ANNOUNCEMENTS
In 2015, India had set a target to achieve 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which was later revised to achieve 500 GW of renewable energy installed capacity by 2030 (MNRE, 2023). 40 GW was earmarked from rooftop solar installations which was promoted through various schemes- the Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants scheme in 2015 and the revised Grid-connected Rooftop Solar Scheme Phase-II in 2019. Unfortunately, as per MNRE, only 6.65 GW of rooftop solar installations had been achieved till March 2022 (MNRE, 2022). Of the 4 GW installation target set aside for the residential category of consumers under the Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar Scheme Phase-II by March 2022, only 2.65 GW had been installed in the residential sector till December 2023 (MNRE, 2023). To increase the share of Residential Rooftop Solar installed capacity and empower Residential consumers to generate their own power, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri (PM) Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in February 2024, to achieve 1 crore rooftop solar installations in the residential sector. This report aims to analyse the current progress of rooftop solar installations in the country, highlight the challenges surrounding rooftop solar installations in the residential sector, discuss the recently introduced PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and provide an initial assessment of the scheme. It would finally suggest a way forward for the adoption of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the residential sector.
Keywords – Rooftop Solar; Renewable Energy; Policy Measures; Solar Policy; Surya Ghar.
