The implementation of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in Karnataka has been slow to take off. Despite a sharp rise in registrations, only 6,519 rooftop solar systems with a total capacity of 24.95 MW have been installed so far, reported Mercom. The slowing down was attributed to the lack of incentive for households already benefiting from the state government’s free electricity programme, Gruha Jyothi. The programme provides up to 200 units of free electricity per month, sufficient for most households.
The conversion rate from registrations to installations has been extremely poor. Across five distribution companies (DISCOMs), the total number of registrations is 615,386, while the number of installations is a mere 6,519, corresponding to 1.1%, the report stated.
The outlet said procedural delays, especially in vendor selection and inspections, have further slowed rooftop solar adoption. Gujarat, recorded 281,769 installations, comprising 46% of the national total. Maharashtra, with over 120,000 installations, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, with around 51,000 installations each, have outpaced Karnataka significantly, Mercom report said.
India overtakes Germany to become 3rd-largest generator of wind, solar power: Report
India overtook Germany to become the world’s third-largest generator of electricity from wind and solar, according to a new report from London-based energy think tank Ember, Carbon Copy reported. Globally, wind and solar accounted for 15% of electricity generation, with India close behind at 10%.
The report said solar, especially, is what drove the growth in renewable capacity in both India and globally. According to Ember’s annual ‘Global Electricity Review’ report, global solar generation doubled in three years to exceed 2,000 TWh in 2024. India’s solar output also doubled over the same period, translating to a 7% share in electricity generation.
“In fact, India added 24 GW of solar capacity in 2024, more than twice the additions in 2023, making it the third largest globally after China and the US,” the report stated.
Pakistan becomes top solar importer in the world as consumers shift to solar to fight expensive power
Pakistan was the biggest importer of solar panels in the world in 2024, catering rooftop solar panels to homes and small businesses looking for cheap power, according to Ember, reported the Independent. . Facing economic challenges and high energy poverty, “Pakistan is witnessing one of the most unexpected clean energy success stories of the decade” reported the Independent.
Pakistan imported 17 GW of solar panels last year alone, the Global Electricity Review 2025 by Ember, stated.
This surge in imports is particularly striking because it is not driven by a national programme or utility-scale rollout, the newspaper said adding that instead, the majority of the demand appears to come from rooftop solar installations by households, small businesses and commercial users looking to secure cheaper and more reliable electricity in the face of frequent power outages and rising energy costs.
According to Ember’s report, rooftop solar installations in homes and businesses in the country has soared as a “means of accessing lower-cost power”.
ALMM, Strong Demand Drive India’s Solar Panel Manufacturing Capacity to 25.3 GW in 2024
The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List I and List II have been the primary drivers of solar module and cell manufacturing capacity additions in India, reported Mercom.
India added 25.3 GW of solar module capacity and 11.6 GW of solar cell capacity in calendar year (CY) 2024, according to Mercom’s recently released State of Solar PV Manufacturing in India 2025 report.
The manufacturing capacity additions in 2024 were primarily driven by demand from the solar project pipeline and the reimposition of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) order from April 2024, the outlet stated.
About The Author
You may also like
India becomes 3rd-largest generator of electricity from wind and solar: Report
‘Massive increase’: World adds record levels of new renewables capacity in 2024
20 GW open solar access can lower emissions in steel, cement, aluminium sectors: Report
Import tariffs on solar glass to shoot up costs of projects and modules
India adds 25 GW, ‘best-ever’ solar capacity in 2024
