Open access solar installations in India jumps 97 pc to 1.3 gigawatts in Jan-Jun: Mercom India

New Delhi: India added 1.3 gigawatts of open access solar capacity in the January-June period of this year, registering a year-on-year growth of 97 per cent, according to Mercom India.

For the quarter ended June, open access solar installations witnessed over 3-fold increase to 680 megawatt (MW), from 210 MW in the second quarter of 2021, the research firm said in its latest report.

Solar power through open access is an arrangement where a power producer establishes a solar power plant to supply green energy to consumers.

"In H1 2022, India added 1.3 GW of open access solar, a 97 per cent increase compared to 638 MW installed in 1H 2021, the second-highest recorded first half of any year," the report titled 'Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q2 2022' said.

According to the report, as of June 2022, the cumulative installed solar capacity in the open access market was over 6.5 GW, and the development pipeline of open access solar projects in the country was about 2.8 GW as of June 30, 2022.

"The demand for renewables through open access is mounting as corporates with commitments to RE100 goals are driving the uptake of renewables and bringing along their supply chains. Procuring renewables through open access is also helping businesses reduce their operating costs and carbon emissions," Mercom India Managing Director Priya Sanjay said.

Increased focus on renewable purchase obligation (RPO) compliance and RE100 goals initiative by commercial & industrial (C&I) companies drove up installations, the report said.

"Module supply concerns post-Approved List of Module Manufacturers’ (ALMM) imposition increased developer's urgency to add to open access capacity despite a 40 per cent Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on modules and components," the report added.

The top five states made up 91 per cent of total installations during the quarter. Karnataka dominated the market, accounting for 44 per cent of installations during the quarter and 38 per cent of cumulative installations in the country.