WEDNESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2026
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The Sun is not shining on Goa’s solar dream

The Sun is not shining on Goa’s solar dream

PANAJI

The State is lagging behind its target for rooftop solar installations and considering its current move, it will have to increase the pace of installations nearly seven-fold to achieve its 21, 200 installation target for the current financial year, according to data available with the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA).

GEDA officials said the State is currently installing an average of around 10 rooftop solar panels a day, whereas the pace needs to increase to nearly 70 panels a day to meet the annual target of 21,200 installations.

Till July, 3,369 rooftop solar panels had been installed in Goa, accounting for only 16 per cent of the FY 2026-27 target.

Of the 4,556 applications received, 3,369 systems have been installed. Officials said monsoon conditions, including difficulties in site visits, rooftop inspections and installation work, have slowed implementation.

The government now plans greater awareness campaigns, targeting cooperative housing societies, improving access to loans, introducing a utility-led aggregation model for 1-3 kW consumers and setting strict monthly installation milestones.

However, in terms of electricity generation capacity, the state has achieved 27.74 MW out of the targeted 65 MW, or around 43 per cent of the capacity target.

Officials said the difference between the number of installations and capacity achieved is because vendors are installing larger-capacity systems. As a result, fewer individual installations can still contribute significantly to the overall megawatt capacity. “Focus is also on to promote large-scale rooftop solar installations in both new and existing buildings, including hotels, government offices, and housing complexes,” official said.

The government has set a target of installing 21,200 solar rooftop systems across the State by 2027, aiming to generate 65 Megawatt (MW) of green energy under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PM-SGMBY).  

The data from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy reveals that the State is implementing the PM Surya Ghar scheme along with the Goa Solar Portal to speed up applications and subsidy disbursement. Following the state's participation in the Ministry's City Accelerator programme, installations have increased by 170 per cent since November 2025, while applications have risen by 95 per cent during the same period.

“The government has introduced several measures to accelerate adoption, including state financial assistance in addition to the central subsidy, automatic technical feasibility approval and load enhancement for systems up to 10 kW, exemption from net-meter and meter-testing charges, and integration of the PM Surya Ghar portal with the Goa Solar Portal,” official explained.


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The Goan Network
Published Aug 26, 2026, 12:10 AM IST
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Complete civic poll process by January 4, HC tells SEC

PANAJIThe High Court of Bombay at Goa has upheld the validity of the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, directing the State Election Commission to complete the poll process including declaration of results for 11 municipalities by January 4, 2027.In its order on Tuesday, the Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Hiten Venegavkar rejected the challenge seeking invalidation of the ordinance, the alternative plea that it should not apply to the…

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