India Adds Record 15.3 GW Solar Capacity in Q1 in 2026
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India added a record 15.3 GW of solar capacity in the first quarter of 2026, marking the country’s highest-ever quarterly solar installations, according to Mercom India.
Solar installations increased 143 per cent year-on-year, from 6.3 GW in Q1 2025 and rose 49 per cent quarter-on-quarter compared with 10.3 GW installed in Q4 2025.
Large-scale solar projects accounted for 12.6 GW or 82 per cent of total solar additions during the quarter, with open access projects contributing 21 per cent of large-scale installations. The report highlighted that large-scale installations increased 147 per cent year-on-year and 55 per cent quarter-on-quarter. Accelerated project commissioning ahead of the implementation of ALMM List-II fr .. from June 2026 was one of the key drivers behind the record installations.
Modhera in Gujarat Get India’s First Battery Integrated Solar Plant
Gujarat launched India’s first Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) integrated with a solar power plant at Modhera village, reported the Hindu.
Gujarat has initiated battery storage systems at five locations with a total capacity of 870 MW, the report said, adding that the state has also registered 13 projects across Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch to set up additional battery storage systems. These efforts will also contribute to India's target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Recently, a battery storage system was commissioned at Charal in Sanand taluka of Ahmedabad. Additionally, four systems are operational at Modhera in Mehsana and Lakhpat in Kutch. The state government has also included advanced energy storage systems as a key component in the Gujarat Integrated Renewable Energy Policy, 2025.
India’s Grid Bottleneck Forces ReNew to Scale back power, Limit Losses
ReNew Energy is cutting back solar generation in India by up to 15% on certain days due to critical grid transmission bottlenecks, which are unable to handle peak daytime solar output, threatening profitability, ET reported. To mitigate these losses and combat high grid congestion in states like Rajasthan, the firm is investing in 4 GWh of battery storage, the newspaper said citing sources. The report said the company is investing in battery storage to balance supply and demand.
IRENA: Round-the-clock Renewable Power Frequently Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels
Solar and wind power backed with battery storage systems are delivering round-the-clock at a lower cost than fossil fuel-dominated energy systems in a growing number of regions” found a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Businessgreen reported. The outlet quoted the research saying: “In regions with high levels of solar and wind generation, hybrid systems that combine intermittent renewable power generation with energy storage capacity are proving capable of delivering cost-effective electricity 24/7”.
The report calculated that firm levelised costs of electricity for solar plus storage projects range from around $54 to $82 per megawatt hour (MWh) in regions with high levels of solar generation potential. The costs compare favourably with levelised costs of $70 to $85/MWh for new coal-fired power generation providing round-the-clock power in China or more than $100/MWh for new gas-fired generation globally, the report explained.
