The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has provided a two-day window for de-empaneled rooftop solar installers to upload data pertaining to project progress on the SPIN portal and regain their status as an empaneled company.

The SPIN portal will be opened for the 71 de-empaneled companies from August 23, 2017 to August 24, 2017 to enter project completion reports for grid-connected solar rooftop projects executed by them, according to MNRE.

An MNRE official told Mercom, “We have asked the companies to submit project completion reports of projects for non-subsidized projects.” The official added, “We need responsible agencies to help rooftop solar grow in India, and this two-day window will give them an opportunity to demonstrate they are serious.”

The decision on re-empanelment will be taken on the basis of performance reflected through project completion reports on the SPIN portal. The agencies that have not installed any non-subsidized projects can submit a zero report.

The MNRE has also asked state nodal agencies, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and other implementing agencies refrain from withholding central financial assistance (CFA) of de-empaneled agencies for projects that were awarded prior to de-empanelment.

The MNRE official also said, “Our work is the furtherance of clean energy and the MNRE is making sure to provide the requisite on time, hence we are advocating for the timely release of CFA funds even for de-empaneled companies. Awarded contracts shouldn’t lie idle; work should go on.”

Mercom previously reported that the MNRE de-empaneled 71 channel partners of its grid-connected rooftop and small solar power projects program due to their unresponsiveness in submitting project progress data.

Image Credit: Mahindra Susten