As rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana reach 1 million nationwide, concerns have arisen about the lack of quality checks for the components and the absence of standardization. Several new installers with little or no experience have entered the rooftop solar market to cash in on the increasing consumer demand. Industry insiders say the quality of the installations is being compromised in a rush to meet targets in some states.

A two-year extension of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme aimed at bringing operational efficiencies and financial discipline to India’s power distribution sector is on the cards. The Ministry of Power has told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Energy that the ₹3.3 trillion (~$40.35 billion) program, which was to end in the financial year (FY) 2026, needs an extension until FY 2028. “As per our current implementation status, a lot of work remains to be done, especially in the case of smart meters. This will approximately take two years,” MoP told the committee.

NHPC invited bids for setting up 2.56 MW rooftop solar projects on government buildings in Nagaland under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The last date to submit bids is April 21, 2025. Bids will be opened on April 23. Bids will be opened on April 23. The scope of work involves design, engineering, supply of equipment and materials, erection, testing, and project commissioning. It also involves operation and maintenance for 25 years. Successful bidders must obtain net metering and provide grid connectivity for the project.

Fourteen interstate transmission system projects are facing prolonged right-of-way (RoW) issues, mainly because of the demand for higher compensation compared to rates determined by state governments. Other reasons for transmission project challenges include delays in forest clearances, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik told the Rajya Sabha. Eight of the 14 projects facing delays due to RoW issues are being implemented by POWERGRID, and six by private companies Adani, Sterlite, Tata Power, and ReNew. These projects are spread across several states. To address the demand for higher compensation, the Ministry of Power revised the guidelines for payment of RoW compensation for laying transmission lines in June 2024.

A snacks manufacturer in Haryana demonstrated how installing a rooftop solar system can yield savings on electricity bills. The company is so impressed with the experience that it has gone for the fourth phase of its rooftop solar project. Hisar-headquartered Shyam Snacks Food (Shyam-G Snacks) has expanded the capacity of its rooftop solar system to 2.2 MW over four phases with the help of ARM Green Energy. The company, which makes roasted and fried potato chips in various flavors, has an annual energy requirement of 6 million units (MU). Its rooftop solar system now provides approximately 3 MU, meeting 50% of its total energy needs.

Solar power systems company SWELECT Group secured ₹2.9 billion (~$33.39 million) in funding through non-convertible debentures via a private placement with India Infradebt. This initiative, backed by a portion of its solar power assets, has released ₹2.6 billion (~$29.94 million) in cash collaterals. The funds will be reinvested to expand SWELECT’s independent power producer portfolio to 1 GW by 2026-2027. SWELECT Energy Systems, the solar module manufacturing vertical, also secured orders over 150 MW for its TOPCon bi-facial solar modules.

When Masdar, the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company, launched its $750 million green bond in mid-2023, the response was overwhelming. Investors scrambled to get in, oversubscribing the issuance nearly six times. A similar story played out a year earlier with Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, whose $1 billion green bond was met with equal enthusiasm. The message from capital markets was clear: sustainability sells, even in the oil heartland of the Middle East.