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Roofsol Raises ₹2 Billion from Aseem Infra for 93 MW Solar Projects

Real-Time Power Prices on IEX Crash to Zero as Rains Dull Energy Demand

ALMM Enlisted Solar Module Capacity Rises to 87.97 GW


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					</table><p>From: <a href="https://mercomcapital.com/project-finance-brief-doral-renewables-secures-solar-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom Capital Group</a></p>
<p><strong>Doral Renewables, a utility-scale renewable energy project developer, </strong><a href="https://mercomcapital.com/doral-renewables-secures-1-5-billion-debt-tax-equity-financing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>secured</strong></a><strong> $1.5 billion in construction project financing</strong> for the Mammoth South, Mammoth Central I, and Mammoth Central II solar projects in Pulaski County, Indiana. All three projects have a generation capacity of 300 MWac each and form part of the larger 1.3 GW Mammoth Solar project. The projects are ground-mounted single-axis PV systems, under construction, and expected to begin commercial operation in Q4 2026.</p>
<p><strong>Deriva Energy (formerly Duke Energy Renewables), a clean power generation and a portfolio company of Brookfield, </strong><a href="https://mercomcapital.com/deriva-energy-secures-127-m-financing-solar-and-wind-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>announced</strong></a><strong> the completion of a $127 million debt financing</strong> for a portfolio of operational solar and wind projects. The Ledyard wind is a 207 MW wind project in Kossuth County, Iowa, and the Pisgah Ridge is a 250 MW solar project in Navarro County, Texas. Both projects began commercial operations in 2022 and sell power under long-term power purchase agreements.</p>
<p><strong>Solaria, a Europe-based renewable energy project developer, has <a href="https://mercomcapital.com/solaria-secures-project-finance-oliva-solar-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entered</a> into an agreement in principle with Banco Sabadell for the long-term financing</strong> of a 175 MW solar project in Spain. The financing will be used for the development of the 175 MW Oliva solar project, which will be developed in the province of Guadalajara, Spain.</p>
<p><strong>India-based rooftop solar engineering, procurement, and construction services provider Roofsol Energy has </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/roofsol-raises-2-billion-from-aseem-infra" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>secured</strong></a><strong> ₹2.1 billion (~$24.67 million) in funding</strong> from Aseem Infrastructure Finance. The funding will be used to develop 92.66 MWp of rooftop and group captive solar projects across multiple locations in India. This funding round follows Roofsol Energy’s earlier funding in October last year, when the company raised ₹255 million (~$3.03 million) through its inaugural equity funding round.</p>
<p><strong>BW ESS, an energy storage project developer and operator, </strong><a href="https://mercomcapital.com/bw-ess-secures-debt-financing-bramley-battery-energy-storage-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>secured</strong></a><strong> debt financing from Westpac, an Australian bank, and United Overseas Bank</strong> (UOB) based in Singapore. The company will use the funding to operate its 100 MW/331 MWh Bramley Battery Energy Storage project in Hampshire, U.K. According to the agreement, Westpac and UOB will each contribute 50% to the debt facility.</p>
<p>Click <a href="https://mercomcapital.com/clean-energy-reports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for reports and trackers on funding and M&amp;A transactions in solar, energy storage, and smart grid sectors.</p>
<p>Read last week’s project finance <a href="https://mercomcapital.com/project-finance-brief-solar-landscape-financing-rooftop-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brief</a>.</p>



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					</table><p>Maharashtra-based rooftop solar engineering, procurement, and construction services provider <a href="https://roofsol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roofsol Energy</a> has secured ₹2.1 billion (~$24.67 million) in funding from <a href="https://www.aseeminfra.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aseem Infrastructure Finance</a>.</p>
<p>The funding will be used to develop 92.66 MWp of rooftop and group captive solar projects across multiple locations in India.</p>
<p>This funding round follows Roofsol Energy’s earlier funding in October last year when the company <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/roofsol-energy-raises-%E2%82%B9255-million-through-equity-funding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> ₹255 million (~$3.03 million) through its inaugural equity funding round. This investment, led by fund manager Equity4life IH Analytics and backed by high net-worth individuals, was aimed at accelerating the company’s operational expenditure business strategy for deploying solar assets through its subsidiary companies.</p>
<p>According to Mercom India’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-india-solar-market-leaderboard-cy-2024-market-shares-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Market Leaderboard 2025</a>, Roofsol Energy emerged as one of the top rooftop solar installers in the country in 2024. It claimed the second spot with a 4% market share and recorded a year-over-year capacity growth of 82.3%. The company mainly caters to industrial clients across sectors such as auto components, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages.</p>
<p>Explaining the current market drivers, Anurag Chivilkar, Director and Vice President of Business Development at Roofsol Energy, noted that while cost savings continue to be an important factor, growing pressure from investors to meet sustainability mandates is <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/green-mandates-push-indian-industries-toward-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">playing</a> a key role in the increased adoption of rooftop solar in the commercial and industrial segments.</p>
<p>Aseem Infrastructure also <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/sunsure-secures-%E2%82%B91-28-billion-loan-for-49-mw-solar-open-access-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided</a> ₹4.16 billion (~$48.07 million) in long-term debt financing to Sunsure Energy for a 150 MW open access solar park in Solapur, Maharashtra. Additionally, Aseem <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/avaada-secures-aseem-infrastructure-finance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided</a> ₹3.15 billion (~$37.8 million) to Avaada Energy for its solar project, which is being developed under a long-term captive power purchase agreement with the Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation.</p>
<p>These developments reflect the growing momentum in India’s solar sector. India added 3.2 GW of rooftop solar capacity in 2024, marking an 86% increase from 1.7 GW in 2023, per Mercom India’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/rooftop-solar-market-report-q4-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 Q4 &amp; Annual Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report</a>. Much of the growth was driven by the residential segment, supported by the PM – Surya Ghar program. However, the momentum was partially offset in the last quarter due to delays caused by mandatory domestic content requirement (DCR) module policies and technical issues in the DCR verification portal.</p>
<p>India also added 6.9 GW of solar open access capacity in 2024, a 77% year-over-year increase from 3.9 GW, according to the newly-released <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q4-2024-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Q4 &amp; Annual 2024 India Solar Open Access Market Report</a><strong>. </strong>The increase was primarily driven by the availability of low-cost Chinese modules, which were imported before the reimposition of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers from April 2024.</p>



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					</table><p><a href="https://www.tatapowersolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tata Power Solar</a>, <a href="https://roofsol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roofsol Energy</a>, <a href="https://www.mahindrasolarize.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mahindra Solarize</a>, <a href="https://amplussolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gentari</a> (formerly Amplus Solar), and <a href="https://kalpapower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kalpa Power</a> emerged as the top rooftop solar installers in India in 2024, according to Mercom India’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-india-solar-market-leaderboard-cy-2024-market-shares-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Market Leaderboard 2025</a>. Together, these five companies accounted for nearly 30% of the total rooftop solar market.</p>
<p>India added 3.2 GW of rooftop solar capacity in 2024, marking an 86% increase from 1.7 GW in 2023, as per Mercom India’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/rooftop-solar-market-report-q4-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 Q4 &amp; Annual Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report</a>. Much of the growth was driven by the residential segment, supported by the PM – Surya Ghar program. However, the momentum was partially offset in the last quarter due to delays caused by mandatory domestic content requirement (DCR) module policies and technical issues in the DCR verification portal.</p>
<p>As of December 2024, India’s cumulative rooftop solar capacity stood at 13.7 GW.</p>
<p>Tata Power Solar retained its leadership position, contributing 19.4% of rooftop solar installations in 2024. The company posted a strong year-over-year (YoY) growth of 37.9%. Roofsol Energy claimed second place with a 4% market share and a significant 82.3% YoY increase in capacity additions. It primarily serves industrial clients in the auto components, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage sectors.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-79830 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading.png" alt="India solar rooftop market" width="844" height="587" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading.png 844w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading-300x209.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading-768x534.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading-650x452.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading-624x434.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/India-solar-rooftop-article-image-for-uploading-600x417.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px" /></a></p>
<p>Mahindra Solarize secured third place with a 2.4% market share, driven by robust growth in commercial and industrial rooftop deployments. Amplus Solar, which held the second position last year, dropped to fourth following a 51.4% YoY decline in installations. Kalpa Power made its debut in the top five, capturing 1.8% market share with strong project execution across the manufacturing, chemicals, infrastructure, construction, and education sectors.</p>
<p>Mercom’s India Solar Market Leaderboard provides a detailed analysis of market trends, competitor analysis and company performance across the solar supply chain.</p>
<p>For the detailed and comprehensive report, <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-india-solar-market-leaderboard-cy-2024-market-shares-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.</p>
<p>A complete list of solar rooftop installers and their market shares is available through Mercom’s India <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-india-solar-market-share-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Solar Market Share Tracker</a>.</p>


Tata Power Solar, Roofsol, Mahindra Solarize Lead India’s Rooftop Solar Market in 2024


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					</table><p><a href="https://roofsol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roofsol Energy</a>, a Maharashtra-based rooftop solar EPC services provider, has raised ₹255 million (~$3.03 million) in its inaugural round of equity funding.</p>
<p>The funds were raised through private placements from high net-worth individuals (HNIs) led by fund manager <a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/ampin-financial-closure-200-mw-hybrid-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equity4life IH Analytics. </a></p>
<p>Roofsol Energy plans to utilize the funds to accelerate the development of OPEX business for developing solar assets in subsidiary companies. This will also drive the company’s growth by setting up a strong foothold in its commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) portfolio.</p>
<p>The company has recently signed power purchase agreements with large C&amp;I clients to set up solar power projects.</p>
<p>“This round of equity will solidify the company’s commitment to growing its business. Roofsol Energy is committed to developing 75 MW solar assets in the current financial year of 2024, followed by an ambitious target of developing 500 MW of solar assets in the C&amp;I segment,” said Priyank Jain, CFO of Roofsol Energy.</p>
<p>The company was <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/top-rooftop-solar-installers-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featured</a> in Mercom’s India Solar Market Leaderboard 2024 as one of the top rooftop solar companies.</p>
<p>India added 1.7 GW of rooftop solar capacity in CY 2023, according to the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/rooftop-solar-market-report-q4-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 Q4 &amp; Annual Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report</a>. As of December 2023, the country’s cumulative rooftop solar installations reached 10.5 GW. Residential consumers accounted for 50.5% of the capacity additions in 2023, followed by C&amp;I. Tata Power Solar led the annual capacity additions, accounting for 26.2% of the installations. Roofsol Energy ranked second, accounting for 7.9% of yearly installations.</p>
<p>According to Anurag Chivilkar, Director &amp; VP—Business Development, Roofsol, while cost savings remain a key motivator, pressure from investors to meet green energy mandates is also driving the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/green-mandates-push-indian-industries-toward-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adoption</a> of rooftop solar in the C&amp;I sector.</p>
<p>Roofsol Energy has over 300 solar projects in India, with 280 MW of rooftop solar installations. The company aims to implement over 1000 MW of solar EPC projects worldwide by 2025.</p>


Roofsol Energy Raises ₹255 Million Through Equity Funding


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					</table><p>High-power string inverters can significantly reduce the balance of system (BOS) costs compared to central inverter solutions as they require fewer inverters per block and have a better DC-to-AC conversion ratio, a panel of industry experts at a webinar hosted by Mercom India said.</p>
<p>The impact of inverters on project performance, stability, and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is substantial.</p>
<p>The webinar, titled &#8220;<strong>How to Save Costs with High Power String Inverters in Large Scale Projects,&#8221;</strong> highlighted how high-capacity string inverters could help save costs for large-scale solar projects.</p>
<p>The panelists were Nilesh Mahajan, CEO and Director of <a href="https://roofsol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roofsol Energy</a>; Yogish HN, AVP-BD at <a href="https://enerparc.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enerparc</a>; Kannan Devaraji, Senior Manager at Enerparc; Gajanan Sawant, Senior Manager – Design and Engineering at <a href="https://www.cleanmax.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleanmax</a>; Sunil Panigrahi, Country Manager – India at <a href="https://en.hopewind.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hopewind</a> and Rakesh B P, Solution Manager at Hopewind.</p>
<p>Priya Sanjay, Managing Director, Mercom India, moderated the session.</p>
<p><strong>Cost Savings</strong></p>
<p>As high-power string technology requires fewer inverters per block, the costs associated with cabling, combiner boxes, junction boxes, mounting structures, and other electrical equipment are reduced. This brings down installation, operations, and maintenance expenses over the project&#8217;s lifecycle.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have calculated that using high-power string inverters in large-scale projects can save around $8,000 to $9,000 per MW in costs,&#8221; said Panigrahi . &#8220;For a 100 MW project, the savings become really substantial when you multiply across the entire capacity.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;On the DC side, you can reduce the number of cables, and on the AC side, you can reduce the cable size. By this, you can reduce the project cost,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>Apart from reduction in capital costs, developers also look at savings in LCOE over the life of the inverter, explained Nilesh Mahajan. &#8220;At the end of the day, we also want to see how the inverter will perform. Apart from capital costs, developers and EPC contractors also look at the costs associated with the inverters after installation, during maintenance, and the lifespan of the inverters and the critical components that need to be replaced.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Better Conversion Ratios</strong></p>
<p>Another key advantage highlighted was the higher AC/DC conversion ratios achievable with string inverters. &#8220;This higher DC overloading allows capturing more energy from the solar modules and accounts for any mismatch losses or degradation over time,&#8221; explained Rakesh.</p>
<p>Distributed string inverter configurations also provide more design flexibility than centralized solutions. If a fault occurs in one string, the entire plant is not shut down, unlike a central inverter.</p>
<p><strong>Flexibility in OEMs</strong></p>
<p>The introduction of high-power string inverters also offers increased flexibility when using various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Implementing high-power string inverters allows for the integration of multiple module technologies and ratings, providing developers and EPC firms greater flexibility.</p>
<p>&#8220;By introducing high power inverters, we have the flexibility to use different OEM and different technology because module costs are one of the deciding factors in the system as well as BOS costs,&#8221; said Kannan Devaraji.</p>
<p>Earlier conventional solar setups with a single central inverter could utilize only a single OEM of modules, limiting options when it came to costs and supply timelines.</p>
<p>&#8220;The cost and supply of a module also plays a role in overall costs,&#8221; added Devaraji.</p>
<p><strong>Technological Challenges</strong></p>
<p>However, string inverters also face technology challenges that need to be addressed. A major concern was derating, especially for hot, arid regions like Rajasthan, where temperatures routinely exceed 50°C. Developers stressed the need for more intelligent cooling systems.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the major criteria before selecting an inverter is how it performs in extreme temperatures, along with reliability and safety aspects,&#8221; said Mahajan. &#8220;Certification is another aspect we look for. Since the projects are connected to the grid, we have to comply with the requirements of the grid operator,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>Another requirement is faster response time to support dynamic reactive power requirements for large plants. Gajanan Sawant felt that under one-second response time is needed to provide grid services like frequency regulation, as opposed to about five seconds currently.</p>
<p>Highlighting the advantage of string inverters when it comes to response time, Rakesh explained that a lower number of inverters usually leads to faster response time. &#8220;When you connect a lower number of inverters, the response time is faster.&#8221;</p>
<p>Cyber security to safeguard the distributed assets from potential hacking was another area of focus for the panelists. They felt that inverters must have advanced security measures, certifications, and secure servers to prevent any data breaches or manipulation attacks.</p>
<p>Later this month, Mercom will host a <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/webinars/how-to-protect-renewable-energy-projects-from-commercial-cyber-threats-with-insurance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">webinar</a> on how insurance can help protect renewable energy projects from commercial cybersecurity attacks.</p>
<p>Last year, Mercom <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/smarter-inverters-crucial-from-advanced-solar-modules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hosted</a> a webinar exploring the rising demand for high-capacity string inverters and larger solar modules with a power rating of 600W+. The webinar found that the shift to larger modules had prompted upgrades in project designs and other equipment to accommodate higher generation.</p>
<p><strong>Sign up for Mercom&#8217;s next webinar on &#8211;</strong> <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/webinars/how-to-protect-renewable-energy-projects-from-commercial-cyber-threats-with-insurance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to Protect Renewable Energy Projects from Commercial Cyber Threats with Insurance</a></p>


High Power String Inverters in Solar Projects Perform Better, Save Costs


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					</table><p>Given the benefits of easy installation and swapping, higher efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, high-power string inverters are increasingly being used in large-scale solar power projects across the world.</p>
<p>Due to their small size, they can be easily installed and quickly swapped in case of faults. Like central inverters, they are highly efficient in terms of DC to AC conversion.</p>
<p>These inverters are also known to reduce equipment costs and installation expenses for BOS components while enhancing monitoring and control capabilities.</p>
<p>Mercom&#8217;s Webinar &#8216;<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/webinars/how-to-save-on-costs-with-high-power-string-inverters-in-large-scale-solar-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to Save on Costs with High-Power String Inverters in Large-Scale Solar Projects</a>&#8216; will explore projects where these inverters are a prudent choice over smaller models and central inverters.</p>
<p>The panel of experts will also discuss how the costs could be reduced during construction and the lifetime of the project with the use of high-power string inverters.</p>
<p>The panelists are Nilesh Mahajan, CEO and Director of <a href="https://roofsol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roofsol Energy</a>; Yogish HN, AVP-BD at <a href="https://enerparc.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enerparc</a>; Gajanan Sawant, Senior Manager – Design and Engineering at <a href="https://www.cleanmax.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleanmax</a>; Sunil Panigrahi, Country Manager – India at <a href="https://en.hopewind.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hopewind</a> and Rakesh B P, Solution Manager at Hopewind.</p>
<p>Priya Sanjay, Managing Director at Mercom India, will moderate the session.</p>
<p>The webinar is scheduled for March 12, 2024, at 03:00 PM IST. Viewers can register for the webinar <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/webinars/how-to-save-on-costs-with-high-power-string-inverters-in-large-scale-solar-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p>Utility-scale solar projects demand simplified grid integration for ease of operation. High-power string inverters with multi-channel maximum power point tracking (MPPT) design help to effectively reduce module mismatch, increase system power generation, and help lower the levelized cost of energy.</p>
<p>Mercom India&#8217;s recent webinar in December 2023, titled &#8220;Optimal Sizing of PV Inverters for Robust Performance in High Ambient Temperatures,&#8221; saw industry experts <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/lcoe-primary-driver-choosing-right-solar-inverter-size" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussing</a> the factors involved in optimally sizing solar photovoltaic inverters for diverse locations and temperatures and achieving higher performance.</p>


Exploring Benefits of High-Power String Inverters


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					</table><p>Chhattisgarh, which has traditionally relied on coal sources for its energy requirements, has recently seen a surge in solar capacity additions, accounting for about 5% of the 13.6 GW installed capacity in the state as of September 2023.</p>
<p>The state has witnessed a dramatic increase in open access solar from 3 MW in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023 to 28 MW in Q3 2023, according to <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q3-2023-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q3 2023 Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report</a>.</p>
<p>By the end of September 2023, Chhattisgarh&#8217;s cumulative open access solar capacity reached 380.7 MW, making it the ninth highest in the country, accounting for 3.5% of the country’s total.</p>
<p>The state&#8217;s recent policy adjustments, particularly certain exemptions for open access, have decisively boosted Chhattisgarh&#8217;s overall solar capacity.</p>
<p>The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://cserc.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CSERC</a>) <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/distributed-solar-projects-chhattisgarh-exempted-transmission-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amended</a> the Grid-Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Sources Regulations 2019 to provide financial incentives for the development of open access solar projects.</p>
<p>The amendments exempt the first 500 MW of such projects from transmission, wheeling, state load dispatch center (SLDC) charges, and the cross-subsidy surcharge for the entirety of their operational life.</p>
<p>This exemption was applicable to projects that achieved commercial operation by December 27, 2023.</p>
<p><strong>Policy Reboot Driving Renewables</strong></p>
<p>The exemptions granted on surcharge accelerated solar capacity additions under open access.</p>
<p>Ashish Verma, Vice President of Business Development at <a href="https://www.gensol.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gensol</a>, confirmed the positive impact of the policy changes on the market. “With Chhattisgarh being home to numerous heavy industries, including steel and metal, and the emergence of decarbonization plans, the state is witnessing a positive shift.”</p>
<p>Taking advantage of Chhattisgarh&#8217;s favorable open access policy, developers are actively exploring the state&#8217;s potential for renewable energy projects. According to Mercom India’s research, a 20% quarterly increase in the state&#8217;s open access solar capacity by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023 is likely.</p>
<p>The regulations also aim to democratize access by reducing the minimum power contract requirement from 500 kW to 100 kW, making it possible for even smaller consumers to adopt solar.</p>
<p>Surajit Chanda, AVP of Business Development of <a href="https://www.adityabirlarenewables.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aditya Birla Renewables</a>, said, “Incentives are pivotal to attracting developers to a state, ensuring savings on the project cost. Karnataka&#8217;s success with similar measures five years ago serves as a testament to the effectiveness of such approaches. The state is experiencing growth, and with increasing confidence in the market, more relaxations are welcome, which will catalyze a boost. Chhattisgarh has had a promising start and is poised to become a prime destination for open access developers to sell power.&#8221;</p>
<p>The state&#8217;s exemptions on open access charges have also prompted commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) customers to consider transitioning to solar through open access models, with the aim of achieving significant cost savings on their energy expenses.</p>
<p>The C&amp;I consumers stand to benefit substantially, with industrial consumers expected to save ₹3.55 ($0.04)/kWh and commercial consumers ₹4.75 ($0.05)/kWh. The state extends exemptions on charges for all open access models, including third-party arrangements.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-62275" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-with-Exemption.png" alt="Chhattisgarh Net Savings For OA with Exemption" width="698" height="447" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-with-Exemption.png 698w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-with-Exemption-300x192.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-with-Exemption-650x415.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-with-Exemption-624x400.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-with-Exemption-600x384.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 698px) 100vw, 698px" /></p>
<p>Chhattisgarh&#8217;s distribution companies (DISCOMs) have also been instrumental in promoting open access projects with their robust energy banking policy.</p>
<p>The energy banking policy includes the provision for annual energy banking, accompanied by a reduction in banking charges from 5% to 2%. Additionally, all open access consumers are now permitted to bank 100% of their surplus energy annually.</p>
<p>Collectively, these measures present an attractive and financially favorable opportunity for both renewable energy developers and consumers.</p>
<p>Operational solar projects in the state and those slated for commissioning in the coming quarters may find benefits in the favorable energy banking policy outlined in the amended regulations.</p>
<p>With the aim of streamlining calculations and improving transparency for intra-state open access participants, CSERC has imposed a 20% ceiling on the cross-subsidy surcharge applicable to open access power consumers, determined by the average power supply cost.</p>
<p>Effective from April 1, 2024, this modification offers stakeholders a more defined and predictable long-term outlook regarding their net landed energy costs.</p>
<p>For projects commissioned after December 2023, the amendments offer long-term visibility by determining cross-subsidy surcharges for twelve years from the project&#8217;s operation date.</p>
<p><strong>Current Challenges</strong></p>
<p>The introduction of the incentives is a response to the historical underutilization of open access markets for renewables in Chhattisgarh. But challenges still remain.</p>
<p>Verma highlighted the unique challenges of the state and why Chhattisgarh had remained a dormant open access market. He said many projects, especially captive ones, received approvals before 2019. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a new dynamic for Chhattisgarh, disrupting planned price structures and rendering them unviable.</p>
<p>“In response, developers adopted a &#8216;wait and watch&#8217; approach, navigating the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic for the state&#8217;s developmental trajectory,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Nilesh Mahajan, Director at <a href="https://roofsol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roofsol Energy</a>, however, noted that there is currently more momentum for rooftop solar among C&amp;I consumers compared to open access. Mahajan noted that open access projects require a well-established infrastructure, without which developers are likely to encounter challenges in executing projects in this domain.</p>
<p>“We have seen an acceleration in recent years. Earlier, Chhattisgarh was not a good market. I believe the lack of infrastructure is still prominent. For instance, in other states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, open access is robust. Maharashtra has the highest generating capacity and caters to 20-25 GW of power. But this isn’t the case with Chhattisgarh. There are limitations in its generating capacity in order to ensure that the grid remains stable.”</p>
<p>Verma emphasized the importance of thorough preparation for the anticipated growth in renewables and that DISCOMs need to adapt to the higher percentage of renewables in the system. According to him, managing 1 GW of projects compared to managing a substation, which would support those 1 GW projects, presents a distinctly different challenge.</p>
<p>Rahul Mishra, Sr VP &amp; Head C&amp;I at <a href="https://blupineenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BluPine Energy</a>, said, &#8220;The recent amendments in Chhattisgarh&#8217;s electricity regulations will not significantly impact our solar projects; incentives were expected to be temporary triggers. We foresee continued scalability with the new policy. We believe that the projects in Chhattisgarh will continue to be economically viable, provided that land challenges are successfully managed and that banking provisions for 100% generation are adhered to. There may be short-term impacts, but stability is anticipated.&#8221;</p>
<p>Chanda spoke about another crucial roadblock stemming from the amendment. &#8220;While the initial policy lacked caps on transmission or wheeling charges, rendering the market highly attractive, the amendment introduced a 500 MW cap, causing policy uncertainty and adversely affecting investor confidence.”</p>
<p>Without the exemption of charges on captive and group captive green open access models would result in substantial savings for industrial consumers. While industrial consumers would save ₹3.55 ($0.04)/kWh with the exemption on charges, the savings would fall to ₹2.91 ($0.035)/kWh without the exemptions.</p>
<p>For commercial consumers, savings under the third-party model would fall from ₹4.75 ($0.05)/kWh with exemptions to ₹1.76 ($0.021)/kWh without. Under the captive and group captive model, without the exemption of charges, the savings would still be substantial at ₹4.11 ($0.049)/kWh.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-62276" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-without-Exemption.png" alt="Chhattisgarh Net Savings For OA without Exemption" width="693" height="440" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-without-Exemption.png 693w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-without-Exemption-300x190.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-without-Exemption-650x413.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-without-Exemption-624x396.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Chhattisgarh-Net-Savings-For-OA-without-Exemption-600x381.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 693px) 100vw, 693px" /></p>
<p>Chanda said this underscores the need for clearer timelines in project planning. Despite concerns expressed in public hearings and applications to the government, the Commission&#8217;s decisions have not been favorable. Stakeholders are advocating for waivers for projects in advanced stages of development, particularly those that have procured materials outside the 500 MW allotted capacity.</p>
<p>According to Mercom sources, there is no further update if the deadline of December 27, 2023 will be extended or if the project capacity cap (500 MW) eligible for exemption will be increased.</p>
<p>While the policy has played a favorable element in boosting the open access capacity in the state, a more simplified and clearer approach to these policies would help the open access market grow further.</p>


Chhattisgarh’s Open Access Solar Projects Surge With Policy Boost


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					</table><p><a href="https://www.tatapowersolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tata Power Solar</a>, <a href="https://amplussolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amplus Solar</a>, <a href="http://www.fourthpartner.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fourth Partner Energy</a>, <a href="https://roofsol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roofsol Energy</a>, and <a href="https://www.havells.com/en/industrial/solar.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Havells India</a> were the top solar rooftop companies in India in the first half (1H) of the calendar year (CY) 2022, according to Mercom&#8217;s recently released <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-india-solar-market-leaderboard-1h-2022-market-shares-and-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Market Leaderboard 1H 2022</a>.</p>
<p>The report provides insight into the industry leaders&#8217; market share and shipment rankings across the Indian solar supply chain.</p>
<p>The top three companies accounted for 40% of the market share in 1H 2022.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Top-Rooftop-Installers.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-45141 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Top-Rooftop-Installers.png" alt="Top Rooftop Installers" width="523" height="343" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Top-Rooftop-Installers.png 523w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Top-Rooftop-Installers-300x197.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 523px) 100vw, 523px" /></a></p>
<p>Tata Power Solar has a portfolio of 1.2 GW rooftop and distributed generation projects across the country. It operates a manufacturing unit in Bangalore, with a production capacity of 635 MW of modules and 500 MW of cells. Tata Power Solar tied up with several banks to offer loan facilities to residential consumers and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to switch to solar solutions</p>
<p>Amplus owns and manages a portfolio of over 1 GW of operational and under-construction distributed solar assets.</p>
<p>Amplus Solar <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mercom-india-solar-awards-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> the award for the best residential project in Mercom India Awards 2022. The award was accorded to Atrium, a designer edition solar pergola from HomeScape by Amplus Solar.</p>
<p>Fourth Partner Energy has installed over 500 MW of rooftop solar projects for India&#8217;s top businesses and institutions. It has <a href="https://mercomindia.com/british-international-investment-89-million-solar-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> $47 million as a follow-on investment from British International Investment (BII). Fourth partner, in total, has received $80 million in investments from BII.</p>
<p>Roofsol Energy commissioned a 5 MW rooftop solar system for textile manufacturer ST COTTEX in Ludhiana, Punjab. The system installed under the RESCO model is expected to generate 6.7 million units of electricity in the first year and replace 7,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually.</p>
<p>Tata Power Solar, Fourth Partner Energy, and Amplus Solar were also the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tata-power-solar-fourth-partner-sunsure-leading-rooftop-solar-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top</a> solar rooftop companies in India in 2021. Havells India was a top solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company in 2021.</p>
<p>A complete list of the solar rooftop installers and their market share is available through Mercom&#8217;s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-india-solar-market-share-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Market Share Tracker</a>.</p>


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