Kerala tops in solar rooftop installations

KOCHI: Though Kerala may not be among the states where large solar plants are installed, it has been among the top states investing in solar rooftop panels. According to a report, Maharashtra had the most rooftop solar installations in Q3 2022, followed by Kerala and Gujarat in the third quarter of the year.
Kerala was the quarter’s leading state for installations under the capital expenditure (CAPEX ) model where consumers have to bear the capital expenses incurred in installing rooftop systems upfront.India added 320 megawatts (MW) of rooftop solar in the third quarter which is almost an 18% drop compared to 389 MW installed during the same period the previous year, according to the Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report Q3 2022.
Meanwhile, Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) has recently invited bids from empanelled agencies for the rate contract to develop 15MW of rooftop solar projects in Thiruvananthapuram. The scope includes supplying, installing, and commissioning multiple solar power systems in the range of 30kW to 100 kW atop public buildings within Thiruvananthapuram under the Solar city project.
In October, Anert invited bids from listed vendors for the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of 1 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar power with battery backup capacity in the state. According to Mercom, Anert has floated nearly 27.9MW of rooftop solar tenders this year.
Almost 46% of rooftop solar was installed in the industrial sector nationally, followed by residential, commercial, and government sectors, with 32%, 21%, and 1%, respectively.
“We are seeing rooftop solar installations trending down as costs have risen. The market is struggling with supply issues because of the approved list of modules and manufacturers (ALMM), and installers are finding it a tough environment to operate in overall,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group, in a statement.