Over the past one year, the solar power industry has increased its focus on rooftop solar development. An increasing number of states are reforming their net metering regulations. However, owing to various challenges, rooftop solar continues to be a minority segment in the country’s overall solar power ecosystem. At the “Solar Power in India” conference, senior representatives from leading rooftop development firms expressed their views on the key challenges faced by the segment, the possible solutions and the future outlook…

After having worked in the US solar energy industry for over a decade, two solar engineers, Adarsh Das and Kushagra Nandan, returned to India to start their own venture. They set up SunSource Energy to primarily focus on the solar power requirements of commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers. “The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission and the increasing use of solar power on a commercial scale encouraged us to fulfil our dream of coming back and starting a venture,” says Das.

The ambitious target of setting up 40 gw of rooftop solar power in the country by 2022 seems impossible with the government taking its 'eye' off this ambitious programme.

"Rooftop solar has taken a back seat… The government has taken its eyes off rooftop solar," SunSource CEO, Adarsh Das told DNA Money.

SunSource, the Rs 400 crore start-up company, is in the business of erection of commercial and residential solar rooftops, besides building large solar power plants across the country and some overseas nations, including the Philippines.

In their rush to grab the first mover advantage in the segment, they are hopping onto the rooftop even before the government came out with proposed sops

Even before the government has come out with policies and regulations to give rooftop solar a big push, major solar companies are looking to tap opportunities in the residential rooftop solar kit segment to grab a big chunk of the market.