The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal has launched an expression of interest (EoI) for establishing a solar photovoltaic (SPV) power project based on RESCO (renewable energy service company) model. The project is slated to be installed on an approximately six-kilometer peripheral road at IISER.

The bid submission deadline is September 4, 2019.

Currently, a 345 kW RESCO rooftop grid-connected solar project has been installed on the campus.

The entire electricity supply unit of IISER is equipped with a diesel generator backup. The EoI states that presently, the electrical load of IISER Bhopal is approximately 2 MW and in the future, it may go up to 5 MW after expansion. The grid power is taken from Shanti Nagar substation through 33 kV feeder, approximately 12 km away from the campus.

The current tender is an initiative by the institution to procure power from renewable sources. The project will be executed on a build own operate transfer (BOOT) method for 25 years and a 25-year warranty.

Scope of Work:

The six-kilometer road located peripherally on the campus provides an area of 21,000 square meters for the installation of the solar project. The scope of work is to design, engineer, supply, install, test, commission, and maintain the solar power projects on approximately seven kilometers of the peripheral road at the campus.

The solar modules and arrays must be designed and engineered along with the related systems comprising DC (direct current) systems, cables, junction boxes, inverters, and mounting structures. The survey and the route finalization of the transmission line to connect the project to the substation will also be done by the successful bidder apart from the construction of an office and control room.

The eligibility criteria of the bidder state that the applicant should be an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractor with the ability to execute large-scale turnkey projects involving at least 1 MW of solar power projects. Also, the bidder should have executed at least one project on the date of opening of the expression of interest (EoI). More importance will be given to a bidder with installations of 2 MW or more. The bidder should also own a facility for manufacturing solar modules with an efficiency of more than 19%. The applicant should have an average annual turnover of ₹30 million (~$ 417,363) for the last three financial years.

Schools and colleges in India are turning to solar power to meet their energy requirements sustainably. Due to surging electricity bills and the desire to protect the environment, more and more educational institutions are turning to solar to meet their daily energy needs.

Recently, the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) also invited Expressions of Interest from bidders to set up 10 MW of solar projects at the National Cancer Institute located at Badsa in the state of Haryana.

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Ramya Ranganath is an Associate Editor and Writer for Mercom Communications India. Before joining Mercom, Ramya worked as a Senior Editor at a digital media supply chain solutions company. Throughout her career, she has developed end-to-end content for various companies in a wide range of domains, including renewables. Ramya holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology and is passionate about environmental issues and permaculture.