According to the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index–SARAL issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Karnataka has emerged as the best state for establishing a rooftop solar project. Telangana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh are the next three states in the rankings, though all four have received an A++ rating.

The state of Karnataka receives an average of 240-300 sunny days, with solar radiation of 5.4 to 6.4kWh/m2/day. According to estimates, the solar energy potential of Karnataka is 25GW.

In the southwest region of India, Karnataka is the state that produces the most solar energy. It has a total installed solar power capacity of around 7,860MW – not including the 1,000MW of projects in the queue.

The Pavagada Solar Park (or Shakti Sthala) in the Tumakuru district of Karnataka is India’s second-biggest solar power plant, having previously been the world’s largest of its kind, with a production capacity of 2,050MW.

In the districts of Bidar, Koppal, and Gadag, the state is expected to witness three more ultra-mega solar power projects, each with a capacity of 2,500 MW. These numbers showcase the bright future of solar in Karnataka.

In March 2022, the state government approved the Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy form 2022-27. For solar energy, the policy states a target of achieving 1000MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects.

The government will also promote grid-connected rooftop installations over public and domestic buildings, along with commercial and industrial units through net metering and gross metering facility.

There is a plan to promote floating solar installations over existing dams and reservoirs. The Karnataka government will also promote the use of solar energy for EV charging to green the transportation sector.

Additionally, the state cabinet will help 10,000 farmers build solar power systems through PM KUSUM Yojana category-B.

In recent years, many businesses have started investing in Karnataka’s solar segment. Recently e-commence giant Amazon announced plans to build a wind-solar hybrid project in the state. Moreover, Tata Power Renewable Energy will invest over ₹3000 crores to develop solar projects.

Like these two, many organizations have either invested in Karnataka’s RE industry or have announced plans to do so. The reason why the state is attracting investors in the clean energy segment is because of its favorable policies.

For example, to encourage clean energy development, the state offers incentives such as an investment promotion subsidy, up to 100% exemption on stamp duty, and 100% exemption on electricity duty for 8 years.

For larger enterprises investing in clean energy, Karnataka provides Up to 2.25% of turnover as an investment promotion subsidy for 6-10 years and Up to 100% reimbursement on land conversion fees.

The government also provides some financial benefits to consumers with an installed solar capacity of 1MW. These include, 40% accelerated depreciation on the system and 10 year Tax holiday on solar projects.

Moreover, the state has been increasingly promoting open-access systems. Based on a recent report, Karnataka had the highest open-access capacity solar installations in the first half of 2022. The government also gives preference to green open-access projects over traditional open-access projects.

To promote the adoption of rooftop solar power systems in the residential sector, the central government and many state governments introduced the solar subsidy. However, in 2022, the union ministry launched a uniform Central Financial Assistance (CFA) scheme, which can be accessed through a national portal for rooftop solar.

The Karnataka government does not provide a separate subsidy, but residential consumers installing grid-connected rooftop solar systems can avail the incentive through the national portal itself. The details are the subsidy are as follows:

Ornate Solar recently supplied premium quality solar equipment to EPCs for these projects in Karnataka

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