The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has issued new guidelines and a consultative paper on “Generic Tariff order for Grid Interactive Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Generating Systems”. The commission has offered generic tariffs of Rs 3.99 per kWh for rooftop solar systems with a capacity of 1-10 kW, Rs 3.70 per kWh for systems with a capacity of 11-100 kW, Rs 3.51 per kWh for rooftop solar systems with a capacity of 101-500 kW, and Rs 3.12 per kWh for solar systems with a capacity of 501-999 kW. Stakeholders may contribute their recommendations and concerns before September 1, 2021.
These rules will apply to all discoms in Tamil Nadu, as well as their electrical consumers. The new approach is available to new domestic customers and those who already have net-feed-in facilities. Consumers who have installed or plan to install grid-interactive solar systems are eligible to apply for a net-metering arrangement, which will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. The power generated from the solar plantscan be utilized by consumers at their property and feed the excess into the grid. Under component-C of the KUSUM initiative, the state has established a benchmark tariff of Rs 2.28 per kWh for 20,000 agricultural solar pumps.
Earlier, in August 2021, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) had also issued an order setting the generic tariff for solar power projects including rooftop solar projects.