India's solar power capacity to cross 20GW mark by March 2017

The total installed solar power generation capacity is likely to cross over 9,000-MW mark by end of March from existing 5,248 MW and will be over 20,000 MW by the end of next financial year, says a government report.
During the remaining period of the current fiscal, as much as 3,790 MW of solar power generation capacity is expected to be added by March-end, taking total capacity to 9,038 MW from existing 5,248 MW, according to a status report by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Tendering for solar project totalling a capacity of 15,177 MW has already been completed and a total capacity addition of 12,161 MW is expected during the financial year 2016-17, it said.

Adding 12,161 MW solar power generation capacity in 2016-17 will increase India's solar generation capability to 21,199 MW by March 2017.
During the remaining months of February and March of this fiscal, tendering of 4,431 MW is expected, it added.
The government has revised the National Solar Mission (NSM) target from 20,000 MW to 1,00,000 MW by 2022.

Of the 1,00,000 MW of power that will be generated through solar power, 40,000 MW is to come through grid connected solar rooftop systems.
Solar power generated by each individual household, industrial, institutional, commercial or any other building can be used to partly fulfill the requirement of the building occupants and the surplus, if any, can be fed into the grid.

This target will result in the abatement of about 60 million tonnes of CO2 per year and will help to fulfill India's
commitment to mitigate the effect of climate change.