The research firm Mercom India recently released a report on the state of open access solar installations in India. It is learnt that the cumulative installed solar capacity in the open access market was over 6.5 GW, while the development pipeline of open access solar projects was about 2.8 GW as of June 30, 2022. The report titled ‘Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q2 2022′ said: “In H1 2022, India added 1.3 GW of open access solar, a 97 per cent increase compared to 638 MW installed in 1H 2021, the second-highest recorded the first half of any year.”
Under the arrangement of Solar power through open access, the power producer sets up a solar power plant to supply green energy to consumers. As per the report, enhanced focus on renewable purchase obligation (RPO) compliance and RE100 goals initiative by commercial & industrial (C&I) companies accelerated the installations. The report also reveals that in the second quarter of 2022, such installations grew 3x YoY. Last year, the total capacity stood at 210 megawatts (MW) in this quarter, while this year, it reached 680 MW.
Managing Director Priya Sanjay, MD, Mercom India stated: “The demand for renewables through open access is mounting as corporates with commitments to RE100 goals are driving the uptake of renewables and bringing along their supply chains. Procuring renewables through open access is also helping businesses reduce their operating costs and carbon emissions.”
It is interesting to note that more than 90 per cent of total installations in the given quarter have been in the top five states, with Karnataka contributing the most. The report further added: “Module supply concerns post-Approved List of Module Manufacturers’ (ALMM) imposition increased developer’s urgency to add to open access capacity despite a 40 per cent Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on modules and components.”
