India’s Rooftop Solar Installations Surge 131% YoY To 6.6 GW In H1 2026: Mercom Report

New Delhi, Sep 1 (KNN) India added 6.6 GW of rooftop solar capacity in the first half of calendar year 2026, marking a 131 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase from 2.8 GW in the corresponding period last year, according to a Mercom India report.

The ‘Mercom India's Q2 and H1 2026 India Rooftop Solar Market Report’ said installations rose to 3.8 GW in Q2 2026, up 39 per cent sequentially from 2.7 GW in Q1 and 136 per cent from 1.6 GW in Q2 2025. Rooftop solar accounted for 33 per cent of total solar installations during the quarter.

Residential Segment Leads

Residential projects accounted for 84 per cent of rooftop solar additions in Q2 2026, followed by industrial installations at 10 per cent, commercial at 5 per cent and government projects at 1 per cent.

Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat led quarterly additions, accounting for 18 per cent, 15 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

As of June 2026, the top 10 states accounted for 80 per cent of India's cumulative rooftop solar capacity. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala were the leading states by installed capacity.

Approvals, Costs Remain Key Challenges

Mercom Capital Group CEO Raj Prabhu said, “India has a strong residential rooftop solar pipeline, but converting it into installations will depend on faster approvals, financing, and project delivery. Higher grid tariffs should strengthen commercial demand, but rising system costs and regulatory constraints could limit industrial growth,” ET reported.

Average rooftop solar system costs remained broadly stable in Q2, although prices varied by module technology and sourcing category.

Mercom expects rooftop solar installations to maintain strong growth in 2026, with residential projects remaining the primary driver and commercial installations also expected to expand.

(KNN Bureau)