Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments (REIL), a joint venture between the Central and the Rajasthan government, has invited bids to procure 6,000 solar modules with a wattage output of at least 335 W made from 72 polycrystalline silicon solar cells.

Only solar modules made by Sova Solar, Navitas, Gautam Solar, Goldi Green, Credence, RenewSys, Waaree, and Topsun will be procured under this tender.

The last date to submit the bids online is February 20, 2023. Bids will be opened the following day.

The total quantity must be supplied within 90 days from the date of the purchase order.

The modules must be free from breakage, cracks, air bubbles, cells overlapping one another or cells touching the edge frame, scratches on the frame or glass, excessive or uneven glue marks on the glass or frame, and inconsistent cell colors.

The suppliers must be original Indian solar module manufacturers or their authorized dealers or distributors.

The vendor should have a minimum of 10 MW per annum of solar module automated in-house manufacturing facilities.

Also, the vendor should have manufactured and supplied a cumulative capacity of 1 MW solar modules during the last three years.

Additionally, bidders should have experience in supplying a minimum of 2,000 solar modules during the last three financial years

The minimum average annual turnover of bidders should be ₹20 million (~$241,906) during the last three financial years. The net worth of bidders during the last financial year should be positive.

A test report and quality certificate must accompany all consignments from the product manufacturer, indicating compliance with the required specification.

Solar modules must be warranted for their output peak watt capacity, which should not be less than 90% at the end of ten years and 80% at the end of 25 years.

Purchase preference will be given to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). Out of the 25% tendered quantity reserved for MSE suppliers, 20% has been earmarked for procurement from MSEs owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs.

If the MSE vendors participating in the tender quote within the price band of L1+15%, they will be allowed to supply the portion of the requirement subject to acceptance of the L1 price by the MSE vendor. In case of more than one such MSE, the supply will be shared proportionately.

The solar modules should perform satisfactorily with ambient temperatures between -10°C and +85°C and withstand gusts up to 170 Km/hour on the panel’s surface. Each solar module should be checked for conformity with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and no negative power tolerance will be accepted.

If the vendor fails to deliver the modules as per the accepted delivery schedule, a penalty in the form of liquidated damages will be imposed and realized at 0.5% per week, subject to a maximum of 5% for the delayed supply.

Last August, REIL invited bids to procure 1,000 solar modules with a wattage output of at least 330W made from 72 monocrystalline, polycrystalline, or multicrystalline silicon solar cells.

Earlier, REIL had invited bids to procure 3,500 solar modules with a 330 W output made from 72 monocrystalline or multicrystalline solar cells.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, REIL has issued tenders to procure 127,610 solar modules to date.