Advertisment

RERC Draft Roots For Storage With Solar, Register Without Prior Approval

They allow GENCOS, IPPs, CPPs, and BESS developers to establish storage systems at any point in the network, after obtaining the necessary approvals. RERC is accepting comments on the draft until November 14, 2025.

author-image
Chitrika Grover
solar and storage (1)

Consumers Can Register Solar-Linked BESS Without Prior Approval, Says RERC Draft

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has issued draft guidelines for deploying and utilizing battery energy storage systems (BESS) as generation, transmission, and distribution assets. RERC is accepting comments on the draft until November 14, 2025.

Advertisment

The draft regulations facilitate the participation of BESS in ancillary services and energy markets. They allow GENCOS, IPPs, CPPs, and BESS developers to establish storage systems at any point in the network, after obtaining the necessary approvals, and participate in ancillary services. Developers can register with the relevant licensee to provide these services.

Advertisment

The draft also aims to promote cost-effective energy storage solutions that enhance grid stability, frequency management, and renewable energy integration. It envisions a framework enabling aggregators and third-party BESS developers to actively participate in the electricity market.

Advertisment

BESS Ownership & Deployment

The draft spreads BESS ownership across distribution licensees, transmission licensees, GENCOS, IPPs, consumers, SLDC, standalone BESS, renewable energy developers, aggregators, or any other third-party investors.

Advertisment

BESS projects can be deployed co-located with renewable energy (RE) or conventional generators, as grid-connected standalone storage, embedded in distribution or transmission networks, behind the meter (consumer level), or integrated with electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) services.

Advertisment

BESS can operate independently or as part of generation, transmission, or distribution systems, or integrated with a consumer’s load, either independently or alongside co-located RE sources behind the meter.

Consumers are required to register their BESS installations with the Distribution Licensees through an online portal maintained by the licensee’s nodal agency. However, no prior permission or formal connection agreement is required for installation. The draft also allows consumer-owned BESS to participate in energy arbitrage, purchasing electricity during off-peak hours and selling it back during peak hours.

Hybrid Mode with Solar Plant

If BESS is installed in hybrid mode with a solar power plant—either already installed or proposed under Net Metering, Net Billing, Group Net Metering, or Virtual Net Metering—the hybrid system will follow the provisions applicable to the framework under which the solar plant is registered, as specified in the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Generating Systems) Regulations, 2021, as amended.

Additionally, as an incentive to consumers, the draft allows the energy injected into the Distribution Licensee’s network during non-solar peak hours to be payable at an incentivized tariff, as specified by the Commission in a separate order, issued either suo motu or on application.

For Utilities and the Grid

The draft also create space for Distribution Licensees and the State Transmission Utility (STU) to plan the required energy storage capacity in their operational areas, considering technical requirements, system reliability, and load demands.  Moreover, it also make BESS installations eligible to provide services such as frequency regulation, spinning reserves, voltage support, black start services, demand response, and other services defined in the IEGC/REGC, as amended from time to time.

As Rajasthan moves ahead with BESS project the draft would not only enable multiple onwnership of the bess project but also enhance comsumer participation and create a storage integearted renewable energy grid. 

Rajasthan BESS
Advertisment