Welcome to the November Edition of The Solar Dispatch!
This month, we dive into one of India’s fastest-growing and highest-impact sectors, data centres, their rising energy footprint, and how solar is becoming central to powering India’s digital future.
Inside this edition, you’ll also find:
Cloud. AI. 24/7 uptime. India’s data centres are scaling at lightning speed, and their electricity needs are exploding just as fast. Here is a quick glance at what this surge looks like and why power stability has become a defining success factor.
By 2030, DCs could consume 3% of the country’s power, straining grids, intensifying emissions, and competing with everyday consumers for electricity.
Our feature article examines why solar-led energy strategies are now essential, not optional, for data centers.
< Click on the image to read the article
Here’s our solar plant mock-up of three popular data centers of our country. We flip the power source and the numbers change instantly, solar generation climbs, and carbon footprints collapse.
This month, we are shining the spotlight on one of India’s biggest builders, literally! Cement drives infrastructure, but its carbon footprint is massive. In this edition, we see how solar power can help.
Cement quite literally builds modern India, but it comes with a steep carbon cost. India, the world’s second-largest cement producer (391 MT annually), generates ~226 MT of CO₂ emissions from this sector alone.
To grow sustainably, the industry must pivot and the solution is right above us! Solar power is already helping India’s cement leaders lower emissions, lock in savings, and strengthen competitiveness. Read more
Rajasthan regulator rejects a petition by the state-owned power trading company to procure 3.2 GW of coal-fired thermal power, saying the proposal is inconsistent with the state’s renewable energy policy framework. Read more
Gujarat’s large-scale solar installations jump 88% in Q3 with 1.2GW addition. Despite a sequential slowdown, the state remains a leading solar market, driven by GUVNL’s PPAs and Kutch’s new capacity, though captive projects face regulatory hurdles. Read more
Power minister Manohar Lal noted that India is currently a power-surplus nation, but excess renewable energy capacity remains underutilised, highlighting the need for energy storage systems. Read more
CERC affirms GST rate cut on renewable energy equipment as a change in law and has directed renewable energy generators to pass on the benefit of lower tax rates to consumers from the date the GST reduction event occurs. Read more
India added 4.9 GW of rooftop solar capacity in the first nine months (9M) of the calendar year 2025, compared to 1.9 GW in the previous year, a 161% year-over-year (YoY) increase, according to Mercom India’s newly released Q3 2025 India Rooftop Solar Market Report. Read more
Solar panel exports slump in September as US tariffs bite. India’s exports to the United States had surged earlier this year as developers sought alternatives to Chinese panels amid Washington’s restrictions on Chinese products. Read more
US grid demand is expected to grow to 166 GW by 2030, of which about 90 GW is expected to come from data centers. Read more
IRENA says $554 billion was invested in solar technologies in 2024. Solar is named as the only renewable energy technology where current investment levels are approaching the annual average needed through to 2030 to align with its 1.5°C pathway. Read more
China to double battery storage by next year as renewables boom. Read more
Japanese companies partner to establish solar glass recycling scheme. NPC’s patented solar panel disassembly equipment separates the solar cells and removes the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) material without breaking the glass, meeting the stringent AGC quality standards. Read more
South Korea’s decision at COP 30 to close all coal-fired power plants by 2040 sounds an alarm for Australian exports. Read more
Researchers develop protective polymer coating for perovskite cells.
MIT has reported the development of a lightweight, two-dimensional polyaramid polymer that can serve as a protective coating for solar cells, electronics, and infrastructure. Read more
AI powered solar forecasting helps UK grid operator reduce balancing costs
Quartz Solar tool by Open Climate Fix saves Great Britain’s grid operator GBP 30 million ($39 million) per year through more accurate forecasting. The non-profit company used machine learning techniques with satellite, weather and historical generation data to reduce forecasting errors by half. Read more
Semi-Transparent Solar Cells Break Records, Promise Energy-Generating Windows and Facades
Scientists from Hong Kong Polytechnic University have found a way to enhance both the light-harvesting and transparent qualities of photovoltaics. Read more
That’s it for this month, folks!
However, if you are looking to begin your solar journey, we are here to help you cut costs, go green, and plan with confidence. From C&I businesses and MSMEs to RWA and homeowners, Horizon Renewable can help you find the solar solution that fits you to the T.
And if you’re already using solar, we would love to hear your experiences. Share your journey with us. It could inspire many more to make the switch!
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