Fidra Energy Acquires 1 GW Battery Storage Project in the UK

Engineering Projects India Floats EPC Tender for 250 MW Solar Projects

Inox Wind’s Q4 FY26 Revenue Slips 2.4% YoY Amid Supply Chain Disruptions

Punjab Regulator Approves Tariff for Procurement of 4 MW Solar Power

Uttarakhand Retains Generic Tariff for Solar Projects for FY 2027

Uttarakhand Proposes Ancillary Services Framework to Strengthen Grid

Karnataka Proposes New Regulations for Distributed Solar Projects

Andhra Pradesh Clarifies Net Metering Rules for Older Rooftop Solar Projects

APTEL Sets Aside MERC Tariff Approval for 4 GWh Battery Storage Tender

Bengaluru Apartment Cuts Power Bills by 80% With 150 kW Rooftop Solar Project


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/amazon_polly_95958.mp3?version=1780640629">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>Rajasthan emerged as the leading state for solar open access installations in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026. The state commissioned over 1 GW of solar open access capacity during the quarter, accounting for 39% of India’s newly added open access capacity, according to Mercom’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2026-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2026 India Solar Open Access Market Report</a>.</p>
<p>The state’s installations increased by 1,371% year-over-year and 2,472% quarter-over-quarter, rebounding from the slowdown observed in the previous quarter due to transmission availability constraints.</p>
<p>India <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-open-access-installations-in-india-surge-160-yoy-to-2-7-gw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> 2.7 GW of open-access solar capacity in Q1 2026, a 160% increase from Q1 2025 and a 55% increase from Q4 2025.</p>
<p>Open access projects accounted for 21% of Rajasthan’s total large-scale solar installations during the quarter, reflecting growing demand from commercial and industrial consumers. Of the capacity added during Q1 2026, standalone solar projects accounted for 82%, while the remaining installations came from solar-plus-wind projects.</p>
<p>The commissioning of CleanMax Enviro Energy’s 400 MW solar project drove 39% of the quarter’s solar open access capacity additions.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-scaled.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-95980 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-scaled.png" alt="Rajasthan Solar Open Access Market (MW)
" width="2560" height="928" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-scaled.png 2560w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-300x109.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-2000x725.png 2000w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-768x278.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-1536x557.png 1536w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-2048x742.png 2048w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-650x236.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-624x226.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Rajasthan-Solar-Open-Access-Market-MW-1-600x217.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As of March 2026, Rajasthan ranked third in cumulative solar open access capacity, with more than 5 GW installed, accounting for 16% of the country’s total open access capacity.</p>
<p>Solar open access projects accounted for 13% of the state’s cumulative large-scale solar capacity. Standalone solar projects dominated cumulative installations, accounting for 93% of the total, followed by solar-plus-wind projects at 7% and solar-plus-battery storage projects at 0.3%. Floating solar projects accounted for the remaining marginal share.</p>
<p><strong>Policy Support</strong></p>
<p>Rajasthan has continued to strengthen its regulatory framework for open access and emerging renewable energy technologies.</p>
<p>The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rajasthan-lowers-charges-for-open-access-power-consumers-for-fy-2027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduced</a> transmission and wheeling charges for open access consumers for FY27. The state also approved Green Energy Open Access procedures and aligned captive power regulations with the Central Government’s revised framework, providing greater regulatory clarity for captive and group captive projects.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rajasthan-regulator-allows-dual-power-connections-for-high-load-consumers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduction</a> of dual power connection provisions for high-load consumers is expected to provide greater procurement flexibility for high-tension (HT) and extra-high-tension (EHT) consumers, including the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), data centers, and other essential service categories.</p>
<p>Rajasthan also <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rajasthan-finalizes-regulations-for-battery-energy-storage-systems" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finalized</a> regulations for battery energy storage systems and notified resource adequacy regulations, reflecting an increased focus on grid reliability, peak-demand management, and the procurement of firm renewable power.</p>
<p>In addition, Rajasthan remains one of India’s most attractive solar open access markets due to its strong renewable resource base, large industrial demand centers, and established renewable energy ecosystem.</p>
<p>According to the state load dispatch center, Rajasthan is expected to end up with a spare transmission capacity of up to 5.5 GW over the next two years, supporting the state&#8217;s renewable energy growth. However, transmission congestion and renewable energy curtailment continue to persist in some regions during periods of high solar generation due to evacuation constraints. These challenges are prompting developers to increasingly adopt battery storage, hybrid configurations, and grid-aligned project designs to improve power offtake reliability and reduce operational risks as transmission infrastructure continues to expand.</p>
<p>According to Mercom India Research, Rajasthan has the largest solar open access development pipeline in the country, highlighting strong growth prospects for the market in the coming quarters. Standalone solar projects accounted for 67% of the state’s development pipeline.</p>
<p>Mercom’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-project-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar open access tracker</a> provides key details of installed and pipeline projects, including captive, group captive, third-party sale, and solar park projects across India.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2025-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2026 India Solar Open Access Market Report</a> covers state-wise open access charges, electricity tariffs, power purchase agreement tariffs, installed and pipeline project capacities, policy updates, and other critical information and data on the market.</p>


Rajasthan Leads India’s Solar Open Access Market in Q1


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/amazon_polly_95125.mp3?version=1779720442">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>India added 2.7 GW of solar open access capacity in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, according to Mercom India’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2026-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2026 India Solar Open Access Market Report</a>, marking a 55% quarter-over-quarter increase from 1.7 GW and 160% year-over-year increase from 1 GW.</p>
<p>The growth was driven by a combination of regulatory push, anticipated supply-side concerns, supportive state-level policies, stronger market outreach, and improved project execution across key markets.</p>
<p>The implementation of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II for solar cells, effective from June 2026, emerged as one of the biggest factors behind the commissioning rush during the quarter.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-scaled.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-95141 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-scaled.png" alt="Solar Open Access Installations (MW)" width="2560" height="1582" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-scaled.png 2560w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-300x185.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-2000x1236.png 2000w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-768x475.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-1536x949.png 1536w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-2048x1266.png 2048w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-650x402.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-624x386.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-1-updated-600x371.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a></p>
<p>Developers accelerated installations to complete projects before the new domestic cell sourcing norms take effect amid concerns over higher procurement costs and limited supplies.</p>
<p>Priya Sanjay, Managing Director at Mercom India, said, “Developers could not risk delays because if the projects have not been commissioned, they would have to forego the benefits of ISTS charges waiver and the ability to procure non-DCR panels.”</p>
<p>She added that once developers sign power purchase agreements with commercial and industrial consumers, pricing is largely locked in, leaving limited room to absorb higher equipment costs later.</p>
<p><strong>State-Wise Installations</strong></p>
<p>Rajasthan accounted for nearly 39% of solar open-access capacity additions in Q1 2026, making it the leading state for the quarter. The top five states together contributed over 84% of total installations.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-95128 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2.png" alt="State-wise Solar Open Access Installations in Q1 2026 (MW)" width="2118" height="1258" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2.png 2118w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-300x178.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-2000x1188.png 2000w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-768x456.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-1536x912.png 1536w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-2048x1216.png 2048w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-650x386.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-624x371.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Solar-Open-Access-Q1-2026-image-2-600x356.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2118px) 100vw, 2118px" /></a></p>
<p>As of March 2026, cumulative installed open-access solar capacity in India stood at 32.9 GW.</p>
<p>Karnataka continued to lead cumulative installations, with an over 23% share of the country’s total solar open-access capacity. Maharashtra ranked second with around 16%, followed closely by Rajasthan with nearly 16%. The top five states accounted for almost 77% of cumulative installed capacity.</p>
<p>Explaining the concentration of projects in these states, Sanjay mentioned that the regulatory environment, solar irradiation and land availability were key factors. In some states, solar irradiation may be strong, but regulatory challenges and land acquisition constraints limit open access growth.</p>
<p><strong>Market Trends</strong></p>
<p>The top five states accounted for over 86% of the announced installations.</p>
<p>However, developers could continue to face supply chain uncertainty and lack of regulatory clarity over the next few quarters.</p>
<p>Sanjay said some developers may delay procurement decisions while waiting for possible extensions to the ALMM deadline. She noted that during transition periods, suppliers often raise prices due to anticipated shortages, which can affect project economics and commissioning timelines.</p>
<p>The report also tracks activity in India’s renewable power exchanges. In Q4 2025, Adani Green Energy was the leading seller in the Green Day-Ahead Market (G-DAM), accounting for 34% of electricity sold.</p>
<p>The cleared volume of Renewable Energy Certificates traded on the Indian Energy Exchange increased 285% quarter-over-quarter, reflecting higher participation from obligated entities procuring renewable attributes through the exchange mechanism. In contrast, trade volume in the Green Term-Ahead Market (G-TAM) declined around 40% quarter-over-quarter.</p>
<p>Odisha emerged as the leading procurer from G-DAM, followed by Damodar Valley Corporation and Gujarat.</p>
<p>Demand from commercial and industrial consumers is expected to remain strong over the coming quarters, despite regulatory and supply-side uncertainties. Sanjay said the market’s focus has shifted beyond immediate tariff savings toward long-term electricity price stability through multi-year power purchase agreements.</p>
<p>“The demand is always going to be there,” she said, adding that corporations increasingly value fixed electricity costs over 10 to 25 years, even if immediate savings compared to grid tariffs have narrowed.</p>
<p>The Q1 2026 Solar Open Access Market Report by Mercom India is 92 pages long and covers vital information and data on the market. For the complete report, visit: <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2026-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2026-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report</a></p>


Solar Open Access Installations in India Surge 160% YoY to 2.7 GW

q1-2026

Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.

RECENT POSTS