India Breaks 2 GW Solar Barrier

A new update from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in India has proclaimed the country has passed the 2 GW landmark for grid-connected solar. The figures showed that, as of September 30, 2013, the total solar installed capacity was just over 2000 MW, while off-grid power amounted to just south of 140 MW.

The update was published on the MNRE website, while RESolve Energy Consultants are responsible for the graphs which follow.

As can be seen, wind makes up a sizable portion of India’s total renewable energy makeup, with 19,881 MW of connected power. India’s wind energy target for 2013-14 sits at 2500, and they’ve already installed 808 MW so far — adding 102.5 in September alone.

Solar power doesn’t receive the same focus as it does in other countries, but it is still growing, with 395 MW deployed already in the 2013-14 time period — of which 111 was deployed in September, taking the number up to 2080 MW.

The news comes on the heels of continuous solar improvements in the country. Tuesday saw the news that Madhya Pradesh, a state in India, already has 202 MW installed and intends to “crank that up to 1,400 MW by the middle of 2015.” And earlier this month India invited bids to build 750 MW of solar plants as part of Phase-2 of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). It’s the first time the country has opened up bidding since 2011, and the government is “offering 18.75 billion rupees ($303 million) in grants to the project from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF).”