Your Odisha factory pays ₹9-12/kWh for grid power. Open access solar can cut that by 30-40%.
But the charges matter. CSS. Wheeling. Transmission. Banking. Get them wrong, your savings disappear.
How open access works in Odisha
The flow:
- Solar plant injects power into GRIDCO's grid
- Your facility draws from the grid at your end
- GRIDCO (or DISCOM) handles wheeling — moving power from plant to you
- You pay: solar tariff + wheeling + transmission + cross-subsidy surcharge (unless exempt)
Not captive. You don't own the plant. You buy power from a generator via open access. Third-party sale.
The charges that determine your cost
1. Cross-Subsidy Surcharge (CSS)
Industrial consumers subsidize agriculture and residential. When you buy cheaper open access power, you bypass the subsidy pool. OERC charges you anyway.
Odisha CSS (HT industrial): ₹1.10-2.50/kWh depending on DISCOM and consumer category.
Exemptions under Odisha Renewable Energy Policy 2022:
- 50% CSS exemption — renewable power from state-commissioned projects (15-year period)
- Zero CSS — power from GRIDCO as demand aggregator (specific structure)
- Check OERC notifications for your DISCOM and category.
2. Wheeling Charges
Cost to move power through distribution network. Varies by DISCOM.
Odisha: ₹0.02-1.20/kWh depending on DISCOM (TPCODL, TPNODL, TPWODL, TPSODL have different rates).
Exemption: 25% wheeling exemption for captive/open access renewable consumers under OREP-2022.
3. Transmission Charges
GRIDCO/SLDC charges for use of transmission network.
Typical: ₹255/MWh (~₹0.25/kWh) plus normative losses (3% transmission, 8% HT wheeling).
4. Banking
Inject solar during day, withdraw at night. Odisha allows banking with monthly settlement. Typically 90-95% utilization — you lose 5-10% to banking losses.
Without BESS: You bank daytime solar, draw at night. Banking losses apply. Seasonal variation hurts.
With plant-side BESS: Solar charges battery by day, battery dispatches in evening. Less banking. Better economics. GRIDCO compliance built in.
Landed cost — how to stack it (Odisha)
What “landed” means here: ₹/kWh at your industrial HT draw, after you add pass-through charges and (where your contract says so) loss and banking effects. Your PPA may quote a solar tariff alone; landed cost is what finance should compare to grid.
1. Add variable pass-throughs per kWh drawn
Landed energy charge ≈ solar tariff (as billed) + transmission usage charge + wheeling (after any OREP exemption) + CSS (after any exemption).
Use approved DISCOM/OERC schedules, not blog ranges, for actual filings.
2. Loss allocation
Normative transmission + HT wheeling losses are often quoted around ~10–11% end-to-end (illustrative). Whether that hits you as fewer units credited, a multiplier on the solar component, or a separate loss adjustment depends on your PPA and open-access billing. Before comparing to grid, clarify: who bears injection-to-draw losses?
If your side bears something close to 11% on the energy volume, the solar leg scales roughly like ÷ (1 − 0.11) — i.e. about 1.12× on that leg — unless losses are already folded into the tariff.
3. Banking uplift (if night draw relies on banking)
If part of your consumption is met from banked daytime solar, apply your banking settlement loss (often discussed around 5–10%) to that slice only — not necessarily to full flat demand.
Illustrative scenarios (not tariffs — verify with your DISCOM/OERC orders)
Assume indicative daytime solar ₹5.25/kWh at the generator side, transmission usage ~₹0.25/kWh, and ~11% loss burden on the solar leg charged to you (so solar-equivalent at draw ≈ 5.25 ÷ 0.89 ≈ ₹5.90/kWh before wheeling/CSS).
Scenario A — lower regulatory stack: wheeling ₹0.15/kWh after exemption; CSS ₹0.60/kWh (e.g. after partial exemption or lower notified rate). Rough landed ≈ 5.90 + 0.25 + 0.15 + 0.60 ≈ ₹6.90/kWh.
Scenario B — higher regulatory stack: wheeling ₹0.90/kWh; CSS ₹2.20/kWh (full applicable HT surcharge before exemptions). Rough landed ≈ 5.90 + 0.25 + 0.90 + 2.20 ≈ ₹9.25/kWh.
Same solar strip can land far apart depending on DISCOM path and CSS treatment — which is why site-specific modeling beats a single “open access price.”
Open access vs captive in Odisha
Open Access:
- Third-party generator sells you power
- You pay CSS + wheeling + transmission
- No ownership
- Faster to sign — no equity structure
Captive:
- You own 26%+ of the plant (or group company)
- No CSS charges
- Still pay wheeling + transmission
- CSS savings: ₹1.10-2.50/kWh
When captive wins: High consumption, long-term commitment. CSS savings alone can be ₹15-25 crore annually for 50 MW load.
When open access wins: Want zero capex, faster offtake, no ownership complexity. Accept CSS. Still save vs grid.
Khurda Energy Park — Open Access in practice
48 MW solar in Khurda — BESS-ready. Full plant — OPTCL approved. Offtake open Q2 2027. 5+ MW minimum.
We inject into GRIDCO. You draw at your facility. We quote all-in — solar tariff includes our view of applicable wheeling/transmission. You get one number to compare to grid.
OREP-2022 compliant. State-commissioned project. CSS exemptions may apply — confirm with your DISCOM.
Plant-side BESS optional. Ask if you need evening delivery, less banking dependency, or firmer supply than daytime solar alone.
What your CFO needs to verify
Before signing any open access PPA:
- Your DISCOM — TPCODL, TPNODL, TPWODL, TPSODL? Rates differ.
- CSS applicability — Are you eligible for 50% or 100% exemption under OREP-2022?
- Wheeling exemption — 25% for renewable. Confirm your category.
- Banking rules — Monthly settlement. Loss factor. Don't assume 100% utilization.
- Transmission path — Injection point to your draw point. Losses add up.
Get it in writing. DISCOM approval. OERC order reference. Don't rely on verbal assurances.
The Odisha advantage
Policy support: OREP-2022. CSS exemptions. Wheeling exemptions. Single-window clearances.
Infrastructure: 400 kV corridors. GRIDCO evacuation. Industrial clusters served.
Solar resource: 1,800+ kWh/kWp. Best in Eastern India.
Industrial demand: Steel, aluminum, chemicals, data centers. GW-scale expansion through 2030.
Open access solar in Odisha works. But the charges matter. Structure matters. BESS matters.
Request a cost comparison—we'll model your facility, DISCOM, and applicable charges. Solar tariff + wheeling + transmission + CSS (or exemptions). Versus grid. Versus captive. Actual numbers.