India added 448 megawatts (MW) of rooftop solar in the third quarter (Q3) of the calendar year (CY) 2021, a 14% drop quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) compared to 521 MW installed in Q2 2021, according to Mercom India Research’s newly released “Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report Q3 2021.”

In 9M 2021, India added 1.3 GW of rooftop solar, a 202% increase compared to 9M 2020. Installations are the highest ever recorded in the first nine months (9M) of a year.

According to the report, at the end of Q3 2021, cumulative rooftop solar installations reached 6.7 GW.

“The rooftop market is showing signs of recovery and back to pre-COVID levels. However, the rise in component costs and availability of materials is weighing heavily on the market, throttling growth. States have continued to put up restrictions on rooftop solar, making new development challenging,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.

In Q3 2021, over 200 MW of rooftop solar projects were tendered, an increase of 62% QoQ and 125% year-over-year (YoY). Forty-seven percent (47%) of the tenders were announced by the Kerala State Electricity Board, 24% by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company, and 29% by other state nodal agencies.

Key Highlights from Mercom India Research’s India Rooftop Solar Market Report Q3 2021

• In Q3 2021, India added 448 MW of rooftop solar, a decrease of 14% compared to 521 MW installed in Q2 2021. YoY installations rose 189%
• In 9M 2021, India added 1,310 MW of rooftop solar, a 202% increase compared to the same period last year
• The installations were the highest ever recorded in the 9M of a year
• Cumulative installed rooftop solar capacity in India was about 6.7 GW at the end of Q3 2021
• In Q3 2021, the top 10 states accounted for approximately 83% of the cumulative rooftop solar installations
• Gujarat had the most rooftop solar installations in Q3 2021, followed by Maharashtra and Haryana

Contact Mercom for pricing: reports@mercomindia.com or call us at +91-080-41211148