Tata Is Largest Indian PV Rooftop Installer

• Tata Power Solar of the Tata Group, holds 20% market share in the rooftop installation segment in India, the largest in the space, followed by Clean Max Enviro Energy (9%),  according to Mercom Capital
• The many other players active in Indian rooftop solar all have less than 5% shares - including Rays Experts, Su-Kam Power, Essel Infraprojects, Amplus Solar, Hero Future Energies, RattanIndia Apna Solar, Mahindra Susten, Azure Power
• India saw 1,616 MW of rooftop PV capacity being tendered in 2016, out of which results have been announced for 505 MW

Tata Power Solar, a 100% subsidiary of Tata Power, holds the largest market share in the rooftop solar installation segment of India. The company has captured 20% of the total business in the space, followed by Clean Max Enviro Energy that holds 9% market share, according to research and communications firm Mercom Capital Group. Each of the many other players active in Indian rooftop solar have less than 5% shares – including Rays Experts, Su-Kam Power, Essel Infraprojects, Amplus Solar, Hero Future Energies, RattanIndia Apna Solar, Mahindra Susten, Azure Power

The Indian rooftop solar sector has been recently seeing a lot of activity. The total installed capacity in this segment crossed 1 GW in September 2016, according to clean energy consultancy Bridge to India (see India Crosses 1 GW PV Rooftop Capacity). However, Mercom says in the past two years, Indian rooftop solar installations have reached 605 MW.

Either way, rooftop solar has had a rather slow start in the country's flagship program on renewable energy, Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). It targets installation of 100 GW of solar power capacity by 2022, with rooftop solar contributing 40 GW. In that sense, the estimates from both the agencies show the rooftop segment still being very small. But there is a lot of potential – and many companies are starting to move into that space.

A recent report from Indian the Centre for Science and Environment says India can expect to install up to 3,000 MW of rooftop solar on new residential installations in the next five to seven years (see 3 GW Rooftop PV Potential For New Homes In India).

In 2016, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) came out with two tenders for rooftop capacity. One was the 500 MW PV capacity tendered in April 2016 (see Largest Indian Rooftop Tender). In December 2016, it again launched another tender that surpassed the previous capacity offered, 1,000 MW (see India Launches 1 GW PV Rooftop Tender).

According to Mercom, 1,616 MW of rooftop solar capacity was tendered in India in 2016, including the 1,500 MW tendered by SECI, out of which results for 505 MW have been announced.

The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has now also offered financial assistance to Indian power distribution companies (discoms) to become active in the rooftop PV space (see India Plans 1,350 MW Rooftop Scheme).