Open access solar capacity addition at record 3.2 GW during 2023: Report

India added a record 3.2 gigawatt of open access solar capacity during 2023, posting a 6.66 per cent rise supported by factors, including reduced module cost, according to a report.
In its latest report, US-based research firm Mercom Capital said the open access solar capacity addition was 3 gigawatt (GW) during 2022.
Solar power through open access is an arrangement where a power producer establishes a solar power plant to supply green energy to consumers.
It is the record high open access solar capacity addition in a calendar year. The cumulative installed solar capacity in the open access segment stood at 12.2 GW as of December 2023, the ‘Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report’ said.
Open access solar is one of the bright spots in the country’s solar market, attracting commercial enterprises and industrial units to shift towards solar and other clean energy sources, Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group, said.
“The potential cost savings for businesses are hard to igno