SECI to launch 1000 MW Rooftop Solar PV Scheme for government sector

New Delhi

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said that Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is launching a tender of 1000 MW capacity on Friday for development of grid-connected rooftop solar capacity for Central government ministries/departments.

This is part of the government's target for installation of 40 GW rooftop solar power plants by the year 2022, 

This would be the largest rooftop tender to be launched by SECI, and is expected to give a big boost to the hugely potent rooftop solar power generation segment, the Ministry said.

The 1000 MW tender, one of the largest globally, comes in quick succession to SECI’s earlier tender of 500 MW capacity, targeting buildings in the residential/institutional and social sectors.

SECI is the leading PSU in the rooftop solar segment, and has already commissioned over 54 MW capacity of rooftop solar projects under multiple government schemes.

The highlight of this tender is its innovative ‘Achievement-Linked Incentives Scheme’ wherein the incentives in terms of capital subsidy shall be provided on the basis of performance achieved by designated ministries/departments against their committed targets in the given time span.

In this scheme the Grid connected rooftop solar systems shall be installed with the financial assistance for MNRE in the form of Incentives. The power generated from the systems shall be used for meeting the captive requirement of the buildings and the surplus power, if any, shall be fed to the grid under the net-metering arrangement of the respective state.

MNRE has allocated 21 ministries/ departments to SECI interalia Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs etc.

Based on the indicative list of sites provided by MNRE and various interested ministries, SECI is carrying out a potential assessment which shall be provided to the solar PV developers (SPD).

The SPDs will be selected state-wise through national competitive bidding process and provision of one rate /state shall be kept in the scheme.

The 1000-MW capacity will be distributed between CAPEX and RESCO modes of implementation in the ratio 30/70.