September 27, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has expanded its solar power generation capacity significantly, with more than 1,500 megawatts added to the national electricity grid since the beginning of last year, Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka has said.
According to the minister, a total of 1,513MW of solar capacity was connected to the grid between last year and August 2026, with rooftop installations accounting for the largest share of the increase.
Rooftop solar systems contributed 1,141.1MW of the newly added capacity. Of this figure, 938.8MW was connected to the national grid during 2025, while another 202.3MW was added during the first eight months of 2026.
Ground-mounted solar projects also recorded substantial growth over the same period, contributing around 370MW to the grid.
Of the ground-based capacity, 177.2MW was added last year, followed by a further 193.4MW between January and August this year.
The figures highlight the growing contribution of solar energy to Sri Lanka’s electricity mix, with both household and commercial rooftop systems as well as larger-scale solar projects playing a role in expanding renewable generation.