Rooftop solar (RTS) has the potential to revolutionise India’s energy landscape, offering a sustainable, decentralised, and affordable solution to meet the country’s growing electricity needs and making consumers self-reliant. The country’s installed RTS capacity increased by 2.99 GW in 2023-2024, the highest growth reported in a year. As of March 31 this year, the total installed RTS capacity in India was 11.87 GW, per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. To meet rising energy demand, India needs to double down on its efforts to expand its RTS potential.
Based on the RTS capacities calculated as of March 31, 2024, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan have taken big strides, while some others are behind the curve. The ‘Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ is a flagship initiative to fit 1 crore households with RTS systems and help them get up to 300 units of free electricity every month. An average system size of 2 kW for the targeted households will result in a total RTS capacity addition of 20 GW. Creating awareness is key to getting consumers on board. Grassroots-level awareness campaigns led by distribution companies and local bodies, along with door-to-door RTS promotion campaigns, are required to cover the nation.
With the right push, India can unleash the full potential of RTS and accelerate its transition towards a clean energy future.
