Growing Interest in Solar and Storage

Across India, commercial and industrial users together with large institutions and housing complexes increasingly adopt solar energy systems that include battery storage solutions. These solutions provide organizations with substantial cost reductions when compared to conventional grid electricity and assist them in achieving their environmental sustainability objectives. Organizations prefer rooftop solar systems because they provide both financial savings and environmental benefits.

Policy and Regulatory Changes

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission recently approved a request by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company to apply an additional surcharge of ₹0.4 per kWh on open access consumers. The new surcharge will start in March 2026 and continue until the next rate determination for fiscal year 2027. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission established buyout prices which enable distribution and industrial clients to fulfill their renewable energy consumption requirements that the government mandates.

Grid Stability and Renewable Integration

The Central Electricity Authority has advised thermal power plants to operate at their lowest level of 40 percent capacity throughout two operational shifts. The electricity commission of Tamil Nadu established a new grid code which aims to control renewable energy sources while improving stability of the electricity grid.

State Regulatory Performance

The power sector assessment in India which evaluated different states showed that Punjab and Karnataka and Maharashtra achieved the highest ratings among all states. The Power Foundation of India together with REC produced a joint report which showed that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh achieved strong performance results.

Battery Standards and Testing

The Bureau of Indian Standards established new guidelines which require testing portable sealed lithium batteries at 20°C to determine their actual capacity. This regulation comes after the government ordered battery manufacturers to demonstrate that their products perform according to the capacity specifications which they provide.

Innovative Pilot Projects

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission approved a pilot project for interstate peer-to-peer renewable energy trading under the India Energy Stack framework. The six-month pilot program will test various methods of regional energy exchange.

Clean Energy Tenders and Expansion

Several clean energy tenders are underway:

• NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam issued a tender for a 3 MW rooftop solar project in Madhya Pradesh.
  
  
• Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) invited supply bids for 870 MW of solar modules compliant with domestic content requirements.
  
  
• South Central Railway tendered rooftop solar installations in Andhra Pradesh.
  
  
• SECI also invited bids for a 10 MW solar project with a 20 MWh battery system in Odisha.
  
  
• NHPC issued a tender for 16.64 MW of rooftop solar on central government buildings.
  
  
• NTPC Renewable Energy solicited bids for a 100 MWh vanadium flow battery storage system at Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat.

Private Sector Adoption

The Gujarat fabric manufacturer Prem Industries announced that its 450 kW rooftop solar project will return its investment to the company within a period of 2.5 years because the project demonstrates how industrial sites can achieve fast financial savings through clean energy solutions.

Industry Growth Signals

Inox Wind reported substantial revenue growth in the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, which showed a significant increase compared to the previous year and demonstrated market expansion for renewable energy technologies.

Outlook

The demand for clean energy continues to increase in India. According to reports, global electricity usage is projected to grow, with renewables playing a central role in meeting future demand. The transition requires solar and battery storage technologies because they provide dependable and affordable solutions which can replace fossil fuels.