Running a cold storage facility is an energy-intensive operation, with refrigeration systems requiring a steady supply of electricity to maintain temperature-controlled conditions. The high electricity consumption can translate into substantial operating expenses, making rooftop solar an option for reducing grid power costs.

Radharani Himghar, a cold storage operator in Kotulpur, in West Bengal’s Bankura district, has installed a 300 kWp rooftop solar project to reduce its electricity bills and operating costs.

The project was executed by Fender Vertex Solutions, which has a capacity of 250 kW.

Radharani Himghar operates cold storage facilities primarily for potato farmers and traders.

The cold storage facility’s average annual electricity consumption before the installation was approximately 120 MWh.

According to the installer, the rooftop solar system is expected to generate annual electricity bill savings of approximately ₹2.8 million (~$29,182), with an estimated payback period of two years and eight months.

The project uses 585 Wp TOPCon bifacial modules from Anchor by Panasonic. It also uses two 125 kW Solis string inverters and a fixed-tilt mounting structure with a 15-degree inclination.

Installing a solar project on a cold storage facility presented structural challenges because of limitations on the amount of additional weight that could be placed on the rooftop.

Fender Vertex Solutions said it addressed the weight constraint by using Galvalume for the mounting structure, allowing it to reduce the structural load associated with the installation.

The developer also encountered challenges related to West Bengal’s net metering policies during project implementation.

India added 6.6 GW of rooftop solar capacity in the first half (1H) of 2026, up 131% year-over-year (YoY) from 2.8 GW, according to Mercom India Research’s newly released Q2 and 1H 2026 India Rooftop Solar Market Report.

Mercom India hosts a pan-India C&I Clean Energy Meet series, bringing renewable energy developers and commercial and industrial power consumers together to discuss clean energy adoption. The next event in the series will be held in Lucknow on October 9, 2026.