Electricity Department, Puducherry, has invited bids to empanel vendors to install 5 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems on residential buildings under Phase II of the grid-connected rooftop solar program of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

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

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

The last date to submit the bids online is June 16, 2022. Bids will be opened the following day.

Bidders must submit ₹125,000 (~$1,612) as an earnest money deposit. They must furnish a performance bank guarantee for installation and commissioning based on the allocated capacity as per the following formula.

PBG amount = INR [amount (cost discovered)] lakhs X 3% X allocated capacity in MW

The bidding process under the rooftop program is for 5 MW comprising parts A, B, C & D.

• Under Part A- (1 to 3 kW): total aggregate capacity of 2,000 kW
• Under Part B- (Above 3 to 10 kW): total aggregate capacity of 2,000 kW
• Under Part C- (Above 10 to 100 kW): 500 kW
• Under Part D-(Above 100 to 500 kW): 500 kW.

The projects must be completed within six months from the approval of the installation of the rooftop systems by the Electricity Department.

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

Bidders should have designed, supplied, installed, and commissioned grid-connected solar power projects having an aggregate capacity of not less than 250 kW. The projects should have been commissioned before the submission of bids.

Bidders should have an annual turnover of ₹5 million (~$64,500) in any of the last three financial years, and their net worth should be greater than or equal to ₹5 million (~$64,500).

The solar modules to be used in the project should have a minimum wattage capacity of 250 W, and the efficiency should be a minimum of 16%.

Last November, Puducherry Smart City Development invited bids to install 1.1 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems with net metering arrangements on various government buildings in Puducherry.

Earlier, the Electricity Department of Puducherry had invited bids for contractors’ empanelment to install 30 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems ranging from 1 kW to 500 kW on residential buildings.

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