Even as the Union Government is facing heat at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over its protectionist measures to domestic solar industry, there has been no let-up in the pace of installation of solar projects.

According to statistics published by the Central Electricity Authority, the installed grid connected solar power as on January 1, 2016 was 4,879 MW, which by March 31, 2016 increased by 39 per cent to 6,763 MW.

Solar projects of 10 to 50 MW capacity, which earlier used to take eight months to complete, are now being completed in half the time, say industry experts.

Ahead of schedule For example, Jaipur-based Rays Power Infra recently commissioned 11.5 MW PV (photo voltaic) plant in Telangana. The site work started in January and the whole project was completed within three months. Director (Operations) of Rays Power, Ketan Mehta, told Business Line that as players acquire on-the-ground knowledge of constructing such plants, project time gets reduced.

The players replicate the same process at a number of sites, which gives them a good understanding of the technical specifications and requirements of local government and utilities. It results in projects getting commissioned before deadlines, he added.

Modular in nature Associate Director of India Ratings, Vivek Jain, observed that the process of installing solar plants is gathering pace because the land for such projects is in remote locations, where conversion of barren land for commercial purpose does not take much of time.

The plants, being modular in nature, are easy to install. Even if companies do not get a complete land parcel in the first phase, they build a project in multiple phases, he said.

Mehta said his company’s Telangana project was set up in less than four months.

In 2012, such a project could have taken eight months to complete. Easier acquisition of land has also helped in completing the project faster, he said.

Earlier, a 55 MW solar project in Uttar Pradesh was also completed in four months as the project received lot of support from local villagers. Jain added that solar projects also are getting implemented faster because the capital cost has also been on the decline. In 2012, per MW cost were ₹14.5 core and today, it is ₹5.3 crore. Panel cost has reduced from ₹8.2 crore to ₹3.2 crore per MW.

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