Husk Secures $4 Million from Electrifi to Scale up Mini Grids in Rural India

Doubling Transmission Capacity of Existing Grid Through Reconductoring: Report

Daily News Wrap-Up: BJP, Congress Bet Big on Renewables in Election Manifestos

As ISTS Waiver Nears End, Developers Need Extension Amid Lack of Substations

Mahindra Susten to Develop 150 MW Open Access Renewable Power Project

BJP, Congress Bet Big on Renewables in 2024 Election Manifestos

Daily News Wrap-Up: REIL Invites Bids for 200,000 Mono PERC Solar Cells

Solar, Storage, Wind Drive 95% of US Interconnection Queues as Backlog Rises

Ahasolar Wins Consultancy Contract for 52 MW Solar Project from BPCL

REIL Invites Bids for 200,000 Mono PERC Solar Cells


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/amazon_polly_47693.mp3?version=1673624924">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>The Agency for New &amp; Renewable Energy Research and Technology (<a href="https://anert.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ANERT</a>) has invited bids to procure 1,000 smart energy meters as part of the Solar City Project being implemented by it in Thiruvananthapuram.</p>
<p>The project will be funded by <a href="https://smartcitytvm.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smart City Thiruvananthapuram</a><u>. </u></p>
<p>The last date to submit the bids is January 28, 2023. Bids will be opened on January 30.</p>
<p>Bidders will have to furnish ₹15,000 (~$184) as an earnest money deposit. The successful bidder must submit an amount equivalent to 3% of the total contract value in the form of a bank guarantee which will be returned after the supply of materials.</p>
<p>The meters should carry a warranty for seven years and six months from the date of despatch or seven years from the date of commissioning, whichever is earlier.</p>
<p>The supply should be completed within 30 days from the letter of award. Half of the smart meters must be supplied within 15 days.</p>
<p>The description of smart energy meters along with the quantity required is given below:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ANERT-Smart-Meters-5.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-47694 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ANERT-Smart-Meters-5.png" alt="ANERT Smart Meters - 5" width="404" height="248" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ANERT-Smart-Meters-5.png 404w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ANERT-Smart-Meters-5-300x184.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px" /></a></p>
<p>Bidders should be in the business of manufacturing and supplying smart or static meters or other electronic measurement equipment, smart meter components, and technology for at least three years on the bid opening date.</p>
<p>They should also have experience in manufacture and supply of 10,000 electricity energy meters as per the relevant International Electrotechnical Commission standards during the last three years.</p>
<p>The minimum average annual turnover of bidders should be at least ₹20 million (~$245,592) in any two of the last five financial years, subject to the condition that they should have completed at least two financial years.</p>
<p>Alternatively, the net worth of bidders should be at least ₹40 million (~$491,184) at the end of the last financial year.</p>
<p>Bidders must submit a sample of the meter they are intending to supply for evaluation.</p>
<p>ANERT has stated that the smart meters before delivery should be type tested as per IS: 16444 (Part 1 and Part 2) at a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (<a href="https://nabl-india.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NABL</a>)-accredited laboratory or any International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (<a href="https://ilac.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ILAC</a>)-accredited laboratory in the world.</p>
<p>In 2021, the Ministry of Power <a href="https://mercomindia.com/power-ministry-smart-meters-notification/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> timelines for distribution companies to replace conventional meters with smart meters for consumers across various categories.</p>
<p>As of October 2022, Energy Efficiency Services), as part of its Smart Meter National Program, had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/daily-news-wrap-eesl-installs-three-million-smart-meters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installed</a> over three million smart meters in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, and Andaman.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn">
<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Kerala’s ANERT Invites Bids to Procure 1,000 Smart Energy Meters

<p>Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (<a href="https://www.bhel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BHEL</a>) has invited bids for the operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) of 1.1 MW of rooftop solar projects in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Of this, 630 kW of rooftop solar systems are located in Kanpur, and 75 kW capacity in Meerut, both in Uttar Pradesh, and 400 kW in Ranchi, Jharkhand.</p>
<p>The last date to submit bids is November 22, 2021. Bids will be opened on the same day.</p>
<p>Bidders have to furnish ₹200,000 (~$2,687) as an earnest money deposit. The successful bidder must submit 5% of the contract value as a security deposit before starting the work.</p>
<p>Bidders who fulfill the prequalification criteria forming part of the notice inviting tender (NIT) can participate in the competitive bidding process.</p>
<p>The successful bidder will be responsible for the comprehensive operation and maintenance of the solar systems. The bidder has to arrange for a quarterly inspection for 600 kW and 30 kW of rooftop systems in Kanpur until September 28, 2023, and June 14, 2024, respectively. A half-yearly inspection has to be arranged for 400 kW of rooftop capacity in Ranchi and 75 kW of rooftop capacity in Meerut until November 17, 2022, and March 21, 2022.</p>
<p>The O&amp;M of rooftop solar systems will include wear and tear, overhauling, machine breakdown, and smooth operation of systems.</p>
<p>The bidder should maintain all the equipment needed for the O&amp;M of rooftop systems. The bidder also needs to calibrate the testing equipment once a year from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (<a href="https://nabl-india.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NABL</a>) accredited labs.</p>
<p>In August 2021, BHEL <a href="https://mercomindia.com/bhel-om-tender-ntpcs-25-mw-floating-solar-andhra-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids for the O&amp;M of a 25 MW floating solar power project at NTPC Simhadri in Andhra Pradesh for 36 months.</p>
<p>Mercom had earlier <a href="https://mercomindia.com/bhel-om-tender-1-5-mw-solar-project-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that BHEL invited bids for the O&amp;M of a 1.5 MW solar project at Ramachandrapuram in Hyderabad.</p>
<p>According to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a>, BHEL has issued tenders for 19.7 MW of rooftop solar capacity to date.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Harsh Shukla</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Harsh-Shukla-293x300-1-new.jpg" width="99" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Harsh Shukla</strong> </a>is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/">More articles from Harsh Shukla.</a></p>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

BHEL Issues O&M Tender for 1.1 MW of Rooftop Solar Projects

<p>The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (<a href="http://upneda.org.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UPNEDA</a>) has announced a tender for empanelment of vendors and inviting rate contract for the supply, erection, testing, and commissioning of off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) projects of various capacities.</p>
<p>The tentative capacity is 3 MW, which may widely vary, depending upon the demands received by UPNEDA. The tender includes a comprehensive five-year warranty for systems above 1 kW to 10 kW across various locations in Uttar Pradesh. The estimated cost for the project is ₹420 million (~$5.64 million).</p>
<p>The solar PV projects would be set up in various tehsils, block offices, institutions, premises of individual beneficiaries across locations in Uttar Pradesh as directed and identified by UPNEDA.</p>
<p>The last date for submission of bids is August 2, 2021, and technical bids would be opened on the same day. The work must be completed within four months from the date of award of work or as specified by UPNEDA.</p>
<p>The bidder must be a firm registered or incorporated under the Indian Companies Act, 1956/2013; or a registered partnership firm; or a limited liability partnership. System integrators are also allowed to participate in the bid.</p>
<p>The bidder must hold a valid test report of the complete system or various components (PV module, hybrid inverter, battery complete system, etc.) issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) or National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (<a href="https://nabl-india.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NABL</a>) accredited test lab. The solar module used must be a part of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), approved by MNRE from the effective implementation date.</p>
<p>The overall average annual turnover of the bidder in the last three financial years (i.e., FY 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20) should be at least 30% of the estimated cost. The turnover must be of the individual company&#8217;s and not that of any group of companies.</p>
<p>The bidder&#8217;s net worth as of the last day of the preceding financial year (2020-21) should not be less than 100% of the paid-up share capital.</p>
<p>The bidder should have continuously supplied and installed same or similar category (off-grid solar PV projects) products for 30% of the bid quantity in the last three financial years (i.e., 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020) before the bid opening date, to any central or state government organization, (including local body or autonomous institutions working under it), public sector undertakings, or a public listed company.</p>
<p>Last month, UPNEDA had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/bids-invited-rooftop-solar-uttar-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> online bids for the installation of grid-connected rooftop solar projects under the capital expenditure (CAPEX) model across government buildings at various locations in Uttar Pradesh.</p>
<p>According to Mercom&#8217;s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a>, UPNEDA has so far floated empanelment tenders amounting to 36 MW.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rahul-nair/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rahul Nair</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Rahul is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Before entering the world of renewables, Rahul was head of the Gujarat bureau for The Quint. He has also worked for DNA Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Mirror. Hailing from a banking and finance background, Rahul has also worked for JP Morgan Chase and State Bank of India. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rahul-nair/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rahul Nair.</a></p>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Empanelment and Rate Contract Tender Floated for Off-Grid Solar Projects

<p>The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (<a href="http://upneda.org.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UPNEDA</a>) has invited online bids for the installation of grid-connected rooftop solar projects under the capital expenditure (CAPEX) model across government buildings at various locations in Uttar Pradesh.</p>
<p>The pre-bid meeting will be held on June 17, 2021, and the last date for submission of bids is June 25, 2021; technical bids will be opened on the same day.</p>
<p>The contract includes a comprehensive five-year maintenance warranty for installations in the 10 kW to 100 kW range; the tentative rooftop solar capacity to be installed is 5 MW, which may vary depending upon the demand from various sources.</p>
<p>Once prospective bidders are selected, an agreement based on the rate contract, valid for 12 months, would be entered. The work must be completed within four months from the date of award of work or as specified by UPNEDA.</p>
<p>As per the Ministry of Finance guidelines, bidders do not have to submit an earnest money deposit but must submit a notarized bid security declaration in the prescribed format. Eligible bidders include firms registered under the Companies Act, 1956/2013, a registered partnership or a limited liability partnership, and system integrators.</p>
<p>The net worth of eligible bidders on the last day of the preceding financial year (2019-20) must not be less than 100% of the paid-up share capital.</p>
<p>Bidders must have a valid test report of the complete system and its various components issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories-accredited test lab.</p>
<p>The modules used in the project should be sourced only from the models and manufacturers included in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers as <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-first-batch-almm-solar-bids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.</p>
<p>The eligible bidders&#8217; financial turnover (an individual company&#8217;s turnover and not that of any group of companies) in the last three financial years (FY 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20) should be at least 30% of the estimated cost.</p>
<p>If the date of the incorporation of the original equipment manufacturer is less than three years, the average turnover in respect of the completed financial years after the date of incorporation would be taken into account to consider eligibility.</p>
<p>Only those bidders who have continuously supplied and installed the same or similar products for 30% of the bid quantity to central or state government organizations (including local body or autonomous institutions working under it), public sector undertakings, or public listed company, in the last three financial years (2017-18, 2018- 2019,2019-2020), before the bid opening date would be considered eligible.</p>
<p>In March 2021, UPNEDA had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/empanelment-tenders-floated-rooftop-solar-buildings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> tenders to empanel agencies for 18 MW of captive grid-interactive rooftop solar projects to be set up at government buildings in the state.</p>
<p>According to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a>, including the latest tender, UPNEDA has so far <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> tenders amounting to 153.6 MW for rooftop solar installations.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rahul-nair/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rahul Nair</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Rahul is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Before entering the world of renewables, Rahul was head of the Gujarat bureau for The Quint. He has also worked for DNA Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Mirror. Hailing from a banking and finance background, Rahul has also worked for JP Morgan Chase and State Bank of India. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rahul-nair/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rahul Nair.</a></p>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Bids Invited to Install 5 MW of Rooftop Solar on Government Buildings in Uttar Pradesh

<p>The Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (<a href="http://www.creda.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CREDA</a>) has invited bids to procure 15,000 low-maintenance lead-acid batteries with a five-year on-site warranty for solar applications of different capacities in the state. The contract will also include the buy-back option for used batteries.</p>
<p>The last date to submit the bids is July 7, 2021, and the bids will be opened on July 8.</p>
<p>The estimated value of the purchase is ₹100 million (~$1.37 million).</p>
<p>Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹500,000 (~$6,849) as an earnest money deposit.</p>
<p>Successful bidders will have to furnish 3% of the purchase cost as the security deposit during the five years of the warranty period.</p>
<p>The bidder should have test reports of batteries for all categories in the name of the manufacturer or bidder for which the bidder had made the offer for supply. Interested bidders are also required to provide an acknowledgment of sample submission from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) or the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (<a href="https://nabl-india.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NABL</a>)-approved test centers.</p>
<p>The test certificate will have to be submitted within 90 days of execution of the agreement by the bidders; otherwise, the earnest money deposit may be forfeited, and CREDA may expel the bidder.</p>
<p>To participate in the bidding process, Chhattisgarh-based parties should have two years of experience in the manufacturing and supply of low-maintenance lead-acid batteries. The bidder should also have experience in supplying ₹15 million (~$205,482) of low-maintenance lead-acid batteries to government agencies or undertakings.</p>
<p>Bidders from other states should have a minimum of three years of experience in the manufacturing and supply of low-maintenance lead-acid batteries. They should also have experience in the supply of ₹25 million (~$342,469) low-maintenance lead-acid batteries to government agencies or undertakings.</p>
<p>For the buy-back option of used batteries, the bidder from Chhattisgarh or any other state should be a battery manufacturer or have a valid license from the Central Pollution Control Board or any of the state counterparts.</p>
<p>The bidder’s net worth should be ₹5 million (~$68,493) as of the last date of the previous financial year, and the aggregate turnover should be at least ₹100 million (~$1.37 million) in the last three financial years.</p>
<p>A consortium of bidders will not be allowed to take part in this tender.</p>
<p>Recently, CREDA <a href="https://mercomindia.com/chhattisgarh-renewable-energy-agency-tender-solar-modules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids to standardize the rates for the supply of solar modules of different capacities (75 W-315 W) for solar applications in the state.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a> for timely updates on all solar tenders issued by various agencies in India.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn">
<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Chhattisgarh Floats Tender for 15,000 Lead Acid Batteries for Solar Applications

<p>The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="http://gercin.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GERC</a>) has issued an expression of interest (EoI) from National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited electric meter testing laboratories for empanelment by GERC as independent third-party meter testing laboratory in the state. The deadline to submit EoI is April 20, 2019.</p>
<p>Interested meter testing laboratories must submit a technical proposal with a valid accreditation letter from the <a href="https://www.nabl-india.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NABL</a> for meter testing. They are also required to submit a schedule of charges for single phase and three phase meters, testing of CT/PT units, the number of such meters tested during the past five years, independent third-party meter testing accreditation of other state electricity regulatory commissions. Current Transformers (CT) are generally used for current measurement, and potential transformers (PT) are used for voltage measurement.</p>
<p>The state commission is of the view that there is a need to have third-party electric meter testing facilities in Gujarat to protect the interests of consumers. So far, the GERC has empaneled three NABL accredited laboratories situated at Gandhinagar, Vadodara, and Udaipur as third-party meter testing facilities.</p>
<p>When contacted, a GERC official said, “A large number of people will be added to the grid, and therefore a vast number of energy meters need to be installed. With huge demand, there arises a need for testing centers and facilities, and this is why we have come up with this notice.”</p>
<p>“It will become much more convenient for consumers to get their meters checked,” added the GERC official.</p>
<p>After the launch of Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojna (<a href="http://saubhagya.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAUBHAGYA</a>) program, by January 2019, all unelectrified households in Gujarat were electrified, according to data provided by the government at the <a href="http://saubhagya.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAUBHAGYA</a> dashboard. The electrification has led to a significant increase in the number of metered consumers across the state and consequently, the services of meter testing laboratories. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/pm-modi-saubhagya-deadline-missed-december/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom previously reported</a> that the SAUBHAGYA program missed its December 2018 deadline by a narrow margin.</p>
<p>Mercom <a href="https://mercomindia.com/government-electricity-meters-smart-prepaid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a> that starting from April 2019, the government has planned to replace all existing electricity meters in the country with smart prepaid meters. The process of switching over is expected to take nearly three years. This initiative by the <a href="https://powermin.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ministry of Power</a> is expected to reduce the aggregate technical and commercial (AT&amp;C) losses, improve the financial health of distribution companies, incentivize energy conservation, and make bill payments hassle-free and environmentally friendly by doing away with the paper copies. This move is also likely to help low-income consumers as they would not need to pay the entire month’s bill at a time.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/saumy/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Saumy Prateek</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/saumy-edited-1.png" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Saumy Prateek</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/saumy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Saumy Prateek</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn"><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/saumy-edited-1.png" width="79" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/saumy/" rel="noopener"><strong>Saumy Prateek, </strong> </a>is a senior staff reporter with MercomIndia.com covering business and energy news since 2016. Prior to Mercom, Saumy was a copy editor at Thomson Reuters. Saumy earned his Bachelors Degree in Journalism &amp; Mass Communication from the Manipal Institute of Communication at Manipal University.<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/saumy/">More articles from Saumy Prateek.</a></div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

nabl

Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.

RECENT POSTS