The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has clarified that net billing, and virtual and group net metering will also be treated on a par with net metering provisions under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II.

List-II applies to solar cells which will be brought under the ambit of ALMM from June 2026. The inclusion of solar cells in ALMM addresses the growing domestic production capacity. Until now, only solar modules have been covered in the ALMM.

The Ministry said virtual and group net metering are models of net metering covering a group of different consumers of the same category or the same consumer with over one service connection. It also said that net billing is a net and gross metering hybrid.

This clarification comes after stakeholders wanted to know whether the exemption from using solar cells in ALMM List-II, provided to net metering and open access renewable power projects commissioned before June 1, 2026, will also apply to net billing and virtual and group net metering programs.

In 2022, MNRE exempted behind-the-meter solar projects solely used for captive consumption by a consumer or group of consumers. This exemption does not apply to behind-the-meter connections for captive consumption by government entities or public sector enterprises, since government projects were covered under ALMM from the beginning.

Recently, the Ministry clarified that it would treat potential induced degradation (PID) and non-PID cells as different products or families and enlist them separately. It also said that the produced cells’ data for efficiencies or wattages will be collected during the ALMM inspection. The data will be used to calculate the average efficiency, and the same will be enlisted.

In April this year, the Ministry updated the ALMM by adding 14,670 MW of solar module manufacturing capacity. The cumulative module manufacturing capacity reached 88,905 MW after the latest additions.