The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has issued two tenders to set up a cumulative 2,315 kW of grid-connected rooftop solar and solar parking projects at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

IIT

The tender for IIT involves setting up 1,315 kW of solar parking and rooftop projects on the institution’s academic, administrative, and LHC buildings.

Bids must be submitted by March 25, 2026. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The project’s estimated cost is ₹125,455 (~$1,345.54).

Selected bidders must also provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for five years.

IISER

The tender for IISER involves setting up 1 MW of solar parking and rooftop projects in the academic and residential zones on a turnkey basis.

Bids must be submitted by March 23, 2026.

The project’s estimated cost is ₹83.66 million (~$897,321.87).

Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹1.67 million (~$17,946.43).

Selected bidders must submit a performance guarantee of 5% of the tender cost.

The scope of work entails the design, installation, testing, and commissioning of the solar projects. It also involves providing comprehensive O&M services for five years.

The projects must be installed on existing rooftop and/or elevated structures.

Successful bidders must provide detailed design and equipment data sheets to CPWD for approval before commencing project work.

The solar projects must include the power conditioning unit and outdoor switchgear panels, as well as measuring, indication, protection, and switching devices. This equipment must include the wiring, auxiliary supply system (including auxiliary transformers, distribution panels, cabling, earthing, and mounting structures), and other items for the proper functioning of the projects.

Selected bidders must undertake the civil, electrical, mechanical, and safety works for the solar projects. They must connect the projects’ output to the inverters through junction boxes, using the approved cross-linked polyolefin copper cables. The cables will connect the inverters to the ACDC, or main low-tension panel.

Successful bidders must obtain net metering for the solar projects at the IISER campus. They must provide chemical earthing and interconnect the earth electrodes to achieve a maximum resistance of 5 Ohms.

They must also provide lightning protection for the solar projects by connecting the existing galvanized iron plate with chemical earthing.

The scope of work also includes obtaining insurance for the projects and approvals, and no-objection certificates from the local bodies. It involves providing support and training for the O&M staff.

The projects must have a minimum guaranteed generation of 1,460 kW per annum.

The solar modules must operate in relative humidity up to 95% and at temperatures between –10 °C and +85 °C. They must also be able to operate in wind speeds of up to 150 km/hr from behind the panels.

The projects’ power degradation must not exceed 20% of the minimum rated power for 25 years. They must maintain a minimum guaranteed efficiency of 90% for over 10 years and 80% for over 25 years.

Successful bidders must provide a 10-year product warranty.

The solar projects must have a light-induced degradation of up to 3%. They must have a power output at normal operating cell temperatures of at least 73% of the declared peak power outputs at standard test conditions.

The projects must be completed within six months.

Delays in project commissioning will attract liquidated damages. Shortfall in guaranteed generation will attract a recovery charge of ₹15/kWh of the shortfall.

Bidders must have met any of the following criteria in the last seven years:

• They must have completed three similar works costing at least ₹33.5 million (~$359,296.54) each
• They must have completed two similar works costing at least ₹50.2 million (~$538,408.55) each
• They must have completed one similar work costing at least ₹66.9 million (~$717,520.56)

Bidders must have an average annual turnover of ₹25 million (~$268,131.75) from construction works during the preceding three financial years.

Bidders must not have incurred losses in more than two years of the last five consecutive audited balance sheets.

They must provide either a banker’s certificate of ₹33.4 million (~$358,224.02) from a commercial bank, or a net worth certificate of ₹8.37 million (~$89,770.51) issued by a chartered accountant with a unique document identification number.

In 2022, CPWD invited bids to install 1.65 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems and ground-mounted solar systems at IISER in Berhampur, Odisha.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of the real-time tender activity.