Gujarat, the state that led the way in solar power adoption in India, has secured the third position in terms of cumulative large-scalesolar installationsin the country.
Notably, Gujarat experienced an impressive 85% increase in such installations during the first quarter of 2023, while solar installations across India declined by 30% during the same period, according to the India Solar Market Update 2023 report by Mercom India.
Between January and March 2023, Gujarat witnessed 261 megawatts (MW) of solar installations, compared to 141MW in the previous quarter. Since Q1 2022, Gujarat has consistently ranked as the third-highest state for large-scale solar capacity addition, with an impressive quarter-over-quarter increase of nearly 85% in Q1 2023.
Gujarat has one of the finest policies to enable quick rooftop installation. Having pioneered solar adoption, the government here has rolled out a policy that not just incentivises people for large-scale as well as rooftop installations but also ensures expedited execution. Moreover, several solar park projects and large-scale installations are already in pipeline by the government.
On the other hand, pan-India solar installations declined due to commissioning deadlines for several large-scale projects being postponed to the following year. Out of the total 1.9GW of solar installations in India during the January to March 2023 quarter, Gujarat accounted for 19% of new installations, trailing behind Karnataka (21%) andRajasthan(42%).
Gujarat’s position improved to third place in the January to March 2023 period, surpassingAndhra Pradeshin Q1 2022. Priyadarshini Sanjay said, Rajasthan’s solar irradiation and the largest solar park in Bhadla have made it the most preferred state, while Karnataka benefits from the Pavagada Solar Park, which contributes to its large-scale installations.