India adds record 1.7 GW solar rooftop capacity in 2021

According to a Mercom India Research report, India added a 1.7 GW solar rooftop in 2021, the highest-ever recorded in a year. Solar installations were up by 138% compared to 2020.

Residential and commercial rooftop solar capacity accounted for 35% and 33% of installed rooftop solar capacity, respectively, in 2021.

The government segment accounted for 6% of total installations, while the industrial segment accounted for 26%.

In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021, the country installed 402 MW of new rooftop installations, a 10% decrease quarter-on-over-year (QoQ) from 448 MW in Q3 CY 2021. In comparison to Q4, 2020, however, installations increased by 41% year over year (YoY) during the quarter.

According to the data, rooftop solar installations accounted for 15% of all solar installations in the country in Q4 2021.

The commercial sector accounted for 44% of total installed capacity in Q4 2021, followed by the industrial, residential, and government sectors, which accounted for 41%, 10%, and 5%, respectively.

According to the report, rooftop installations in the nation surpassed 7 GW by the end of December 2021. During the year, demand was impacted by increasing component, commodity, and raw material prices. The rise in the goods and services tax (GST) hit installers severely.

Over one GW of solar bids was issued in 2021, representing a 56% increase YoY. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEBL) received 27% of the announced tenders, while Maharashtra, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Karnataka distribution firms received 29%.

Tenders for rooftop solar projects grew by 70% in Q4 2021 compared to Q3 2021, and compared to the same time in 2020, tendering activity increased by 48%.

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) announced 56% of the tendered capacity in Q4 2021, while the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) declared 11%. Other agencies floated around 24% of the tenders.

During 2021, distribution companies (DISCOMS) in Kerala, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, West Bengal, Tripura, and Karnataka launched tenders under Phase ll of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) rooftop solar programme.

Gujarat led the way in terms of cumulative installations, accounting for 27% of the total, followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan, which accounted for 14% and 10%, respectively. At the end of Q4 2021, the top 10 states represented 83% of all cumulative installations.

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