As India rushes to meet the installation goal set by the government of 100 GW by 2022, now is a good time to check the progress of solar among states. Southern states are well ahead in installations as of the end of Q1 2018, surpassing states like Rajasthan and Gujarat which are rich in sunshine. Karnataka has built up a good lead and is likely to stay on at the top for some time while other states jockey to climb up the list as the year progresses.
Here is a quick glance at the top solar states in the country:
Karnataka
Karnataka tops the list exceeding 5 GW of cumulative solar installations and represents 24 percent market share of the total installed capacity in India as of Q1 2018.
Telangana
The state of Telangana has an installed capacity of 3.2 GW and a project development pipeline consisting of approximately 200 MW of solar projects.
Rajasthan
The state of Rajasthan, with high solar insolation best suited for the development of solar projects, has installed approximately 2.3 GW of capacity. The state also has a significant development pipeline of approximately 1.5 GW.
Andhra Pradesh
The state of Andhra Pradesh has 2.3 GW of solar projects installed and a project development pipeline of over 600 MWs.
Tamil Nadu
The state of Tamil Nadu has 1.8 GW of installed solar capacity and a huge project development pipeline consisting of over 2 GW.
Gujarat
Gujarat has approximately 1.4 GW of solar projects installed in the state and a development pipeline of over half a gigawatt.
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh also has approximately 1.3 GW of installed solar projects and another gigawatt of projects that are currently in the development pipeline.
Maharashtra
The state of Maharashtra has 1.1 GW of installed solar projects so far and has 350 MW in the development pipeline.
Punjab
Punjab has achieved an installed capacity of 810 MW and has a very small pipeline of solar projects in its development pipeline.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh, with merely 635 MW of installed solar capacity, has managed to grab the tenth spot on the list. The state has a project development pipeline of about 300 MW.