Commercial establishments such as shopping malls are increasingly turning to rooftop solar solutions to reduce electricity expenses and improve the sustainability of their operations. The comparative cost advantage, an optimal use of readily available rooftop space and the reduced dependence on grid electricity are among the factors that push many commercial establishments to adopt rooftop solar.

In September 2026, Nexus South City Kolkata Mall, owned and operated by Nexus Select Trust, installed a 730-kW rooftop solar project to meet a part of its electricity requirements through renewable energy.

The rooftop project was executed and maintained by Oorjan Cleantech, a solar company offering end-to-end renewable energy solutions, including financing. The project uses Axitec’s bifacial TOPCon modules and SolarEdge inverters with optimizers to minimize the impact of shadows.

The project is expected to generate around 900,000 units of electricity per month and will help the mall save approximately ₹7.5 million (~$78,376) annually on electricity costs.

Oorjan Cleantech said executing the project at an operational mall presented logistical challenges, particularly in coordinating material supplies. However, the team planned resource deployment and installation schedules to ensure that the work did not disrupt the mall’s operations.

According to Mercom’s Q2 and 1H 2026 India Rooftop Solar Market Report, India added 6.6 GW of rooftop solar capacity in the first half (1H) of the calendar year 2026, up 131% compared to the 2.8 GW installed in 1H 2025.

Residential installations continued to dominate the market in Q2 2026, contributing 84% of total additions. Industrial installations accounted for 10%, followed by commercial installations at 5%, and government installations at 1%.

Mercom India hosts a multicity Clean Energy Meet series to bring renewable energy developers and vendors and, C&I energy consumers on the same platform helping them share insights on rooftop solar open access and other modes of clean energy procurement. The next event in the series will be held in Pune, Maharashtra in November 2026.