Think tank: Indian solar remains profitable venture despite low tariffs

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Image credit: IBC Solar.

Indian solar is to stay a money-making occupation despite the pressure of ever-decreasing tender tariffs, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has said.

In a new report alongside JMK Research & Analytics, the think tank modelled project and financing costs and concluded that firms developing or investing in Indian solar can reap returns, provided they keep a firm eye on expenses, interest rates and other dynamics.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

Not ready to commit yet?
  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

As report co-author Vibhuti Garg noted, Indian solar players have already adjusted their expectations to the low-tariff environment. Return assumptions have declined from 14% to 12% as tariffs dropped in some cases to INR 2.5/kWh (3.47 US dollar cents per kWh), Garg added.

According to the IEEFA energy economist, such a rate majorly outcompetes thermal plant tariffs and will be prized by the distribution firms purchasing the power. “[But] this is a floor for developers if they want to make money,” she added.

Even above that threshold, the expected solar project equity returns of 12-13% leave “very little margin for error”, the IEEFA said, pointing at the impacts that could arise from unexpected project delays, curtailments, interest rate hikes, currency volatility and import duties on modules.

Eye on costs as COVID-19 tangles up supply chain

According to IEEFA, the fact that solar development has become a balancing act does not detract from India’s solar potential. The sun is “shining bright” for a country that boasts 35GW of installed PV and further pipeline projects (23GW) and bidding-phase projects (30GW), the think tank said.

The upbeat talk comes as the industry faces the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. With a total lockdown in place since 25 March 2020, the country has felt the brunt of – and is trying to act against – its reliance on solar component imports from China.

According to the IEEFA’s Garg, firms looking to deploy as the disruption continues must “factor in the risks and rightfully estimate the costs of every component.” At 64%, module costs vastly exceed those of inverters (7%), balance of system (8%) and solar park charges (12%), the think tank found.

The costs – modelled around an unidentified 250MW solar project in Rajasthan – could be offset in the long run by refinancing projects sitting at 75%-25% debt-equity ratio, the IEEFA noted, particularly once construction and commissioning risks are out of the picture.

Also key to a solar project’s ultimate returns are interest rates, the study authors pointed out. Adani Green, Azure Power and the other large players able to take on longer-term, lower cost loans are tapping into the dynamic to bid “more aggressively”, the report said.

Read Next

August 28, 2025
Indian solar manufacturing firm INA Solar has broken ground on its fourth 4.5GW cell production plant in Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh.
August 28, 2025
JinkoSolar has sold 41.8GW of PV modules in the first half of the year, despite growing financial losses for its manufacturing subsidiary.
August 26, 2025
Daqo New Energy has posted gross losses of US$81.4 million in Q2 2025, up from losses of US$81.5 million in Q1.
August 26, 2025
Jakson Engineers is investing over INR80 billion (US$912.5 million) to set up a 6GW integrated solar module, cell, and wafer plant.
August 26, 2025
India installed 14.3GW of new utility-scale solar capacity in the first half (H1) of 2025, marking a 49% increase year-on-year.
August 26, 2025
The Australian Government’s CER approved 56 new power stations, with 797MW of renewable energy capacity, in July this year.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines