New capacity addition in the renewables sector during the first quarter of this fiscal was higher at 1,541 MW when compared with the capacity addition of 1,059 MW in the year ago quarter.

Solar segment continues to be the key contributor to the capacity increase with a share of 1,371 MW (ground mounted 1,215.57 MW and rooftop 155.77MW) during the April-June 2018 period (826 MW).

The wind power segment, which is bullish about the near term prospects after a challenging period in the recent months, added 148 MW.

As on June 30, 2018, the total grid connected installed renewable power capacity in India stood at 71,325 MW (58,303 MW), according to the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

The total capacity of wind power stood at 34,293 MW followed by solar power with a total capacity of 23,023 MW (both ground mounted and rooftop). The Biomass (including bagasse and non-bagasse cogeneration) segment had a total capacity of 9,378 MW. Small hydro and waste-to-power accounted for 4493 MW and 138 MW respectively.

The MNRE has fixed a total capacity addition target of 15,602 MW for 2018-19 (14,550 MW) and solar is expected to be the highest contributor with about 11,000 MW (ground mounted 10,000 MW and rooftop 1,000 MW) of the new capacity, followed by wind (4,000 MW), biomass (350 MW) and small hydro (250 MW). A recent report of Bridge to India, a solar energy consulting company, pointed out that solar power commissioning activity would slow considerably in the next few quarters due to a drop in new tender issuances during late 2016 and early 2017.

The total utility scale capacity addition in 2018 would be only 6.3 GW (-25 per cent over 2017).

Activity should pick up again in 2019 with about 8 GW of new capacity expected to come online in the year.