Wastelands hold 3,343 GWp solar energy potential
27,571 square km of such land available across India, says a report
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: India has potential to have about 3,343 GWp ground-mounted solar PV from 27,571 square km of wasteland across the nation, a report by National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) said on Tuesday.
NISE is an autonomous specialised institute under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), mandated for research and development, solar component testing and certification, capacity building, and development of solar products and applications. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of India’s ground-mounted solar PV potential, building on the earlier estimate of 748.98 GWp in 2014.
The study integrates advanced geospatial datasets and refined methodologies, accounting for key development constraints such as terrain (slope and aspect), sustainable land use, solar irradiance, and proximity to roads and electrical substations. It identifies feasible ground-mounted solar potential of 3,343 GWp across India, derived from 27,571 sq km of wasteland. The report shows that apart from well-known desert regions in Rajasthan and Gujarat, several states have very high potential for ground-mounted solar PV.
Rajasthan has the highest potential of having 828.78 GWp, followed by 486.68 GWP in Maharashtra, 318.97 GWp in Madhya Pradesh, 299.31 GWp in Andhra Pradesh and 243.22 GWp in Gujarat. “The feasibility analysis yielded a total ground-mounted solar PV potential (DC capacity) of 3343.37 GWp across India, derived from a feasible wasteland area of 27,571.39 sq km, which represents approximately 6.69 per cent of the total identified wasteland (4,12,458.37 sq km). This is in line with the imposed constraint that not more than 10 per cent of wasteland of the state to be utilised for solar deployment,” it said. Western India contributes over 45 per cent of the national potential.
These states benefit from vast, contiguous wasteland and high solar irradiance, it stated. Southern states, including Andhra Pradesh (299.31 GWp ), Karnataka (223.28 GWp), Tamil Nadu (204.77 GWp), and Telangana (140.45 GWp) show significant contributions despite moderate wasteland area, the report said, adding that this is attributed to favourable solar geometry, dense irradiance levels, and high land-use efficiency.
