The inaugural Solar & Storage Expo Goa 2026 concluded on Wednesday at the Novotel Goa Panjim, drawing state officials, developers, equipment suppliers, investors, and rooftop installers to the region's first event focused exclusively on solar and storage technologies. The expo culminated with the Goa Energy Excellence Awards, where residential solar providers Kunde Solar Solutions and Solstar Ultima LLP took top honors in their categories.
Kunde Solar Solutions was named Solar EPC Company of the Year – Residential, recognizing its work in engineering, procurement, and construction for household solar systems. Partner Sahil Kerkar accepted the award during the ceremony. Solstar Ultima LLP received the Best Rooftop Solar Installer – Residential award, with partner and business development head Dinesh Naik accepting the trophy. The awards spotlight the growing prominence of local players in Goa's solar market.
These developments come at a critical juncture for India's rooftop solar ambitions. The government's flagship PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana aims to install solar systems on one crore (10 million) homes by March 2027, offering subsidies of up to 40% and as much as ₹78,000 for qualifying larger household systems. However, the rollout faces significant headwinds.
Data from the Goa Solar portal, managed by the Goa Energy Development Agency, shows 8,945 rooftop solar consumers and 85,396.45 kW of installed capacity in the state. There are 124 state-approved vendors, with residential rates quoted between ₹41 and ₹50 per watt. Vendors are responsible for operation and maintenance for five years after system commissioning.
Nationally, India's solar capacity reached 150.26 GW by March 31, 2026, with rooftop solar accounting for 25.73 GW, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The ministry also reported cumulative rooftop projects had surpassed 42 lakh households. Despite these gains, the next phase of expansion faces potential delays.
Industry challenges remain significant. A Reuters report from February highlighted that banks are holding back financing and some states are hesitating, which could slow the PM Surya Ghar rollout. Shreya Jai, lead energy analyst at Climate Trends, warned these hurdles "could derail India's efforts to transition away from coal." Grid stability is another concern, with a parliamentary consultative committee meeting this week discussing curtailment, transmission delays, and energy storage. Power Minister Manohar Lal emphasized the need for a "future-ready power grid" to support clean-energy targets.
For Goa's local winners, the question remains whether the expo accolades will translate into increased order flow, improved service, or faster connection queues. No financial details, new project targets, or installation goals were disclosed for either company, leaving their near-term prospects uncertain.
The Goa Energy Development Agency, established in 1996, serves as the nodal agency for Ministry of New and Renewable Energy schemes in the state and oversees rooftop solar projects on government buildings. It controls the pace of residential and public-sector solar projects from application to installation.
