Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has invited bids to install and commission 38 MW of grid-connected residential rooftop solar systems of various capacities under Phase II of the grid-connected rooftop solar program of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in the state.

Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) is the state implementing agency for the tender.

The successful bidder will also have to take care of the operation and maintenance of the project for five years.

The project will be developed under the capital expenditure (CAPEX) model.

The last date to submit the bids is July 28, 2022. Bids will be opened the following day.

The allocated capacity has been categorized into four parts:

For the general category, bidders must submit an amount equivalent to ‘(₹1,000) x Offered Bid Capacity in kW’ as an earnest money deposit.

They should furnish the performance bank guarantee (PBG) for installation and commissioning based on the allocated capacity.

PBG amount = ₹[Amount (cost discovered)] X 3% X Allocated Capacity in kW.

The PBG should be submitted within 30 days from the work order and be valid for 15 months.

Bidders must quote the price for the solar systems based on the benchmark cost provided by MNRE.

The MNRE will provide central financial assistance (CFA) up to 40% for rooftop solar systems up to 3 kW capacity. For rooftop systems of capacity above 3 kW and up to 10 kW, the CFA of 40% would be applicable only for the first 3 kW capacity, and for capacity above 3 kW, it would be 20%. For group housing societies or residential welfare associations, CFA will be limited to 20% for installing the rooftop system to supply power to common facilities. The capacity eligible for CFA will be limited to 10 kW per house.

Bidders should have designed, supplied, installed, and commissioned grid-connected rooftop solar projects having an aggregate capacity not less than 250 kW, which should have been commissioned prior to bid submission.

Bidders who do not have any prior experience in the installation of grid-connected solar power projects will not be allowed to participate in the bidding process.

The bidders’ average annual turnover should be ₹15,000 (~$188.91)/kW of the capacity offered in its bid in any of the last three financial years.

Alternatively, the net worth of the bidders should be equal to or greater than the value calculated at ₹7,500 (~$94.45)/kW of capacity offered by the bidder in its bid.

Recently, UPNEDA announced the cancellation of the tender to empanel vendors for 38 MW grid-connected residential rooftop solar systems in Uttar Pradesh. The tender was issued in November 2021.

In June last year, UPNEDA had invited online bids to install grid-connected rooftop solar projects under the CAPEX model across government buildings at various locations in Uttar Pradesh.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, UPNEDA has so far floated tenders for 235 MW for rooftop solar systems.