India's solar energy sector surges; Adds nearly 14,000 MW to its capacity in 2022

Bolstering the country's renewable energy potential, India's solar energy sector added nearly 14,000 MW of solar power to its ever-increasing capacity. In the period between 2016 and 2022, the country's solar energy capacity has shot up from 6.76 GW (Gigawatts) to a whopping 54 GW, registering an annual growth of nearly 42%.

India is ranked 4th in the world when it comes to solar energy capacity. India's capacity is expected to shoot up exponentially in the years to come as the country attempts to cope up with the ever-increasing number of solar consumers.

In Gujarat alone, which is a leading state in solar power demand and generation, over 2 lakh households had registered for Surya Gujarat, which is a rooftop solar scheme by the state's energy ministry. Within Gujarat, Ahmedabad tops the list of districts that have the highest number of solar power consumers.

India had set itself a goal of reaching 40 GW in rooftop solar panel capacity alone. But the progress on the same could not proceed at the required pace, forcing the country to extend the timeline by 4 years. With March 2026 as the new deadline to reach the target, the recent addition in solar power capacity in India is a timely and welcome news.