Telangana Issues Empanelment Tender for 50MW Rooftop Solar Projects

The Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) has floated a new tender, inviting bids for empaneling vendors to develop 50 MW of grid-connected residential rooftop solar projects. The rooftop projects will be executed as part of the second phase of the Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Program that comes under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

The bid submissions date will close on February 28, 2022. Bidders will be required to make an earnest money deposit that will be based on the bid capacity. Also, within 15 days from the issuance of the Letter of Award, a performance bank guarantee of Rs 5 lacs or Rs 10 lacs as a bank guarantee will be required from successful bidders.

As far as the scope of work is concerned, the vendors will need to identify rooftops and beneficiaries, sign agreements with consumers and obtain DISCOMs’ clearances. They will have to undertake design, supply, assembly, testing, and commissioning of solar systems that will be then connected to grids.

A successful bidder should commission rooftop solar systems within six months of MNRE’s approval or TSREDCO’s last deadline for the project, whichever is earlier. Once the projects are commissioned, the bidder will have to provide operation and maintenance services for five years.

As per the tender document, Telangana has invited bids under four categories. Rooftop solar power capacity between 1 kW and 3 kW is kept under Category A. Categories B and C range from 3 kW to 10 kW and 10 kW to 100 kW, respectively. Capacity ranging from 100 kW to 500 kW is kept under category D.

TSREDCO has allocated 20 MW rooftop solar capacity for category A and category B. The minimum bid capacity is 150 kW and the maximum is 5 MW. Then for category C the state company allocated 2.5 MW and for category D it’s kept at 7.5 MW. The minimum and maximum bid capacities for category C are 50 kW and 300 kW. For category D, these are kept at 150 kW and 500 kW.

With regards to eligibility criteria, a bidder must have installed and commissioned grid-connected rooftop solar projects with a minimum capacity of 200 kW before the bid opening date.

A bidder should also have had an average annual turnover of Rs 50,000/kW of the quoted bid capacity for the past three financial years. The net worth of the applicant must equal or exceed Rs 50,000/kW of the quoted bid capacity in the last financial year.

Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have an inherent benefit in the tender. Those MSME that are registered with the state are exempted from technical and financial eligibility requirements.

The tender document states that up to 3 kW rooftop solar systems in Telangana would qualify for a 40% central financial assistance (CFA). Then rooftop installations that lie between 3 kW and 10 kW will receive a subsidy of 40% for the first 3 kW and 20% for the rest.

A 20% subsidy is meant for residential welfare associations and cooperative housing societies having rooftop solar facilities up to 500 kW.

The tender document states that successful bidders are obliged to employ ‘Made in India’ solar cells and modules. The employed modules are required to have a performance warranty of at least 90% in the first ten years and 80% in the next 15.