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					</table><p>Rajasthan had about 2.4 GW of solar open access as of June 2025, making it one of India’s top states, with roughly 9.8% of the country’s total solar capacity. The state also held the largest open access pipeline, around 10.2 GW as of June 2025, mostly standalone solar at ~80%, solar plus storage at ~10%, and solar–wind hybrids at ~9%.</p>
<p>Policy is also pushing for storage as green energy open access projects above 5 MW must include batteries sized for at least two hours of generation or 5% of project capacity. Charge relaxations or exemptions apply when energy is supplied from a storage source. These relaxations refer to waivers or reductions of the grid/open access fees for energy delivered from a storage system.</p>
<p>Deepak Jain, Chief Technical Officer of <a href="https://insolationenergy.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insolation Energy</a>, attests to Rajasthan’s suitability for open access projects. Strong irradiation, large tracts of non-fertile land suitable for utility-scale plants, and the ability to utilize interstate transmission are contributory factors.</p>
<p>He said that cement, steel, textiles, and ceramics are shifting towards renewables to control costs and achieve long-term stability. Roadblocks remain, including grid upgrades within the state and on the ISTS, lengthy approval cycles, and a shortage of skilled manpower across manufacturing and EPC as deployments scale.</p>
<p>Himanshu Chandrakar, Chief Marketing Officer of <a href="https://altilium.eco/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Altilium Energie</a>, stated that buyers must first verify that the state has truly implemented green open access for solar energy before checking for eligibility. Under green energy open access, several states now allow 100 kW. Buyers must also assess commercial viability, as the primary objective is to reduce power costs. “Sustainability and economics now go together.”</p>
<p>Implementation is where most C&amp;I consumers weigh capital expenditure (capex) against operating expenditure (opex). Open access is operationally more complex than rooftop, and rules can change fast, so many prefer opex. Buyers must keep practical considerations in mind. For instance, some developers avoid loan-burdened or certain manufacturing profiles. Many insist on a minimum credit rating, and a long list of seven often becomes a shortlist of three serious options.</p>
<p>Next come tariff and term negotiations, bank guarantees and security, and technical readiness checks, including metering, site infrastructure, and the daily monitoring and settlement cadence that differs from rooftop. Structurally, buyers choose among third-party, captive, and group captive insurance options. Rajasthan’s battery rule suggests a shift towards more solar with storage and hybrids. Buyers are also testing creative pairing. For example, a pure-solar PPA with a separately contracted battery may be preferable if the prices are favorable.</p>
<p>Rahul Makahaniya, Chief Marketing Officer of <a href="https://www.soleosenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soleos Energy</a>, said renewable purchase obligations and related mandates are tightening. In energy-intensive industries, a defined percentage of energy must come from renewable sources. “How you meet this, through captive, third-party, or group captive, is your choice, but compliance isn’t optional. Strategically, it’s like locking electricity on predictable terms for 15–25 years.”</p>
<p>For captive use, with a debt-to-equity ratio of roughly 70% and 30%, the landing cost would be ₹1.75 (~$0.020)–₹2 (~$0.023)/kWh in Rajasthan. Against a typical grid landing cost of ₹8.10 (~$0.091)–₹8.15 (~$0.092)/kWh including demand charges, “you’re saving roughly ₹6 (~$0.068)/kWh.” In a 1 MW example, the annual savings would be approximately ₹18.2 million (~$205,082), depending on the units generated.</p>
<p>For third-party PPAs, buyers often see ₹3 (~$0.034)–₹4 (~$$0.045)/kWh, depending on the tenor and risk, but must also add open-access charges and the cross-subsidy surcharge, which can increase the all-inclusive landed cost. The upside is no capital outlay. “You post the roughly three-month bank guarantee, pay as you go, and the developer carries asset and operational risk. Many buyers invest small amounts per MW, around ₹7 million (~$78,878) for 2 MW, and then secure lower all-in tariffs than those offered through a third-party PPA.</p>
<p>Makhaniya emphasized that PPA clauses make or break the economics. The focus should be on tariff and escalation, banking and scheduling, change-in-law, SLAs tied to availability or CUF, curtailment, termination, security, metering, and settlement timelines. Buyers must understand lock-ins, such as 15-year terms, and offtake obligations, including the risk of paying for shortfalls if demand falls below the contracted energy level.</p>
<p>These opportunities were <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/c-and-i-clean-energy-meet-2025-jaipur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deliberated</a> in detail at Mercom’s C&amp;I Clean Energy Meet in Jaipur recently.</p>
<p>Jain said adopters report significant savings compared to grid tariffs and value price certainty. ESG reporting becomes simpler, and export competitiveness improves as global buyers increasingly prefer suppliers that use renewable energy. Challenges remain, especially in predictable policy, faster approvals, and skills development.</p>
<p>On timing, he argued that both cost and technology favor an early move. “We started way back around 2011 at ₹180 (~$2.03 million) –₹185 million (~$$2.08 million)/MW, and today installed costs are roughly ₹25 million (~$281,705) –₹35 million ($394,388)/MW depending on components and site.” Technology has also moved. “Module efficiencies have moved beyond 22%, and with TOPCon/HJT and tandem approaches, more than 25% at the module level is plausible,” which boosts yields and long-term economics. “Locking 15–25 years of power-price stability is hard to replicate with any other input.”</p>
<p>Looking ahead, Chandrakar said contracts are being signed in Rajasthan. “In the next year, more than 1,000 MW of PPAs could be signed,” and over the next two to three years, contracted capacity in Rajasthan could move toward ~3,000 MW as the market expands from obvious early adopters to a broader C&amp;I base.</p>
<p>On storage, Makahaniya described Rajasthan’s policy as one of the most aggressive for open access and said interest is rising. He mentioned tenders or interests discussed in 1,000–2,000 MW chunks. Sizing depends on the use case, load shape, price spreads, and grid constraints, so storage can shift solar generation from non-peak to peak periods.</p>
<p>He pointed to peak windows such as 06:00–10:00 and 18:00–22:00 and noted that some rules may not allow banking during peak times. Storage enables buyers to match their supply to their working patterns and capture peak-price arbitrage. Policy incentives, such as charge relaxations or exemptions for storage-backed supply, improve viability even though batteries increase capital expenditure.</p>


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