Leveraging information technology for accelerating residential rooftop solar: A case study from Odisha, India

Rooftop solar (RTS) projects have the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and sustainable development objectives. The Indian government has set an ambitious target of adding 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022, with 40 GW allocated for RTS segment. However, only 8.2 GW (< 25%) of this target has been achieved thus far. The low uptake of RTS is attributed to the complexity and inefficiency in the current implementation process, along with a lack of coordination among various implementing agencies. Leveraging information technology (IT) has emerged as a promising strategy to address these challenges and unleash the full potential of RTS systems. This approach seeks to consolidate key stakeholders onto a unified web platform, simplifying administrative tasks for agencies, reducing processing times, and fostering connections between consumers and legitimate vendors. By delineating roles and responsibilities within defined timeframes, the adoption of IT measures aims to support RTS implementation at both state and national levels. This study examines the potential of incorporating a web-based IT platform into the current RTS implementation process of the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency. A simplified approach was developed to expedite RTS projects in Odisha with reduced reliance on human intervention and resources. This methodology was effectively demonstrated with the State Nodal Agency (SNA), resulting in the execution of around 850 projects, totaling 33 MWp (with capacities ranging from 1–10 kW) of residential grid-connected RTS projects. As a result, other SNAs have embraced this model, fostering RTS advancement and consumer engagement through web-based IT platforms.