Covid reduces India's utility-scale solar addition by 67% in first quarter

• Covid-19-prompted disruption drastically influenced solar installation during January-March, 2020 as the country added just 689 MW of utility-scale PV versus 1,864 MW set up to be commissioned.

India added 989 MW of solar energy generation ability in the first quarter, taking total mounted ability to 38,894 MW by March 31. Of the brand-new enhancement, 70% was utility-scale solar (689 MW) as well as 30% roof solar (300 MW), according to tidy power working as a consultant Bridge To India's Q1 2020 India Solar Compass report.

The total set up capability of 38,894 MW consists of 32,176 MW utility range, 5,740 MW rooftop solar and 978 MW off-grid solar.

As on March 31, 28,972 MW of tasks were in pipe, under numerous phases of development.

Covid hurts installment

Project building was influenced badly as Covid-19 hit devices supply chains and also labor force schedule.

Utility-scale addition at 689 MW was 67% down from the 1,864 MW estimate. The capability-- making up 19 tasks-- was split in between state federal government tenders (415 MW, 60%), central government tenders (257 MW, 37%), as well as others (18 MW, 3%).

Roof solar was additionally hit severely with only 300 MW of ability enhancement in the busiest quarter of the year, according to the record.

" Impacts of the pandemic were felt starting late January adhered to by the Chinese brand-new year holiday and subsequent lockdown in India. The federal government enforced total lockdown in business and also service activity beginning March 25"-- the record mentioned.

" Despite the implementation downturn, tender issuance boomed in Q1 as SECI [Solar Energy Corporation of India] alone issued 9,414 MW of tenders. Total tender issuance and public auctions throughout the quarter stood at 14,293 MW and 8,241 MW respectively"-- it included.

Outlook

Also as job construction was allowed from April 20, commissioning development is most likely to decrease considerably because of equipment as well as labour accessibility restraints.

The Bridge To India report expects India to include only 500 MW utility-scale solar in the 2nd quarter and 1,184 MW in the third quarter.

Rooftop solar market might take longer to recover as consumers prioritise core company procedures and preserve cash in view of the financial unpredictability, triggering the consultancy to modify rooftop solar capability enhancement quote for the second and third quarter to 360 MW.