The Rajasthan government has issued new guidelines stating that power projects up to 1 MVA capacity, including renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, can now be self-certified. Certification from an electrical inspector will no longer be mandatory.

The consumer, premises owner, or supplier can self-certify that the project complies with safety standards. However, consumers can also request an inspection and certification from an electrical inspector through the departmental portal.

Electricity distribution companies or suppliers will not energize any project until either a self-certification or an electrical inspector’s certificate has been uploaded to the departmental portal. For projects above 1 MVA, certification by an electrical inspector through the portal will remain mandatory.

Similarly, for electricity connections up to 33 kV, premises owners, suppliers, and consumers can self-certify their electrical installations. They also retain the option to obtain certification through inspection via the departmental portal. However, all connections above 33 kV and high-voltage connections must be certified by an electrical inspector.

In addition, only electrical inspectors are authorized to certify installations in multi-story buildings taller than 15 meters. Critical facilities such as basements, cinema halls, hospitals, theatres, large public gathering venues, educational institutions, malls, and sites associated with VIP visits will also require inspection exclusively by an electrical inspector for safety reasons.

According to the notification, projects must have either a self-certification from the owner/consumer or a certificate from an electrical inspector before being accepted by the supplier. The entire process will be conducted through the departmental portal to ensure transparency.

The objective behind this move is to reduce the need for consumers to visit offices for routine connections while ensuring strict safety inspections for critical and high-risk installations such as malls and hospitals.

The Rajasthan government recently directed distribution companies to ensure that all single-phase rooftop solar systems are commissioned after conducting proper phase balancing at the distribution transformer level.

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