Your solar plant generates power. Your customer's facility is 50 km away. GRIDCO moves it.
Understanding the flow — and the charges — determines whether your open access solar economics work.
The GRIDCO flow
Step 1: Injection
- Solar plant connects to GRIDCO's transmission network (typically 33 kV or 132 kV)
- Power injects at your interconnection point
- SLDC (State Load Despatch Centre) meters injection
- Real-time monitoring. Ramp rate limits. Frequency compliance.
Step 2: Wheeling
- GRIDCO (or DISCOM, depending on draw location) wheels power through the network
- From injection point to your customer's draw point
- Transmission losses apply. Wheeling losses apply.
- You don't move electrons physically — you use the grid as a carrier.
Step 3: Draw
- Customer's facility draws from grid at their end
- Their DISCOM meters consumption
- They pay: solar tariff (to you) + wheeling + transmission + CSS (unless exempt)
You inject. GRIDCO moves it. Customer draws. You get paid for units generated.
The charges that add up
1. Transmission Charges (GRIDCO/SLDC)
Use of the transmission network. Typically ₹255/MWh (~₹0.25/kWh) for open access. Normative losses: 3% transmission, 8% HT wheeling. You lose 10-11% to losses before power reaches the customer.
2. Wheeling Charges (DISCOM)
Cost to move power through distribution. Varies by DISCOM:
- TPCODL, TPNODL, TPWODL, TPSODL — each has different rates
- Range: ₹0.02-1.20/kWh depending on voltage and DISCOM
- 25% exemption for renewable under OREP-2022
3. Cross-Subsidy Surcharge (CSS)
Industrial consumers subsidize agriculture/residential. Open access bypasses the pool. OERC charges CSS. ₹1.10-2.50/kWh for HT industrial.
Exemptions: 50% for state-commissioned renewable projects. Zero for GRIDCO demand aggregator structure. Verify with DISCOM.
4. Losses
Normative losses apply. 3% transmission. 8% HT wheeling. You inject 100 units, customer gets ~89. Net effect: your effective tariff needs to account for losses or you deliver fewer units than generated.
Why BESS changes the equation
Without plant-side BESS:
- Solar generates 6 AM - 6 PM
- You bank daytime units, customer draws at night
- Banking losses: 5-10% (monthly settlement)
- GRIDCO curtailment during oversupply — you lose those units permanently
- Ramp rate violations if generation spikes too fast
With plant-side BESS:
- Solar charges battery during day
- Battery dispatches in evening — extends delivery hours
- Less banking dependency — self-consume through battery
- Curtailment avoided — store excess, dispatch later
- GRIDCO compliance built in: Ramp rate control, frequency regulation, smooth injection
- CERC/SERC grid codes require this. Without it, plant can't inject.
BESS isn't optional for reliable open access delivery. It's how you meet GRIDCO injection requirements and protect your economics.
Approval process — what to expect
Pre-requisites:
- Land secured
- Interconnection point identified
- Evacuation capacity confirmed with GRIDCO/DISCOM
- PPA or captive structure finalized
GRIDCO/SLDC:
- Application for open access
- Technical feasibility (evacuation capacity, stability)
- Agreement execution
- Metering and communication setup
Typical timeline: 3-6 months from application to approval, depending on evacuation readiness and documentation. Khurda Energy Park — interconnection approved. We've done the process.
Khurda Energy Park — GRIDCO in practice
48 MW solar + BESS. Khurda. Grid interconnection approved.
We inject into GRIDCO. Customers draw at their facilities. We quote all-in — solar tariff includes our view of applicable wheeling/transmission. One number. No surprise charges.
Plant-side BESS standard. Evening delivery. Curtailment avoidance. GRIDCO compliance. OREP-2022 eligible for CSS exemptions.
5 MW available Q3 2026.
What your CFO needs to verify
Before signing open access PPA:
- Injection point and draw point — transmission path, losses
- Your customer's DISCOM — wheeling rates vary
- CSS applicability — 50% or 100% exemption?
- Banking rules — monthly settlement, loss factor
- BESS in design — if not, economics and compliance at risk
Get evacuation approval in writing. Don't assume capacity. GRIDCO and DISCOM confirm.
Request a cost model—we'll show injection to draw economics, applicable charges, and BESS impact on delivered cost.