Tracking India's solar future: Why every GWh matters in energy transition

As India builds renewable capacity at record speed, the focus must shift from scale to strength-ensuring every GW added delivers dependable GWh and lasting energy security

India’s solar story is one of scale, speed, and global visibility. With over 123 GW of installed solar capacity as of July 2025, and a record-breaking 11.3 GW of solar capacity added in Q2 2025—an increase of 66.9% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ)—the sector continues to grow at a rapid pace. In Q2 2025, India generated approximately 43 billion units (equivalent to 43 TWh) of solar electricity—a 19.2% year-on-year (YoY) increase and a 2.5% QoQ uptick from around 42.1 TWh in Q1; a clear sign of maturity and momentum.

 

India has declared an ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy (RE) by 2030, comprising around 280–300 GW of solar energy alone. As India graduates from 100 GW to triple its capacity in the next five years, every GWh produced from each GW matters.

 

 

Phase Two of Solar Growth: What Must Change

 

As India eyes its next leap, energy storage becomes an important lever. As solar is paired with storage and seamlessly integrated into the grid, the focus should shift towards performance, reliability, and grid security. With average capacity utilisation factors (CUF) in the range of 15–20%, ensuring stronger grid integration and storage will be key to unlocking far greater effective generation from this capacity and securing round-the-clock renewable power for the future.

 

Quality and Standards

 

India has made substantial progress in laying down a regulatory and technical foundation. BIS certification norms, the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), and growing domestic manufacturing capabilities have ensured that modules and inverters are largely on par with global standards. But the weak link appears in the remaining balance of systems and, in some cases, construction, which should also be considered.

 

Once a project moves from the drawing board to the site, execution quality varies dramatically depending on the EPC vendor, regional contractor, and on-site practices. Unlike component-level certification, there is varied enforcement of site-level construction protocols.

 

The answer lies in shifting the conversation from scale alone to scale with strength. India needs solar parks that perform reliably for decades. Trackers, foundations, and balance-of-system choices will decide whether gigawatt targets translate into gigawatt-hours of dependable generation. For example, high-quality single-axis trackers, proven in Indian conditions, can lift output by 15–19% over fixed-tilt systems, effectively producing more GWh per GW.

 

Signs of Progress

 

Many developers are now adopting structured, voluntary site-level quality protocols, including daily construction quality checklists, real-time deviation reporting, and third-party engineering audits. NSEFI has been at the forefront of sensitising developers on O&M and EPC best practices guidelines.

 

These practices are helping projects avoid post-commissioning performance loss and unexpected O&M costs. Encouragingly, some EPCs have started integrating ISO 9001-based QA/QC processes even when not required by the PPA or tendering agency.

 

The government’s biennial component certification regime is also nudging manufacturers toward better performance guarantees and reliability metrics. The next step is clear: this culture of compliance must now extend into construction.

 

The Human Factor: India’s Untapped Lever

 

India’s solar scale-up has largely been manpower-driven. But as the sector matures, it now needs a technically skilled and construction-aware workforce. Tracker installation, cable management, alignment checks, grounding, and anchoring—each task directly influences plant longevity and performance.

 

Studies indicate that even minor errors in cable handling or tracker tilt can reduce lifetime generation by 5–15% and sharply increase maintenance burden. A technically trained site workforce, including supervisors, engineers, and technicians, can be the lowest-cost insurance against future underperformance.

 

Just as critical is the need for better coordination between OEMs, EPCs, and site crews. Ideas from R&D labs must translate clearly into executable field plans. Regional methods of construction, especially in areas like Rajasthan or eastern India, must align with national expectations of quality and durability.

 

Climate-Resilient Designs

 

As climate change accelerates, extreme weather is no longer an anomaly but a design condition. Heat waves raise module cell temperatures well above 45–50°C, cutting output by nearly 10% if systems lack thermal resilience. Torrential rains and cyclonic wind speeds expose weaknesses in foundations and racking, threatening both safety and generation continuity. This is why India’s solar build-out must prioritise trackers and balance-of-system designs that are engineered for high wind loads, advanced drainage, and thermal stability—so that capacity added is capacity sustained.

 

From Scale to Strength

 

India has proven to the world how it can scale. Now, let’s prove we can sustain it. India has mastered scale as we are installing gigawatts at a record pace. As India focuses extensively on energy security by not only emphasising RE capacity addition but also promoting domestic manufacturing, it is pertinent that we ensure every GW translates to GWh and increases the share of solar energy in India’s energy mix. 

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The author is Chief Executive Officer, National Solar Energy Federation of India

 

Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper