Energetica India Magazine May - June 2026

Performance-linked frameworks supported by generation meters and RMS data would distribute accountability across consum- ers, installers, and utilities. Installers would remain responsible for long-term system health, while consumers would receive assurance that promised savings are realised over time. India is undertaking the world’s largest residential rooftop solar rollout through the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to solarise 1 crore households and could add ap- proximately 30 GW of grid-connected capacity to distribution networks. At this scale, rooftop systems are no longer just con- sumer assets; they are embedded generators interacting contin- uously with the grid. Their performance, not merely their in- stallation, will shape utility planning, power procurement, and network stability. Yet policy attention remains heavily focused on deployment, with far less emphasis on how these systems perform over their operational life. The Legacy Performance Gap Experience from earlier rooftop programmes shows that in- stalled capacity does not automatically translate into delivered energy. Once commissioned, many systems receive minimal follow-up, allowing issues such as soiling, shading, equipment faults, or inverter shutdowns to persist undetected. Consumers typically lack the technical capability to diagnose underper- formance, while utilities have limited visibility into plant-level output. As a result, generation shortfalls accumulate quietly, reducing expected savings for households and weakening the system’s contribution to the grid. A major cause lies in the fragmented nature of existing moni- toring arrangements. Many inverters either lack robust remote monitoring or transmit data only to manufacturer platforms. These systems record parameters such as generation, voltage, and current and transmit them via cellular or Wi-Fi networks to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) servers, but there is no nationally authorised platform to aggregate and analyse performance across installations. Monitoring access is often bundled for a limited period linked to warranty terms; once subscriptions lapse, dashboards become inaccessible unless re- newed by the consumer. The outcome is a landscape of isolated data streams with no common reference point for policymakers or utilities. Infrastructure constraints reinforce this fragmentation, as In- dia lacks a unified domestic repository for rooftop performance data, while differences in communication protocols, firmware, and hardware create incompatible formats. As data often flows through foreign servers, concerns around cyber risks, sup- ply-chain vulnerabilities, data integrity, and external control over critical infrastructure intensify. Connectivity as an Operational Constraint Even where monitoring hardware exists, reliable communica- tion cannot be taken for granted. Remote monitoring depends on stable internet connectivity through Wi-Fi, GSM, or dedi- cated data links, yet many installations, particularly outside major urban centres, experience inconsistent signal strength. Interruptions can leave monitoring systems offline for extend - ed periods, preventing timely detection of faults or abnormal performance. For grid-connected assets, this lack of continuous data has operational consequences. Utilities require near-real-time in- formation to understand generation patterns, manage feeder loads, and anticipate variability. Without dependable commu- nication channels, rooftop solar behaves as an unobservable resource. An Integrated Remote Monitoring: The Missing Link in India’s Rooftop Solar Expansion REMOTE MONITORING 48 Ishita Bhar Arshi Chadha Research Associate The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Founder and CEO Trillectric Gridmend Pvt. Ltd. energetica INDIA- May-June_2026