Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), a joint venture between the center and the Rajasthan government, has 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.

The solar modules will be procured under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category.

The solar cells used for solar modules should be manufactured by domestic manufacturers.

The last date to submit bids is August 13, 2022. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The estimated bid value is ₹9.24 million (~$116,526). Bidders are not required to pay an earnest money deposit.

The modules should be delivered within 30 days from the purchase order date.

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 glass or frame, and inconsistent cell colors.

The solar modules should be from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM).

The 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 module should be checked for conformity with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and no negative power tolerance will be accepted.

The bidder or its original equipment manufacturer should have manufactured and supplied the same or similar category products to any central, state government organization, public sector undertaking, or a public listed company for two years before the bid opening date.

Bidders should quote only those products in the bid which are not obsolete in the market and have at least two years of residual market life.

Purchase preference will be given to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). If the L-1 bidder is not an MSE and MSE sellers have quoted price within L-1+ 15 % of the margin of purchase preference, such a seller will be allowed to match the L-1 price, and the contract will be awarded for 25% of the total value.

Preference will be given to ‘Class 1 local suppliers.’ Only ‘Class-I local suppliers’ and ‘Class-II local suppliers’ will be eligible to bid; non-local suppliers are not eligible to participate in the bidding process.

A ‘Class-I local supplier’ is a supplier or service provider whose goods, services, or works offered for procurement, have local content equal to or more than 50%. A ‘Class-II local supplier’ is a supplier or service provider whose goods, services, or works offered for procurement, have a minimum local content of 20%.

REIL has stated that the module efficiency should be greater than 16.5%, and the 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.

If the seller fails to deliver any or all of the goods on time, the buyer will be entitled to recover liquidated damages for the delay at 0.5% of the contract value of delayed quantity per week, subject to a maximum of 10% of the contract value.

Last November, REIL invited bids to procure 7,000 solar modules with a wattage output of 380 W to 390 W made from 72 monocrystalline or mono passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) solar cells.

Earlier, REIL had invited bids to procure 7,000 solar modules with a wattage output of 380 W made from 72 monocrystalline solar cells.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, REIL has issued tenders to procure 140,000 solar modules to date.