India Regulations
35 terms in the india regulations category.
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ALMM
ALMM (Approved List of Models and Manufacturers) is the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's register of approved solar PV equipment, created under the ALMM Order of 2019. List-I covers modules and List-II covers solar cells, required from 1 June 2026. Government, subsidised and net-metered projects in India must source equipment from these lists.
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BESCOM
BESCOM stands for Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited, the state-owned DISCOM formed in 2002 to distribute power in Bengaluru and surrounding districts of Karnataka. It applies KERC tariff and rooftop solar net metering orders in its area. Solar designers and EPCs submit rooftop solar applications and meter requests to BESCOM for sites in Bengaluru.
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BIS Solar
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) is India's national standards body. Under the Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017, solar modules, inverters and storage batteries must carry BIS registration before sale in India. DISCOMs and developers check it during procurement and approvals.
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CAPEX Model (Solar)
The CAPEX model in solar is an ownership structure in which the customer pays the full system cost upfront and owns the plant. In India, owners can claim accelerated depreciation, currently 40 percent under the Income Tax Rules, on eligible assets. Residential subsidy schemes and many commercial buyers use this structure for lifetime savings.
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CEA Connectivity Regulations
CEA connectivity regulations are the CEA (Technical Standards for Connectivity to the Grid) Regulations, 2007, as amended, issued by India's Central Electricity Authority. They set technical requirements such as fault ride-through, reactive power and frequency response for generators connecting to the grid, and engineers apply them in utility-scale solar interconnection studies.
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CEIG Full Form and Electrical Approval Rules in India
CEIG stands for Chief Electrical Inspector to Government in common Indian usage, though official titles vary by state. It refers to the state electrical inspectorate that inspects installations under the CEA (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023. Solar EPCs need its approval where state-notified voltage or generating-capacity thresholds apply.
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CFA (Central Financial Assistance)
CFA (Central Financial Assistance) is the central government subsidy MNRE pays for eligible residential rooftop solar. Under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024, CFA is Rs 30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and Rs 18,000 for the third kW, capped at Rs 78,000 per household.
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CTU vs STU in India: Which Grid Route Applies?
CTU stands for Central Transmission Utility, the body notified under Section 38 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to plan and coordinate India's inter-state transmission system (ISTS); Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL) has performed this role since April 2021. STU stands for State Transmission Utility, the Section 39 counterpart for each state's intra-state network.
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DCR (Domestic Content Requirement)
DCR (Domestic Content Requirement) means a solar project must use PV modules manufactured in India from solar cells also made in India. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy applies DCR to government-supported schemes such as the CPSU Scheme Phase II, PM-KUSUM and subsidised PM Surya Ghar rooftop systems, to build domestic manufacturing capacity.
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DISCOM
DISCOM stands for Distribution Company, the licensed utility that supplies electricity to homes and businesses in an Indian state or city. DISCOMs were created when state electricity boards were unbundled under the Electricity Act, 2003. For rooftop solar, the DISCOM approves the grid connection, installs the net meter and settles exported units.
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Energy Banking
Energy banking lets a solar generator deposit surplus energy with the distribution utility and draw it back later against consumption. In India, the Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022 require banking to be allowed at least monthly, while each state commission sets periods, charges and limits. Commercial and industrial buyers model banking carefully.
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GERC
GERC (Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission) is Gujarat's state electricity regulator, constituted in 1998 and now functioning under the Electricity Act, 2003. It issues tariff orders and the regulations on rooftop net metering, open access and renewable purchase obligations that GETCO, the Gujarat DISCOMs and solar developers in the state must follow.
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GETCO
GETCO (Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited) is the state transmission utility (STU) for Gujarat, a GUVNL subsidiary formed when the Gujarat Electricity Board was unbundled under the Gujarat Electricity Industry (Reorganisation and Regulation) Act, 2003. Utility-scale solar developers apply to GETCO for transmission-level connectivity and substation bay allocation in Gujarat.
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IREDA
IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited) is a Government of India non-banking financial company under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, set up in 1987. It lends to solar, wind, hydro and other clean energy projects, and developers often approach it for long-term project debt in India.
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IS 14286
IS 14286 is the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for design qualification and type approval of crystalline silicon PV modules, harmonized with IEC 61215. Modules sold in India must be registered with BIS under MeitY's Compulsory Registration Order of 2017, and testing to IS 14286 supports that registration.
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IS 16170
IS 16170 is the Bureau of Indian Standards series for photovoltaic module performance testing and energy rating, adopted from IEC 61853. Part 1 (2014) measures module power across a matrix of irradiance and temperature conditions. Solar designers and energy modellers use this data to judge low-light and high-temperature performance beyond the STC nameplate.
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IS 16221
IS 16221 is the Bureau of Indian Standards safety standard for power converters used in solar PV systems, adopted from IEC 62109. Part 1 (2015) sets general safety requirements and Part 2 (2015) adds rules specific to inverters. Grid-connected inverters sold in India need BIS registration against IS 16221 (Part 2) before installation on DISCOM-connected projects.
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IS 800:2007 Steel Design Code for Solar Structures
IS 800 is the Bureau of Indian Standards code of practice for general construction in steel, current edition IS 800:2007 (third revision), which uses limit state design. Solar structural engineers apply it to check steel mounting members and connections once loads are set under IS 875. It does not calculate wind loads or certify a structure.
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IS 875 Wind Loads for Solar: Parts and Calculation
IS 875 is the Bureau of Indian Standards code of practice for design loads, other than earthquake, on buildings and structures. Its five parts cover dead, imposed, wind, snow, and special loads, and Part 3:2015 sets the wind load method. Indian solar engineers use it to derive wind pressure on rooftop and ground-mount module structures.
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KERC
KERC (Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission) is Karnataka's state electricity regulator, set up in 1999 under the Karnataka Electricity Reform Act, 1999 and now operating under the Electricity Act, 2003. It sets tariffs and the rooftop solar net metering, open access and RPO rules that BESCOM and the state's four other ESCOMs apply.
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MERC
MERC stands for Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, the state electricity regulator set up in 1999 for Maharashtra. It issues tariff orders, net metering regulations and Open Access rules that apply to solar projects in the state. Solar EPCs and consumers follow MERC orders when applying through MSEDCL or other Maharashtra DISCOMs.
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MNRE
MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) is the Government of India ministry for renewable energy policy, renamed from the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources in 2006. It runs national solar schemes, issues the ALMM list of approved modules, and sets technical specifications that subsidised rooftop and utility solar projects must meet.
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MSEDCL
MSEDCL stands for Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, also known as Mahavitaran, the state-owned DISCOM formed in 2005 when the Maharashtra State Electricity Board was unbundled. It supplies most of Maharashtra outside Mumbai's main licensee areas and processes rooftop solar net metering applications under Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) rules.
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Net Metering (India)
Net metering in India is a billing arrangement in which a rooftop solar consumer exports surplus power to the DISCOM grid and is billed only for net consumption, measured by a bidirectional meter. The Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 set the national framework, while each State Electricity Regulatory Commission sets local capacity limits and settlement terms.
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Open Access (India)
Open Access in India is the right of eligible consumers to buy electricity from a generator or supplier of their choice using the transmission and distribution network, introduced by the Electricity Act, 2003. The Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022 lowered the threshold for renewable power to 100 kW, letting more commercial and industrial users buy off-site solar.
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OPEX Model (Solar)
The OPEX model in solar is an arrangement where a developer finances, owns, and maintains a solar plant on a customer's roof or land, and the customer pays a fixed per-kWh tariff under a long-term power purchase agreement. In India it is also called the RESCO model and is common for commercial and industrial rooftop projects.
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PFC (Power Finance Corporation)
PFC (Power Finance Corporation Limited) is a central public sector non-banking financial company under India's Ministry of Power, set up in 1986 to finance power sector projects. It lends to generation, transmission, and distribution, including renewable energy, and became the majority owner of REC Limited in 2019. Utility-scale solar developers approach it for long-term debt.
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PGCIL
PGCIL (Power Grid Corporation of India Limited), branded POWERGRID, is a central public sector company incorporated in 1989 that builds and operates most of India's inter-state transmission network. Since April 2021 the Central Transmission Utility role sits with its subsidiary CTUIL. Utility-scale solar developers deal with these bodies when connecting projects to the inter-state transmission system.
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PM-KUSUM
PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) is a Government of India scheme launched by MNRE in 2019 to bring solar power to farms. It funds decentralised grid-connected solar plants, standalone solar pumps and solarisation of grid-connected pumps. Developers, DISCOMs and EPCs use its guidelines for design, subsidy and procurement rules.
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REC (Renewable Energy Certificate)
A REC (Renewable Energy Certificate) is a tradable certificate representing the environmental attributes of 1 MWh of renewable electricity. In India RECs are governed by the CERC (Terms and Conditions for Renewable Energy Certificates) Regulations, 2022. DISCOMs, captive users and open-access consumers buy them to meet Renewable Purchase Obligations, trading them on power exchanges.
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RESCO
RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) is a business model where a developer finances, owns, operates and maintains a solar plant on a customer's premises and sells the electricity under a long-term PPA. MNRE's Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Programme recognises the RESCO mode alongside the capex mode. Commercial and industrial buyers use it to avoid upfront investment.
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Rooftop Solar Programme Phase II
Rooftop Solar Programme Phase II is MNRE's Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Programme approved in 2019 to expand rooftop solar in India. For residential systems it offered Central Financial Assistance of 40% up to 3 kW and 20% from 3 to 10 kW. From 2024, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana replaced it for new residential subsidy applications.
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SECI
SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited) is a central public sector enterprise under MNRE, incorporated in 2011. It runs competitive tariff-based auctions for utility-scale solar, wind, hybrid and storage projects, signs long-term PPAs with developers, and resells the power to DISCOMs. Developers and EPCs follow SECI bid documents for technical requirements.
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TNERC
TNERC (Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission) is the state regulator for Tamil Nadu's power sector, constituted in 1999 under the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998 and now functioning under the Electricity Act, 2003. It sets tariffs and issues orders on rooftop solar, open access, and wheeling that solar developers must follow.
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Wheeling Charges
Wheeling charges are fees an open access user pays to a distribution licensee for carrying electricity over its network from a generator to a consumer. They are set by each State Electricity Regulatory Commission under the Electricity Act, 2003 and affect the delivered cost of power from off-site solar plants.
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