Presently Rajasthan leads in solar power capacity addition, followed by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra

The country is set to add more than 4 GW of solar power by March 2016, the largest annual addition of capacity in the solar sector, according to a document of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

By the end of the current fiscal, the solar energy sector is expected to commission 4,345 MW of new capacity. Of this, 3,775 MW of capacity will be added under the state governments’ policies category, while about 570 MW of capacity is to be added under Central government schemes.

Tamil Nadu tops the list with about 1,214 MW capacity set to be commissioned, while Telengana is likely to add about 1,166 MW. Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are expected to add 432 MW and 350 MW respectively. Eight other states will contribute the rest of the capacity increases.

Under the central government category, about 330 MW will be added through the viability gap funding scheme (phase II and Batch I of National Solar Mission), while 240 MW will be added through rooftop programmes.

As of September 18, India has added a cumulative grid-connected solar capacity of 4,262 MW. Among the states, Rajasthan tops the table in solar capacity addition with the state contributing 1,175 MW capacity. Gujarat is ranked number two with a contribution of 1,000 MW. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have contributed 649 MW, 379 MW and 279 MW respectively. During the first half of this fiscal, 518 MW of capacity has been commissioned.

The MNRE document also indicates that 10,859 MW of solar capacity is expected to be commissioned during 2016-17 by public sector undertakings (PSUs), states and the rooftop sector. PSUs and the rooftop segment are projected to add a combined capacity of 9,244 MW.

Meanwhile, the tariff for solar power declined as low as Rs.5 per kWh. The weighted average tariff for solar fell to Rs.5.65 per kWh, quoted in solar projects in Punjab, in September from Rs.12.16 per kWh quoted in NSM Batch 1 during December 2010, data in the report showed.