Andhra Pradesh’s Eastern Power Electric Company (APEPDCL) has issued a tender to procure 600 HT TVR meters of the following specifications. The meters have to be of 0.2s class accuracy MD Integration 30 MIN. IP (Category-B for services) with DLMS (bi-directional solar net meter).

The total number has been segregated into three categories:

An interested bidder should quote a minimum of 20% of the total quantity indicated in the bid specification.  An interested bidder should be a manufacturer who must have designed, manufactured, tested and supplied to power utilities at least 40% of the quoted quantity of the equipment of same or higher voltage class in the past year.

Moreover, the bidder’s financial turnover during any one year of the last five years should have been equal to or more than 100% value of the material quoted.

The bidder will be required to furnish type test results conducted on the materials in an accredited laboratory as per the latest government guidelines, and the tests should not be later than three years as on the date of the bid.

The delivery of materials should begin within one month from the date of the purchase order.

The last date of submission of bids for the tender is October 3, 2019.

The conditions that need to be met by the suppliers:

• The meters should also have the provision to be read through a communication port in the absence of power through an external source. According to the tender documents, an inductive coupling arrangement should be provided to reduce possible damage to the circuitry of the meter by applying excess voltage directly in the meter

• The meter should have the ability to power up using an external battery pack in case of no power supply

• The meter should work accurately irrespective of the phase sequence of the main supply

• The meter should remain powered up and functional even when either of any two phases or any one phase along with the neutral is available

• The meter should continue to record accurately as per the prevailing electrical conditions even if the neutral of potential supply gets disconnected

A bi-directional meter allows consumers and electricity distribution companies to get information on export and import of energy generated from a solar project and the grid. It also measures the difference between the generator’s production and the customer’s load demand.

Last month, the New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) had issued an empanelment tender for rooftop solar installers in the state. The tender covered rooftop solar projects with capacities ranging from 1 kW to 500 kW.