The majority of the country’s ongoing solar power plants are located in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. According to industry analysts, the efforts made by the respective State Government and the availability of high-generation potential locations for developers determine the States’ preferences. A total of 64.38 GW of installed solar power capacity existed in the nation as of February of current year. Additionally, 52 GW worth of solar projects are now being built. According to information presented to the Lok Sabha by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy R K Singh, Rajasthan is implementing 23 GW of the 52 GW under execution, with the capacity expected to be operational between March 2023 and November 2026.
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.
Due to superior sites with higher irradiation potential, Rajasthan has been at the forefront of increasing solar capacity over the past few years. The State enjoys a significant number of sunny days each year. Additionally, it makes it easier to develop larger projects at a single location that can take advantage of economies of scale, according to Manish Gupta, Senior Director, CRISIL Ratings. The rapid expansion of solar capacity in Rajasthan has also been facilitated by government (both State and Central) initiatives such as the provision of transmission infrastructure and solar parks inside the State. Gujarat is constructing over 8 GW of the 52 GW solar capacity, which should be operational in the following few years.
Maharashtra is building nearly 4 GW of capacity, while projects with 2.1–2.6 GW of capacity are being built in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. Gujarat has recently overtaken Rajasthan as the second -largest producer of renewable energy, with a total installed capacity of 19,016 MW, including 8888 MW of solar power.
Rajasthan is currently the leader in renewable energy, 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). Gujarat is a solar paradise because of a number of reasons, including a sufficient number of vendors, incentives that drive up demand, digitization, and prompt payment of subsidies.
Vinay Thadani, Director of Ahmedabad based Grew Energy, claims that the State Government’s plans for local implementation encourage more and more individuals to choose solar. Additionally, it has been discovered that fast subsidy distribution significantly influences end-users in Gujarat to choose solar rooftop installations. 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.
