The Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL)  has invited interested domestic bidders for the appointment of an EPC contractor for the design, erection, testing, and commissioning of grid-connected rooftop solar projects on buildings owned by the district panchayath of Thiruvananthapuram.

The tender also includes operation and maintenance (O&M) services for the first five years from the date of commissioning of the project.

The total installed capacity of this turnkey project will be 121 kW, with the total project cost estimated to be ₹7.29 million ($0.1 million).

The last date for bidding is May 24, 2019, and a pre-bid meeting will be held on May 17, 2019.

Joining other states in pursuit of achieving the national target of 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022, the state of Kerala plans to develop 1,000 MW of solar projects under the SOURA program, as reported previously by Mercom. The SOURA program is to be jointly implemented by Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) and Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT), the state nodal agency for renewable projects.

Kerala’s budget for the financial year 2019-2020 also emphasizes setting up rooftop solar projects in the state while also pushing for the development of the electric vehicle sector in the state.

In his speech, Kerala’s Minister of Finance, Thomas Isaac mentioned that in Kerala, households have already registered for 200 MW of rooftop solar PV capacity. According to Isaac’s budget speech, “The entire power requirement of ‘New Kerala’ will be ensured. Around 130-150 crore units of electricity will be made available from 500 MW of rooftop solar PV projects and 500 MW of floating solar PV projects and terrestrial (utility-scale) solar projects.” Funds will be provided from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) to install solar panels on the rooftop of government institutions like schools and hospitals, he had added. The Kerala government understands that in the future, Kerala’s energy dependency on other states is going to increase. Keeping this in mind, the government plans to provide ₹63,750 million (~$895.99 million) through the fund board to set up the required transmission system.

Similar to this tender issued by Kerala for its district panchayat’s buildings. Haryana government has decided to install solar projects on its gram panchayat lands.