New Delhi : The rooftop solar market in India has moved well beyond the early stage of convincing households to consider solar power. With installations increasing at a faster pace, the discussion is now gradually moving towards what needs to happen alongside rooftop solar so that the systems can deliver greater value to consumers and the power network.
According to Shweta Solar Pvt. Ltd. (Shweta Solar), the combination is significant because the next phase of solar growth will require more than simply adding new installations. The pace of additions has also increased considerably with the one lakh household milestone now being reached in around a week. Recent policy announcements in different parts of the country have brought this discussion into sharper focus.
Mr. Abhishek Garg, Head of Operations, Shweta Solar Pvt. Ltd. said, “The rooftop solar market has reached a stage where the conversation cannot remain limited to installations. Consumers need the right support to make solar useful for them over the long term, while the power system also needs to be ready to handle a larger share of distributed generation. Storage and grid infrastructure will therefore become increasingly important.”
Battery storage is emerging as one of the important pieces of this larger picture. Solar generation is naturally linked to sunlight and therefore does not remain constant throughout the day. Battery Energy Storage Systems can help store electricity when generation is available and make it available when required. At the grid level, storage can also support balancing, peak management and other requirements as the share of renewable energy increases.
The Government has already taken steps to encourage the development of BESS in the country. Recent official projections indicate that India may require 8.68 GW/34 GWh of battery storage by 2026-27 and 47.24 GW/236 GWh by 2031-32. The Union Budget 2026-27 has also increased the provision for viability gap funding for BESS which indicates the growing importance being given to energy storage.
For rooftop solar users, the role of storage could become more relevant, as households look at ways to make better use of the electricity generated during the day. It can also become useful in locations where consumers want greater control over their power use, or require power backup during grid interruptions.
At the same time, the expansion of rooftop solar puts greater demands on the electricity network. Distribution systems have to manage electricity flowing in both directions as households generate power and feed surplus electricity back into the grid. This makes distribution infrastructure, smart metering, monitoring and network management important parts of the transition.
According to Shweta Solar, this is where the next stage of India’s solar journey could be different from the earlier phase. The focus will increasingly be on how solar, storage and the grid work together rather than treating them as separate parts of the energy system.
Mr. Garg added, “Solar has already become a practical choice for a growing number of households. The next question is how we make the most of the power being generated. Better storage, stronger distribution networks and proper monitoring can help ensure that the benefits of rooftop solar extend beyond the installation itself.”
As per Shweta Solar, the focus on rooftop incentives, energy storage, and grid upgrades observed in recent policies indicates an integrated approach to the development of renewable energy. The firm is confident that India’s upcoming solar expansion phase would be assessed not just on the number of installations but on how effectively the generated electricity is stored and utilized as well.
