Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has witnessed a massive surge in the installation of rooftop solar power plants. According to data collected by KSEB, 1,08,000 solar plants were newly installed in the 10 months from April to December 2025. This brings the total count to 361,675. In addition, there are 45 solar power plants established in non-rooftop locations.

While 98,636 plants were newly added between April 2024 and March 2025, the current figures show that the 1,00,000 mark was surpassed in just 10 months. This increase is attributed to the introduction of the Central Government’s PM Surya Ghar scheme. There were prior concerns that interest in installing plants would dwindle when the Regulatory Commission introduced new rules imposing certain restrictions on benefits. Furthermore, the Centre had initiated moves to mandate a special charge for plants above 5kW to continue with the profitable net metering system. However, ordinary domestic consumers do not require plants with a capacity exceeding 5kW. Therefore, even if these regulations come into force, they will not affect them for the time being.

Surpassing hydroelectric power

The total solar power generation capacity in Kerala currently stands at 2,228.765 MW. Approximately 12,000 additional plants are being installed every month, adding roughly 60 MW to the capacity monthly. The installed capacity of solar power has now overtaken that of hydroelectric power. According to figures as of March 31, 2024, the installed capacity of hydroelectric projects in Kerala was 2,096.36 MW.

Problems and challenges

Economic benefit vs technical impact: While those generating and using solar power gain financially, the major increase in daytime production causes technical issues, ranging from impacts on the transmission and distribution systems to local voltage fluctuations.

Financial burden: Resolving these technical issues involves financial costs. There is also a financial burden associated with providing expensive electricity back from the grid during the night.