Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has invited bids for the operation and maintenance  (O&M) of 1.045 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems at different sites in Chandigarh for five years.

The project’s estimated cost is ₹4.24 million (~$55,459).

The last date to submit the bids online is May 25, 2022. Bids will be opened on May 27.

Interested bidders will have to submit ₹84,875 (~$1,110) as an earnest money deposit. The successful bidder will have to furnish 5% of the project capital cost as a performance bank guarantee.

The O&M is issued for rooftop solar systems installed at the following locations:

To participate in the bidding process, the bidder should have completed three similar works costing not less than 40% of the estimated cost or two similar works costing not less than 50% of the estimated cost, or one similar work costing not less than 80% of the estimated cost during the last seven years.

The firm should have a service center in or around Chandigarh within a radius of 50 km with qualified staff. The bidder must have satisfactory proof of O&M of a single grid-connected rooftop solar system of 1 MW capacity in India under any government agency or state nodal agency or a public sector undertaking for at least the last three years ending March 31, 2022.

During the last three years, the bidder’s average financial turnover should be at least ₹4.243 million (~$55,804). The bidder can also use the turnover of its parent company to fulfill the financial eligibility criteria.

The contractor will be required to sign the contract agreement within 15 days from the date of issuance of the work order.

The bidder must submit an undertaking regarding a minimum expected electrical energy generation of a 1,211 kWh system for the first year. The 1% decrease of minimum expected electrical energy generation due to the degradation factor of modules will be allowed from the second year onwards. Any deficiency in the generated electrical energy output will be recovered at ₹10 (~$0.13) per unit from the bill.

The grid downtime benefit of 0.5 kWh/kWp/hour round the year will be given to the bidder for power outages between 9 am to 4 pm.

In June last year, CREST invited expression of interest (EoI) from engineering, procurement, and construction companies (EPC), manufacturers, and system integrators to set up grid-connected rooftop solar systems of 1 kW to 10 kW in Chandigarh.

Earlier, CREST had invited bids for setting up 2 MW (varying from 2 kW to 100 kW) of grid-connected rooftop solar systems at various government buildings and institutions in Chandigarh.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, CREST has issued tenders for 13 MW of rooftop solar projects to date.