Solar power in India to surpass 9 Gw in FY17

Solar installations in India are expected to surpass 9 gigawatt (Gw) in 2017, registering a 125 per cent increase in capacity from about 4 Gw in the previous year. On the manufacturing front, the installed capacity of domestic solar cells and modules in the country is estimated to be 2,815 megawatt (Mw) and 8,008 Mw, respectively, while operational capacity of solar cells and modules is 1,448 Mw and 5,246 Mw, respectively, as of December 2016, according to Mercom Capital Group. “With exponential growth in the sector, the government wants to ramp up domestic manufacturing to decrease the volume of solar module imports which, along with installations, has also increased dramatically. The challenge, like in most markets, has been cost competition from Chinese manufacturers,” it said.