MUMBAI: In the first half (H1) of CY 2023, India added 1.3 GW of open-access solar, down almost 18% compared to 1.6 GW installed in H1 of 2022, according to Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report.
Nearly 712 megawatts (MW) of solar open access were added in the second quarter (Q2) of the calendar year (CY) 2023. The installations were up nearly 24% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) as against 577 MW installed in Q1, 2023.
The report noted that in the second quarter, falling module prices lowered the project costs, making power purchase agreements (PPAs) more appealing, which resulted in higher open-access solar installations. However, installations fell slightly by 3.6% year-over-year (YoY) as against 739 MW installed in Q2, 2022.
“The green energy open access regulation has been a major enabler for increased solar capacity addition under open access, even with the lack of uniform rules in states being a challenge. Hybrid power projects with a combination of solar, wind, and even energy storage are proving to be sound investments for corporate,” said Priya Sanjay, MD at Mercom India.
Gujarat added the highest open-access solar capacity in Q2, 2023, accounting for over 46% of capacity additions, followed by Karnataka (21%) and Tamil Nadu (10%).