The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has clarified that solar projects installed exclusively to charge energy storage systems (ESS) will not be exempted from complying with the requirements under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM).

If a solar project is feeding power or charging an ESS, which is directly or indirectly supplying electricity to the grid, then such solar projects do not fall under the category of behind-the-meter projects solely used for captive consumption. They will, therefore, not be eligible for exemption from ALMM for solar modules.

According to MNRE, the behind-the-meter classification applies only to projects meant exclusively for captive use by individual consumers or groups of consumers, without any grid interaction.

It also said that the applicability of ALMM provisions for solar cells in such configurations depends on the exemption status of the ESS project. The solar project will be exempted from complying with ALMM requirements if the ESS is already exempt. However, if the ESS is not exempt, then the solar project linked to it will also not be eligible for exemption.

These clarifications follow queries from stakeholders seeking clarity on whether a private sector entity installing a solar project exclusively to charge a battery energy storage system would be exempted from the ALMM requirement, and whether such solar projects qualify as behind-the-meter installations.

Recently, MNRE clarified that behind-the-meter projects for captive consumption by government entities or public sector enterprises must use solar modules from the ALMM. However, these projects are exempt from using ALMM-compliant cells if they were commissioned before June 1, 2026. Projects commissioned after this deadline must use ALMM-listed modules and cells.

In another notification, MNRE exempted government projects where the ALMM for modules is mandated from complying with the ALMM order for solar cells, if the bid submission deadline is on or before the cut-off date. The cut-off date will be one month after the publication of the first ALMM List for cells.