Three metering models, three very different proposals
Net metering offsets exported units 1:1 against imported units on the same connection, so every kWh generated is worth the retail tariff. Net billing credits exports at a lower, commission-determined rate, which shifts the economics toward self-consumption and often toward storage. Gross metering exports the entire output at a fixed feed-in tariff and the consumer keeps buying all their own consumption at retail. Quoting a net-billing state with 1:1 assumptions overstates year-one savings by 20–40%.
State reference table
| State | Principal DISCOMs | Regulator / nodal agency |
|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra | MSEDCL, Adani Electricity, Tata Power, BEST | MERC |
| Gujarat | DGVCL, MGVCL, PGVCL, UGVCL, Torrent Power | GERC / GEDA |
| Uttar Pradesh | UPPCL, PVVNL, MVVNL, PuVVNL, DVVNL, KESCO | UPERC / UPNEDA |
| Rajasthan | JVVNL, AVVNL, JdVVNL | RERC / RRECL |
| Kerala | KSEBL | KSERC / ANERT |
| Delhi | BRPL, BYPL, TPDDL, NDMC | DERC |
| Karnataka | BESCOM, MESCOM, HESCOM, GESCOM, CESC Mysuru | KERC |
| Tamil Nadu | TANGEDCO | TNERC |
| Madhya Pradesh | MPPKVVCL, MPMKVVCL, MPPaKVVCL | MPERC / MPUVNL |
| Punjab | PSPCL | PSERC / PEDA |
| Haryana | UHBVN, DHBVN | HERC / HAREDA |
| West Bengal | WBSEDCL, CESC Kolkata | WBERC / WBREDA |
| Telangana | TGSPDCL, TGNPDCL | TGERC / TGREDCO |
| Andhra Pradesh | APSPDCL, APEPDCL, APCPDCL | APERC / NREDCAP |
| Bihar | NBPDCL, SBPDCL | BERC / BREDA |
| Odisha | TPCODL, TPWODL, TPNODL, TPSODL | OERC / OREDA |
Verify before you quote
Capacity ceilings, settlement periods, application fees and feeder-penetration limits move with each commission order. Treat the table above as a routing map to the right DISCOM and regulator, then confirm the current numbers on that DISCOM's live circular before printing them in a proposal.
The application sequence, everywhere
- Register the consumer and the empanelled vendor on the National Portal (residential subsidy cases).
- File the net-metering application with the DISCOM against the consumer number on the latest bill.
- Receive technical feasibility approval — typically valid 3–6 months before it lapses.
- Install with ALMM-listed modules and a grid-compliant inverter with anti-islanding protection.
- Submit the single-line diagram, datasheets, test certificates and earthing layout for inspection.
- Bi-directional meter installation and commissioning; credits begin from the meter-change date, not the install date.
Sizing against sanctioned load
Most Indian DISCOMs cap rooftop capacity at the consumer's sanctioned load in kW, and several also cap cumulative penetration on a distribution transformer. Size from the sanctioned load printed on the bill — not the connected load, not the average consumption. Where the customer wants more capacity than the sanctioned load permits, the load enhancement application must be filed and approved first, which typically adds two to four weeks to the timeline.
What this means for your proposals
SolvSolar ships a per-state ruleset so the correct DISCOM, regulator and metering assumption is attached to the proposal at generation time, with a visible verification flag on anything that must be re-checked against a live circular. State pages for all 16 states above are published under /location/india/.