From pv magazine India
India reached a cumulative installed rooftop solar capacity of 6.1 GW at the end of June 2021 with the addition of 521 MW rooftop PV in the second quarter (Q2) of the year. The Q2 2021 addition is a 53% increase compared to 341 MW installed in Q1 2021, and India’s highest-ever rooftop solar capacity installed in a quarter, according to Mercom India Research’s Rooftop Solar Market Report Q2 2021.
Installations were significantly higher than the previous quarter despite the second wave of COVID-19 and related state lockdowns. The report cited targeted lockdowns and industry preparedness as the factors reducing the impact on installation activity this time around.
With the Q2 addition, rooftop solar installations in the first half of the year reached 862 MW, surpassing the total rooftop solar capacity installed in all of 2020, 719 MW, when the market was severely affected by COVID-19 lockdowns.
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According to the report, 2021 could turn out to be the second-largest year for rooftop solar after 2018 if the market has no other adverse COVID-related events for the rest of the year.
“The rooftop solar segment had a strong quarter, and demand is up,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group. “Finalizing the net metering cap at 500 kW has removed uncertainty for installers and paved the way for future growth. However, haphazard rooftop solar policies across states and a lack of support from distribution companies are holding back the sector from realizing its true potential to bring in new investment, create jobs and drive the clean energy economy forward.”
The Indian state of Gujarat led the rooftop solar installations in Q2, followed by Maharashtra and Haryana.
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