SJVN Invites Bids For 5140 kW Rooftop Solar Projects On Government Buildings In Southern India

SJVN Limited, a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh and a Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Power, has issued a Request for Selection (RfS) for solar rooftop power developers. The project aims to set up a cumulative capacity of 5140 kilowatts (kW) of grid-connected rooftop solar PV power systems without battery storage. These systems will be installed on Union Government buildings across the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.

This initiative is being carried out under the “PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana,” a central government scheme intended to solarize government assets and reduce dependency on conventional energy sources. The implementation will follow the RESCO/PPA model, where developers invest in and maintain the solar systems while selling electricity at pre-determined tariffs to the building occupants.

SJVN has been designated as the Scheme Implementation Partner (SIP) by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). This assignment is in line with operational guidelines issued on July 3, 2024, under memorandum number 318/17/2024-Grid Connected Rooftop (Part 2). The rooftop solar installations are meant for various ministries such as Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Chemical and Fertilizers, Commerce and Industry, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Statistics and Programme Implementation, Women and Child Development, Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.

The RfS document was officially released on May 6, 2025, from Shimla. Interested bidders must take note of critical financial commitments. The Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) required for participation is ₹1,000,000 (one million rupees). In addition, successful bidders will need to furnish a Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) of ₹1,500,000 (one and a half million rupees) as part of the contract compliance obligations. The bid submission end date is 27^th May 2025.

This tender follows a tariff-based competitive bidding process where developers compete based on the lowest tariff quoted for electricity generated from the rooftop systems. All relevant documents, updates, and amendments will be made available on the ISN-ETS platform, and bidders are advised to monitor it regularly.

SJVN reserves the right to modify or amend the RfS at any point before the final bid submission date. If bidders do not report discrepancies within 20 days from the date of the RfS issuance, it will be assumed that the document is complete and acceptable.

This initiative is a step toward India’s broader renewable energy goals, promoting cleaner energy adoption within public infrastructure and minimizing carbon footprints.