SECI extends deadlines for 500MW residential rooftop solar tender

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Only 25-30% of the allocated capacities in the 2016 tender overall have been installed so far. Credit: The Climate Group

The deadline for developers to complete their allocations and encash bank guarantees under a 500MW residential and non-profit rooftops solar tender in India has been extended from 31 March to 30 June this year.

One rooftop developer, which had bagged a small amount of capacity under the tender, sent a letter to the procurer, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), requesting a deadline extension up to 31 October this year, given that it had only managed to complete a third of its allocation at the time of writing.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The tender was finalised in October 2016.

The developer claimed various force Majeure instances including the Demonetisation incident last year and the imposition of the GST tax. It also claimed that there was a shortage of staff at SECI required for site inspections and internal processes.

In a response seen by PV Tech, SECI refuted these claims as “false and baseless”, however, it also granted the deadline extension – albeit only to 30 June – without imposing any penalties. Central Financial Assistance (CFA) will also be available at a 30% or 70% rate of either the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) benchmark price or the lowest tariffs in the tender, whichever is lowest.

PV Tech understands that only 25-30% of the allocated capacities in the tender overall have been installed so far and that multiple developers had written similar letters to SECI.

Nonetheless, one such developer, Gensol, has completed its allotted projects and has set its sights on doubling its allocated capacity.

Ali Imran Naqvi, head of operations, Gensol, told PV Tech that SECI's rooftop allocations had the potential to catapult the central government's 40GW rooftop target for 2020 to a correct trajectory, but some structural changes unveiled by the government had stymied the pace of installations. Furthermore, while project execution did gain some traction during the second half of 2016, there remains much to be done.

Naqvi added: “It is certainly a good step by SECI to relax the deadline till June 2018, but the situation merits serious consideration and some more time would inspire confidence in the developers.”

Read Next

October 7, 2025
Juniper Green Energy through its subsidiary Juniper Green Sigma Eight has signed a 70MW power purchase agreement with renewable energy giant Tata Power. 
October 6, 2025
Indian infrastructure company focused on rooftop and ground-based solar power installations, PVV Infra has secured solar power orders worth INR7.9 billion (US$90 million) through two of its subsidiaries. 
October 6, 2025
Indian solar developer ACME Group has established a new subsidiary to manage its renewable equipment manufacturing business, under which it is planning to scale production of TOPCon PV modules.
October 6, 2025
Rajasthan government will develop 500MW/2,000MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a four-hour single-cycle configuration and extended operational life.
October 2, 2025
The Indian solar industry has 86GW and 182GW of solar cell and module manufacturing capacity, respectively, expected to be commissioned by 2027.
October 2, 2025
The European solar sector will lose around 5% of its jobs in 2025, the first contraction in employment for the sector in nearly a decade.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland