Solar energy from rooftops is a key driver for the expansion of India’s solar market. Despite the various advantages of this energy source, such as low maintenance costs and greenhouse gas reduction - the growth potential of solar panels especially on roofs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and private households remains huge. To discuss the acceleration of solar rooftop in India, sector experts gathered for a correspondent one-day seminar. It was hosted by the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) in cooperation with IGEF and TERI. The seminar took place in, the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi and was attended by representatives of the industry and the Indian government. In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Pranav R Mehta, Chairman NSEFI, stressed on the employment potential that lies in this sector and mentioned the growth of solar rooftop to 61% in India. The rising demand for this energy source was also addressed by Mr. Vinay Rustagi, Managing Director, Bridge to India, who named consumer support and awareness campaigns as a means to increase the number of solar rooftop installations in India. While participants shared first-hand experiences from bottom-up approaches to solar rooftop expansion in the residential area, Mr. Deepak Gupta, Hon. Director General of NSEFI underlined the importance of a policy support for a successful energy transition. Project financing, the importance of storing energy and challenges that come with open access projects were further key points on the agenda. One of the event’s highlights was the launch of the “Affordable Solar Rooftop Financing for MSMEs” report that was conducted by IGEF with support of NSEFI and TERI. It presents detailed case-study analysis on rooftop solar projects at Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and documents best practices’ examples in this area. The seminar closed with a presentation of innovative technologies and business models for rooftops, where GIZ India demonstrated the PV Port and Store concept that allows a direct flow of energy from private roofs to household consumers. Please click here to download the full report