The Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC) has tendered 18 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects under the RREC’s rooftop power generation program for 2017-18. The projects will be developed in Rajasthan and the bid-submission deadline is November 14, 2017.

The estimated project cost for 18 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar is ₹1.26 billion (~$19.5 million). The projects will be developed on turnkey basis and the scope of work includes design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning of the grid-connected rooftop solar projects. The project completion timeframe is nine months from the date of issue of letter of award (LoA).

The successful bidder/s will have to provide operation & maintenance (O&M) services for a period of five years after project commissioning and free replacement warranty on spare parts against manufacturing defects for five years. The minimum capacity of rooftop solar project will be 1 kW and the maximum capacity will be 500 kW for a single site.

The successful bidder/s can avail central financial assistance (CFA) of 30 percent of project cost. The RREC has fixed a minimum bid capacity of 1 MW for established suppliers, 0.5 MW for local/new/small entrepreneurs and 200 kW for startups.

The RREC has regulated, “capacity tendered may further increase as per availability of allocations and CFA for this program from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).” The bidder will have to identify beneficiaries (prosumers) and provide net-metering facility to connect to grid.

The net-metering facility with all accessories will be provided by MNRE empaneled channel partners.

The citizens can benefit by partnering with the bidders, allowing utilization of their free roof space. Once the project is installed on their rooftops and they turn prosumers, they will be paid a tariff for the energy exported to the grid by the state distribution companies (DISCOMs). Recently, the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) issued a tariff order for rooftop solar PV systems covered under RERC Net Metering Regulations 2015, where net excess energy (more than 50 units) exported to the grid by the consumers would be paid a tariff of ₹3.93 (~$0.06)/kWh.

Image credit:  Enerparc