What is open access solar?
Open access lets a large consumer buy electricity from a producer other than their local distribution company, using the transmission and distribution network to carry it. In solar, the plant is built elsewhere, often on cheaper land, and the power is delivered to your unit through the grid.
Group captive vs third-party open access
- ·Group captive: you become part-owner of the plant through an SPV with other consumers. Under the captive rules, the captive users must together hold at least 26% of the equity and consume at least 51% of the power generated. This route usually gives better savings because captive consumers are exempt from certain surcharges.
- ·Third-party open access: you simply buy power from a developer under a long-term PPA, with no ownership requirement. It is simpler, but the surcharges that apply can reduce the saving.
Who is it for?
Open access is mainly for HT industrial and commercial consumers with a sizeable and steady load: textile mills, foundries, engineering units, cold storage, and large institutions. If you have a small LT connection, rooftop solar is usually the better route.
What charges apply?
Open access users typically pay wheeling charges, banking and scheduling-related charges, and in some cases cross-subsidy and additional surcharges. These are set by the regulator and revised from time to time, so the real saving depends on the current orders. Our open access page quotes savings in the range of 30 to 50 percent against HT tariffs for suitable consumers, and we confirm the exact figure after studying your bills.
How the process works
- Bill and load analysis of your HT connection.
- Choosing the right structure: group captive or third-party.
- Site and land selection and plant design.
- Approvals and connectivity from the relevant utilities.
- Signing the PPA and commissioning the plant.
- Ongoing energy accounting and reporting so you can see every unit and every saving.
Open access rules change often. Before you commit, get a written savings estimate based on the latest regulatory orders.
Talk to a SolarQube engineer
Get a free site assessment and a written quotation. We are a solar company in Salem serving Salem, Erode, Coimbatore and across Tamil Nadu.