’s rooftop solar program looks promising.
At Sunkind, we are doing our part. So far, we have commissioned over 162MWp of solar projects across India, while 30 MW of solar projects are under various stages of implementation. Recently, the company also secured a 12 MW rooftop order in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, and 760 kWp rooftop project in Rohtak, Haryana. This marks a significant milestone in Sunkind India’s expansion into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and establishes it as a leading EPC company.
By leveraging our experience, technological prowess, and customer-centric approach, we aim to make solar energy accessible and affordable to millions of Indians.
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