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Rajasthan and Gujarat account for a major portion of the solar power projects that are under implementation in the country.
Industry analysts say that the preference of the States depends upon the respective State Government’s efforts and the availability of high-generation potential sites for developers.
As of February this year, a cumulative solar power capacity of 64.38 GW has been installed in the country. In addition, solar projects of about 52 GW capacity are under implementation.
Of the 52 GW under execution, Rajasthan is implementing 23 GW of capacity, which are expected to be commissioned between March 2023 and November 2026, according to the data provided by Union New and Renewable Energy Minister, R K Singh at the Lok Sabha.
Sunshine rich
“Rajasthan has been the leader in solar capacity additions over the past few years due to better irradiation potential sites. The State gets a high quantum of good sunshine days every year. Also, better availability of large contiguous, non-agricultural land helps in developing bigger projects at the single site which can utilize economies of scale,” says Manish Gupta, Senior Director, CRISIL Ratings.
Government (both State & Central) efforts such as providing transmission infrastructure and solar parks within the State have also contributed to the faster growth of solar capacity in Rajasthan.
Of the 52 GW solar capacity, Gujarat is building close to 8 GW of capacity, which is expected to be commissioned in the next couple of years.
Maharashtra is implementing close to 4 GW of capacity, while Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka are implementing projects in the range of 2.1-2.6 GW capacity.
While Rajasthan is the leader in renewable power with a total installed capacity of 21,237 MW, including a solar power capacity of 16,406 MW (including ground-mounted, rooftop, hybrid solar, and off-grid categories), which is the highest among the Indian States, Gujarat has now emerged as number 2 with a total renewable capacity of 19,016 MW, including 8888 MW of solar capacity.
Gujarat, a solar paradise
A few factors that make Gujarat a solar paradise -- an adequate supply of vendors, increasing demand through incentivisation, digitisation, and timely disbursal of subsidies. The State Government’s on-ground implementation policies motivate more and more people to go solar,” says Vinay Thadani, Director of Ahmedabad-based Grew Energy.
It is also learnt that prompt subsidy dissemination gives a major impetus for end-consumers in Gujarat to opt for solar rooftop installations proactively. More and more residential and commercial and industrial consumers are opting for solar installations. According to estimates of JMK Research, about 65 per cent of all residential solar rooftop installations in FY2023 will be in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, about 40 GW of solar projects is under the tendering stage across the country. Industry analysts point out that both Gujarat and Rajasthan would continue to enjoy a higher share in solar capacity additions over the medium term too.
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