The Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) has issued a tender for 10 MW of off-grid solar power projects at public institutions across 14 districts in the state of Kerala.

The estimated tender value is around ₹125,000 (~$1,740)/kW, and the last date for the submission of bids is November 29, 2019. Interested bidders are expected to pay an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹200,000 (~$2,787) to participate in this tender.

The scope of the work includes the supply, installation, and commissioning of the off-grid solar power projects with battery banks and load sharing. The solar modules will be installed on the rooftops of public buildings based on orders issued by ANERT district offices.

The selected bidder is expected to complete the supply and installation of the projects within three months from the date of the supply order. The projects are to be installed in varying capacities of 2 kW, 3 kW, 5 kW, and 10 kW across the locations along with battery banks.

The successful bidders will be in charge of operations and maintenance of the projects for five years.

The PV modules must qualify for the relevant quality standards (IEC or BIS). The tender has also specified that the PV modules used in these solar power systems must be warranted for their output peak watt capacity, which should not be less than 90% at the end of 10 years and 80% at the end of 25 years.

The tender has also specified that when the solar input is not available, and the battery is low, there should be a manual changeover option to charge the battery from the utility grid up to a 50% charge level of the battery.

Recently, Mercom reported about another tender floated by ANERT for the installation of a 30 kW grid-connected rooftop solar system with battery backup and electric vehicle charging station at its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The Kerala Government launched the Soura program this year to add 1,000 MW of solar projects to the existing capacity of Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) by 2022.  Of the 1,000 MW, 500 MW will be implemented through a solar rooftop program. In phase I, 200 MW rooftop solar capacity has been planned.

In June 2019, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had filed a petition with the Kerala Electricity Commission (KERC) to implement projects comprising a total capacity of 200 MW of solar rooftop systems during 2019-20 to meet its renewable purchase obligations. After examining the petition, the KERC has allowed KSEB to proceed with the tendering process for 200 MW of rooftop solar projects under the Soura Phase-1 program.

Earlier, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) extended the validity of its incentives for off-grid solar projects by extending the program by two years.