PANAJI, India, June 3, 2026, 21:35 IST
Solar & Storage Expo Goa 2026 wrapped up at Novotel Goa Panjim on Wednesday, with state officials, developers, equipment suppliers, investors and rooftop installers attending the first solar-and-storage focused event in Goa. The expo finished with the Goa Energy Excellence Awards. Residential solar providers Kunde Solar Solutions and Solstar Ultima LLP picked up awards. Pahal Solar, GoodWe and True Power were listed as partners for the event.
Rooftop solar in India is at a key policy stage, not just a line in the clean-energy story. The government’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana targets installation on one crore homes—10 million—by March 2027. Subsidies run as high as 40%, with up to ₹78,000 for qualifying bigger household systems.
Goa’s solar market has real numbers now. Data from the Goa Solar portal, managed by the Goa Energy Development Agency, lists 8,945 rooftop solar consumers and 85,396.45 kW of installed capacity. There are 124 state-approved vendors, with residential rates quoted between ₹41 and ₹50 per watt. Operation and maintenance sits with vendors for five years after projects go live, according to the portal.
Kunde Solar Solutions took home the Solar EPC Company of the Year – Residential award. EPC covers engineering, procurement, and construction—basically, design, buying gear, and building. SolarQuarter said Sahil Kerkar, a partner at Kunde Solar Solutions, accepted the trophy during the expo.
Solstar Ultima LLP was named Best Rooftop Solar Installer – Residential. SolarQuarter said partner and business development head Dinesh Naik accepted the award, which the company won for its residential rooftop solar work in the region.
Rooftop solar firms got a bigger spotlight with the awards as households see more installer and financing options, plus new metering steps. For the smaller EPCs, the issue isn’t the prize but whether they turn inquiries into working systems and don’t trap customers in paperwork.
Goa Energy Development Agency, created in 1996, acts as the main node for Ministry of New and Renewable Energy schemes in the state and is the designated agency for rooftop solar projects on government buildings and bodies. The agency controls the pace for residential and public-sector solar projects from the time of application to when panels get installed.
India’s solar rollout is picking up. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy reported total installed solar capacity hit 150.26 GW by March 31, 2026, with rooftop solar at 25.73 GW. The ministry also said cumulative rooftop projects had reached more than 42 lakh households.
The next phase might drag on despite the upbeat awards-night mood. Back in February, Reuters said banks holding back and some states hesitating had put the brakes on the PM Surya Ghar rollout. Shreya Jai, lead energy analyst at Climate Trends, told Reuters those hurdles “could derail India’s efforts to transition away from coal.” Reuters
Grid troubles are still a concern. This week, a consultative committee in parliament met with the power ministry to talk about curtailment, delays with transmission, energy storage, and how to keep the grid steady as more renewables come online. Power Minister Manohar Lal said they focused on making a “future-ready power grid” for India’s clean-energy targets. The Times of India
Goa’s immediate issue is whether an expo win and two residential honors will actually boost rooftop order flow, improve service or help with connection queues. According to SolarQuarter, there were no details about money, new work or install goals for Kunde Solar Solutions or Solstar Ultima.
