From pv magazine India
Large-scale solar projects in India face challenges from land constraints, harsh climates, and technical losses. This article explores five key roadblocks and how installers are navigating around them.
Solar energy will play a dominant role in India’s transition to clean energy, contributing an estimated 280 GW of the nation’s targeted 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. As of July 31, 2025, the country had already installed 119 GW of solar capacity, according to analyst figures.
Growth has been largely driven by massive utility-scale projects in solar-rich states like Rajasthan and Gujarat. However, the road to large-scale solar implementation is not without challenges. Many of India’s large-scale solar plants are underperforming, with discrepancies between the expected and actual energy yield. Conversations with project developers, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) suppliers, and other stakeholders suggest there are various causes for this, meaning project performance should be comprehensively monitored.
As India’s solar buildout continues, fewer “perfect” patches of land will be available, and developers will need to consider building on more complex terrain.
A study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has estimated India’s total solar potential at 10.83 TW, considering a land-use norm of three acres per MW for ground-mounted and floating solar installations. Ground-mounted solar on barren land contributes the largest share, with 4.9 TW of theoretical potential. A high-level assessment was carried out to identify suitable areas for utility-scale solar installations. Land parcels in mountainous and protected desert zones were excluded, and only 50% of the remaining barren land was considered usable – to ensure space for grazing, biodiversity, and community needs, thereby promoting a balanced land-use strategy.
Among all of India’s states and union territories, Rajasthan in the northwest holds the highest potential for ground-mounted solar on barren land at 1.24 TW (post-exclusion), followed by neighboring Madhya Pradesh at 731.3 GW, and Maharashtra to the south at 606.7 GW.
However, irregular terrain, soil instability, and fragmented land parcels pose challenges to large-scale solar deployments, especially in states like Rajasthan.
“Securing large, contiguous land parcels for gigawatt-scale projects remains one of the biggest challenges,” said Sudhir Nain, head of domestic operations at Jakson Green, a developer and manufacturer headquartered in Uttar Pradesh. “Local disturbances, such as land disputes or community resistance, not only delay operations but also dent investor confidence.”
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