SPPU Tenders 1 MWp Rooftop Solar and 5 MWh Battery Storage Project

Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has invited bids for a 1 MWp rooftop solar installation paired with a 5 MWh battery energy storage system. The project is located on the university’s campus in Maharashtra. This tender was published on November 6, 2026.

Project Scope and Commercial Terms

SPPU is structuring this initiative as a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) arrangement, a model where the developer installs and operates the system while the consumer purchases the electricity. Under these terms, the successful bidder will handle the supply, erection, testing, and commissioning of the facility. The scope covers a 1,000 kWp solar photovoltaic array and a 5,000 kWh battery energy storage system.

The commercial framework centers on a 25-year electricity generation and supply period. Instead of a flat capital expenditure, the university will purchase power at a fixed rate of ₹32 per kWh. Bidders must submit their offers before the bid opening date of December 1.

Bid Requirements and Financials

• Technical Eligibility: Applicants need to show a history of completing one comparable project of 1,500 kWp or more in the past five financial years.
• Cumulative Experience: Bidders must verify a combined total of executed projects reaching 3,000 kWp within that same five-year span.
• Storage Expertise: Participation requires the installation of a minimum of one battery energy storage system with a capacity of 500 kWh or higher.
• Earnest Money Deposit: To guarantee the bid, a payment of ₹10 lakh is necessary.
• Tender Fee: A non-refundable charge of ₹10,000 is levied for submitting the bid.
• Bid Validity: All submitted proposals must stay valid for 120 days starting from the submission date.

Background

SPPU’s tender functions within the wider regulatory and subsidy landscape for rooftop solar in Maharashtra. As a general-category region under the central PM Surya Ghar scheme, the state offers subsidies of ₹30,000 per kW for the initial 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third kilowatt. Luminity’s guide on Maharashtra rooftop solar subsidies outlines these rates, specifying that housing societies are eligible for ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, with a cap of 500 kW.

The state government sanctioned the SMART scheme through a Government Resolution issued on 6 October 2025, subsequent to a cabinet decision made on 3 July 2025. This resolution establishes a goal for PM Surya Ghar to serve 8.75 lakh homes. Rooftop systems linked to the MSEDCL network are governed by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission’s 2019 regulations concerning grid-interactive renewable energy generating systems.

What to watch

The immediate next milestone is the bid submission deadline, set for November 30, 2026, at 3 PM. Following the submission window, the university will review the offers against the fixed rate of ₹32 per kWh and the 25-year service period outlined in the tender.