NEW DELHI: India’s solar open access installations witnessed a growth of 85% with 307 MW installations in the third quarter of 2021, according to the Mercom India Research study. The study also mentioned that during April to December, nearly 935 MW of open access solar capacity was installed, marking an increase of 143% compared to 385 MW in the same period last year.
The pipeline of solar open access projects under development and pre-construction is estimated to be 1.1 GW. “As of September 2021, the cumulative installed solar capacity in the open-access market was 4.8 GW,” reads the report.
Open access solar installation is an arrangement where a power producer establishes a solar plant and inks long-term power purchase pact with a consumer. The installations stood at 166 MW during Oct-Dec in 2020, the research firm said in its report titled ‘’India Solar Open Access Market Report Q3 2021. The installations stood at 166 MW during Oct-Dec 2020, said the report titled ‘’India solar open access market report Q3 2021’.
The study also highlighted that installations picked up in the second half of the year after the second wave of Covid. The pace of installation slowed because of the rise in raw materials prices and the hike in GST, claim the report. UP had the most installations, constituting about 35% of the projects installed during the quarter while Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka accounted for 11%, 10% and 7%, respectively.
Installation picks up after 2nd Covid wave
Installations picked up in the second half of the year after the second wave of Covid. The pace of installation slowed because of the rise in raw materials prices and the hike in GST, the report said.