The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has clarified that net billing, virtual net metering, and group net metering will be treated at par with net metering provisions under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II. ALMM List-II, which currently includes only solar modules, will expand to include solar cells starting from June 2026.
Furthermore, the MNRE defined virtual and group net metering as models involving either multiple consumers of the same category or a single consumer with multiple service connections. Net billing, on the other hand, has been categorised as a hybrid of net and gross metering. The clarification comes in response to queries from stakeholders regarding whether exemptions from ALMM enlistment, previously granted to net metering and open access projects commissioned before June 1, 2026, will also apply to net billing and virtual or group net metering projects.
Earlier this month, the MNRE clarified that solar cells with potential induced degradation (PID) and non-PID features will be treated as separate product families under the ALMM, with cell efficiency and wattage data collected during inspections.
