The Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (RVPNL) has issued draft guidelines mandating that battery storage systems installed with renewable energy captive and open access projects be charged during solar peak hours using power from their own generation.

The draft details procedures for charging and discharging battery storage systems installed alongside wind-solar and solar projects.

Such projects must be installed under the Rajasthan Integrated Clean Energy Policy, 2024, and the battery storage systems must be designed for two cycles.

Stakeholders can submit their comments by May 29, 2026.

Under the proposed guidelines, the battery storage systems installed along with wind-solar hybrid projects must be charged from their own renewable energy generation (10 AM to 3 PM). The stored energy must be discharged during evening peak hours (6 PM to 10 PM).

The battery storage systems can be charged again during the night hours using their own wind power generation (12 AM to 4 AM), followed by discharge during the morning peak hours (6 AM to 8 AM).

Battery storage systems installed alongside solar projects must be charged from their own renewable energy generation during solar peak hours (10 AM to 3 PM). The stored energy must be discharged during evening peak hours (6 PM to 10 PM) and/or during morning peak hours (6 AM to 8 AM).

The battery storage systems must not draw power from the RVPNL’s grid for charging.  If the grid frequency falls below 49.6 Hz, the charging of the battery storage system must be automatically disconnected.

The draft procedures specify that the operation of the battery systems will remain subject to directions issued by the state load dispatch centre (SLDC) in the interest of grid security, system stability, congestion management, deviation settlement mechanism management, and reliable grid operations.

It also proposes that in the event of any grid contingency, transmission constraint, abnormal system condition, or other operational requirement, the SLDC may revise, curtail, reschedule, or restrict the charging and discharging operations of such battery storage systems as necessary to ensure secure grid operations.

The respective distribution companies will carry out energy settlement for the battery storage systems’ charging and discharging in accordance with the prevailing regulations. The credits for energy discharged through the battery storage system will be given first during peak time-of-day hours, then during normal hours, and finally during off-peak hours.

The distribution company and SLDC will inform the BESS discharge schedule at the beginning of each month, and discharge should preferably occur during peak hours.

In September 2025, the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission proposed mandating that all new renewable energy projects with an installed capacity of more than 5 MW include energy storage systems, except for hydroelectric power projects.

Rajasthan also mandates the installation of battery storage systems for a minimum 20% of the energy generated by the additional capacity beyond 100% of contract demand. Captive power projects may be sized to exceed contract demand by up to 200%.

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