Monday, 15 June 2026

A look back at one of the defining renewables stories of early 2026: India posted its strongest solar quarter on record, installing 15.3 GW in the first quarter of the year. The figure marked a 143% year-on-year jump from the 6.3 GW added in Q1 2025, according to Mercom India's Q1 2026 India Solar Market Update Report.

The quarterly surge lifted India's cumulative installed solar capacity to 152 GW as of March 2026, according to pv magazine. Large-scale projects made up 85% of that base, with rooftop solar accounting for the remaining 15%.

Gujarat and Rajasthan dominated quarterly large-scale additions, contributing approximately 40% and 39% of new capacity respectively. Maharashtra ranked third with 6%.

Mercom Capital Group CEO Raj Prabhu attributed the record quarter to accelerated project execution ahead of the June ALMM-II deadline and the reduction in Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charge-waiver benefits, according to pv magazine. Developers had been racing to commission projects before both regulatory thresholds tightened the economics for later builds.

Prabhu also flagged a risk that would shape the rest of the year, warning that transmission bottlenecks could constrain what was expected to be a record year for solar installations.

The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework governs which solar module suppliers can sell into government-linked projects in India, and Phase II tightened domestic content rules for cells. The ISTS waiver, meanwhile, had for years exempted renewable projects from inter-state transmission charges, lowering delivered power costs for buyers in states without strong solar resources. Both levers had been central to the project economics underpinning India's pipeline, and their phased rollback set the pace of execution heading into Q1 2026.

The quarter cemented India's position as one of the fastest-growing solar markets globally, even as grid build-out lagged generation additions.

The Canton of Grisons has opened applications to mount photovoltaic systems on 50 retaining walls along its cantonal road network, pv magazine reported.

The call traces back to the Mazzetta motion, which the Grand Council backed in its December 2024 session and which urged a solar offensive across cantonal road infrastructure.

Expressions of interest are due by 31 August 2026, with optional site visits for shortlisted applicants tentatively set between mid-September and late October 2026.

Grisons is the largest Swiss canton by area, and its cantonal road network threads through Alpine valleys where flat building land is limited. Retaining walls supporting these roads form built surfaces that are already cleared, accessible from the carriageway, and in many cases oriented to the south.

The pv magazine report frames the program as a way to put cantonal road infrastructure to work for solar generation rather than competing with farmland or untouched terrain. The canton has not disclosed in the published call a target installed capacity, a contracting timeline, or the technical specifications applicants must meet.

The motion sits within a broader Swiss push to expand solar on public assets, with the Confederation backing alpine projects under federal energy legislation while cantons keep authority over their own road infrastructure. Grisons borders Italy and Austria and operates one of the longest cantonal road networks in the country, giving the 50-wall pilot a wide pool of candidate sites to draw from.

The August deadline is the first filter. Site visits in the autumn window will follow for applicants the canton selects to advance.