DHBVN Solar Net Metering Guide for Haryana Industry (2026)

Direct Answer: What Does DHBVN Net Metering Allow in 2026?

Under the current Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) rooftop-solar regulations, a DHBVN consumer may use net metering up to 500 kW or the consumer’s sanctioned load/contract demand, whichever is lower. A larger system may be possible under a different commercial arrangement, such as gross metering or open access, but it should not be presented as ordinary net metering without written approval.

For FY 2026-27, HERC approved an HT energy charge of ₹6.95/kVAh at 11 kV, ₹6.85/kVAh at 33 kV, and ₹6.75/kVAh at 66/132 kV, plus ₹290/kVA/month of contract demand. The order also continues Haryana’s optional off-peak tariff for incremental consumption, but HERC found the existing design ineffective and directed the DISCOMs to submit a more comprehensive Time-of-Day proposal.

Practical conclusion: build the solar financial model from the factory’s actual bill, interval load data, approved metering route, and current DHBVN circular—not from a generic “industrial tariff” or an old regulation.

Regulatory status last checked: 10 July 2026.

DHBVN Net Metering: Verified 2026 Snapshot

Is Haryana’s Net-Metering Limit 500 kW, 1 MW, or 2 MW?

The current principal regulation is HERC Regulation 54 of 2021, not the repealed 2019 regulation.

Regulation 5.3 of the 2021 framework says:

• the rooftop system cannot exceed the consumer’s sanctioned load or contract demand;
• net metering is allowed up to 500 kW or sanctioned load/contract demand, whichever is lower; and
• gross metering can be considered up to the sanctioned load/contract demand.

The 2024 first amendment changed application processing for systems up to 10 kW. The 2025 second amendment changed the settlement year and compensation for unadjusted credits. Neither amendment replaces the 500 kW net-metering cap in Regulation 5.3.

Why Do Some Older Guides Mention 2 MW and 25% Battery Storage?

HERC’s 2019 rooftop-solar regulation allowed systems up to 2 MW and required 25% battery power, with two-hour duration, for the incremental solar capacity above 1 MW and up to 2 MW. However, the HERC regulations index records that framework as repealed by Regulation 54 of 2021.

That older clause should not be treated as a current blanket mandate. If a proposed project exceeds 500 kW, obtain written confirmation from DHBVN on the permitted structure before ordering equipment or presenting a payback model.

What Are DHBVN’s FY 2026-27 Industrial Tariffs?

HERC’s final order dated 25 March 2026 kept Haryana’s retail tariff unchanged for FY 2026-27. The tariff is common to UHBVN and DHBVN.

HT Supply Tariff

The tariff schedule states that these rates do not include electricity duty, municipal or panchayat tax, and FSA/FPPAS. A project model therefore needs the complete bill, not only the headline energy charge.

What Net Metering Does—and Does Not—Offset

Exported solar units can offset eligible energy consumption under the accounting rules. They do not automatically eliminate:

• fixed or demand charges;
• electricity duty and other government levies;
• FSA/FPPAS;
• penalties or charges unrelated to energy units; or
• the cost of maintaining contract demand.

For a factory with a low load factor, fixed charges can remain material even after solar reduces imported energy. A credible solar ROI model should keep the energy and demand components separate.

How Does Haryana’s Time-of-Day Tariff Work in FY 2026-27?

HERC continued the existing ToD/ToU arrangement in the FY 2026-27 order. The historic scheme is optional, principally aimed at HT consumers, concessional for incremental consumption above a baseline, available during an off-peak/night window set by the DISCOM, and subject to a compatible meter and DISCOM approval.

The order references an off-peak concession of ₹4.25/kVAh for 11/33 kV consumers and ₹3.75/kVAh for 66 kV and above. However, the operating months, time window, baseline and enrolment conditions are implemented through DISCOM circulars. The FY 2025-26 DHBVN circular, for example, applied only from November to March and only to incremental off-peak consumption.

HERC also recorded that this incremental-consumption scheme had not been effective in flattening the load curve and directed the DISCOMs to submit a comprehensive replacement proposal within four months of the 25 March 2026 order.

What This Means for Solar and BESS Economics

Do not assume a universal Haryana “peak tariff” and multiply it by battery discharge. Before claiming ToD savings, verify:

1. the facility has enrolled in the applicable DHBVN scheme;
2. the meter records the relevant time blocks;
3. the current circular’s months and hours;
4. the baseline against which “incremental” consumption is measured; and
5. the rate visible on the actual bill.

Until those five items are verified, ToD arbitrage belongs in an upside case—not the base case.

How Are Solar Exports Accounted for and Settled?

For net-metered consumers, imported and exported energy is accounted for through the bi-directional meter.

During Each Billing Cycle

• If solar export exceeds consumption in the billing period, the excess becomes an electricity credit.
• The credit can be carried into later billing cycles within the same settlement period.
• If grid import exceeds solar export, DHBVN bills the net eligible consumption after applying available credits.
• Where ToD accounting applies, injection first offsets consumption in the same time block, subject to the detailed regulatory rules.

At the End of the Settlement Period

The 2025 second amendment changed the settlement period to 1 October through 30 September. At the end of that period:

• unadjusted net credited units are treated as electricity purchased by the DISCOM;
• compensation is at 90% of the feed-in tariff specified under the principal regulation; and
• carried-forward credits reset to zero at the beginning of the next settlement period in October.

A system should therefore be sized around self-consumption. Export compensation is not equivalent to offsetting retail electricity at ₹6.95/kVAh.

DHBVN Application Process: What the Regulation Actually Requires

Step 1: Submit the Application

Apply online through the DHBVN solar connection portal or through the route prescribed by the DISCOM. A complete application must include the ₹1,000 non-refundable processing fee.

Companies, partnerships, trusts, societies and committees must also provide an authorization certificate for the signatory.

Step 2: Receive the Acknowledgement

The applicant receives an acknowledgement and unique registration number by email or SMS. The statutory processing clock starts from acknowledgement of a complete application.

Step 3: Technical Feasibility

DHBVN must undertake the technical-feasibility study within 15 days. The review includes proposed solar capacity versus sanctioned load/contract demand, available transformer hosting capacity, metering and protection requirements, point of interconnection, and applicable safety approvals.

The 2021 regulation limits cumulative rooftop capacity to 50% of rated capacity at a distribution transformer for low-tension interconnection and 30% at a power transformer for high-tension interconnection, unless HERC revises the limit.

Step 4: Letter of Approval

If technically feasible, the DISCOM should issue the Letter of Approval within 22 days of acknowledgement. If deficiencies are found, the applicant must be notified and given time to cure them.

The 2024 first amendment provides deemed acceptance from the technical-feasibility perspective for complete applications up to 10 kW, subject to its stated conditions. This small-system shortcut is generally not relevant to an industrial plant.

Step 5: Install Within 180 Days

The applicant has up to 180 days from the Letter of Approval to install the system, unless DHBVN grants an extension. The applicant may finish earlier and move to inspection and synchronisation.

Step 6: Sign the Metering Agreement

The applicant should submit the signed net- or gross-metering agreement within 30 days of the Letter of Approval. The regulation gives the DISCOM three days to sign a complete agreement.

Step 7: Arrange the Meter

The consumer may procure the meter through the DISCOM after paying the applicable fee, or procure an approved meter from an empanelled vendor and submit it for testing.

Systems of 20 kW and above require AMR-capable metering. Systems of 50 kW and above require communication/data telemetry, and a check meter is mandatory above 50 kWp. Metering and telemetry costs are borne by the consumer.

Step 8: Safety Inspection and Synchronisation

For systems above 20 kWp, the work-completion report goes to the Directorate of Electrical Safety or the authorized person under the Chief Electrical Inspector framework, as applicable. After verification, DHBVN installs and seals the meters, synchronizes the plant, and issues the commissioning record.

Documents an Industrial Applicant Should Prepare

DHBVN’s portal may prescribe the final upload list. For an industrial project, prepare at least:

• latest electricity bill and consumer account details;
• sanctioned-load and contract-demand records;
• company incorporation, GST and authorized-signatory documents;
• roof ownership papers or lease plus owner’s consent;
• structural-stability certificate;
• single-line diagram showing protection, earthing and metering;
• module and inverter datasheets and applicable approvals;
• electrical-contractor licence;
• layout, string plan and interconnection details;
• proposed generation and self-consumption estimate; and
• metering/telemetry specification.

Do not order long-lead equipment before the capacity and interconnection route are confirmed in writing.

Common Financial-Model Errors

Treating 1 MW as Automatically Net-Metered

A 1 MW rooftop system may be technically attractive, but the current net-metering text says 500 kW. Model the excess capacity only after DHBVN confirms the commercial route.

Valuing Every Solar Unit at One Headline Tariff

The bill is in kVAh and includes fixed charges and levies. Solar may reduce energy import without reducing the full billed amount in the same proportion.

Using Export Compensation as Retail Savings

A self-consumed unit avoids the eligible retail energy cost. A surplus unit remaining at settlement is compensated at 90% of the feed-in tariff, which is a different and typically lower value.

Assuming a Universal ToD Spread

Haryana’s current concession is conditional and incremental. Use the facility’s actual circular, enrolment status, meter and bill.

Quoting a Mandatory 25% BESS for Every 1–2 MW Project

That clause appeared in the repealed 2019 regulation. The current 2021 principal regulation and its two amendments do not recreate a blanket mandate. Obtain written clarification for larger systems.

When Should a Haryana Factory Still Consider BESS?

Even without a blanket rooftop mandate, battery storage can be valuable when the site has a measurable problem that the battery can solve: expensive production loss from short outages, frequent diesel-generator operation, sharp contract-demand peaks, poor power quality, low-value solar surplus, or a verified ToD spread under the current DHBVN scheme.

BESS should be sized from 15-minute—or finer—load data, not as a fixed percentage of solar capacity. Compare the full lifecycle cost, including round-trip losses, degradation, augmentation, O&M, fire-safety systems and financing. For a broader technology comparison, see diesel generator vs BESS for industrial backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DHBVN net-metering limit for an industrial consumer in 2026?

The current HERC Regulation 54 of 2021 allows net metering up to 500 kW or the consumer’s sanctioned load/contract demand, whichever is lower. A proposal above 500 kW needs a separately confirmed arrangement.

Is 25% battery storage mandatory for a 1–2 MW rooftop system in Haryana?

Not as a blanket requirement under the current 2021 principal regulation and its 2024 and 2025 amendments. The 25%/two-hour clause appeared in the repealed 2019 regulation. Ask DHBVN for written clarification for any project above the current net-metering cap.

What is DHBVN’s HT industrial tariff in FY 2026-27?

At 11 kV, the approved energy charge is ₹6.95/kVAh and the fixed charge is ₹290/kVA/month of contract demand. The energy charge falls at higher supply voltages. Taxes, duties and FSA/FPPAS may apply separately.

Does net metering eliminate demand charges?

No. HERC’s rooftop regulations say fixed and demand charges continue to apply. Net-metered credits offset eligible energy consumption, not every component of the bill.

When does Haryana settle unused solar credits?

The settlement period runs from 1 October to 30 September. At the end of the period, unadjusted credited units are purchased by the DISCOM at 90% of the applicable feed-in tariff, and the carried-forward balance resets in October.

How long should DHBVN take to approve a complete application?

The regulations provide 15 days for technical feasibility and 22 days from acknowledgement for the Letter of Approval if the proposal is feasible. Installation, safety inspection, metering and commissioning occur afterward and add to the total project timeline.

Is Haryana’s off-peak tariff available to every factory automatically?

No. The scheme is optional and subject to DISCOM conditions, metering, enrolment and baseline rules. Confirm the current DHBVN circular and actual bill before including off-peak savings.

Should a factory maximize exports under net metering?

Usually not. The strongest value comes from direct self-consumption because it avoids the eligible retail energy charge. Residual credits at settlement are compensated at 90% of the feed-in tariff, not at the retail tariff.

What data is needed before Sun Wave can model a project?

At minimum: 12 months of bills, sanctioned load, contract demand, 15-minute interval load data, operating shifts, roof drawings, outage and DG logs, and any existing solar-generation data. These inputs determine system size, metering route and whether storage adds value.

Primary Sources

• HERC Rooftop Solar Grid Interactive Systems Regulations, 2021 — DHBVN Sales Circular D-33/2021
• HERC Rooftop Solar Regulations, 2021 — First Amendment, 2024
• HERC Rooftop Solar Regulations, 2021 — Second Amendment, 2025
• HERC final tariff order for FY 2026-27 — UHBVN copy, 25 March 2026
• UHBVN Sales Circular U-03/2026 — Schedule of Tariff for FY 2026-27
• DHBVN Solar Connection Portal

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This guide is informational and reflects the regulations and tariff documents available on 10 July 2026. Obtain project-specific confirmation from DHBVN and your tax, electrical-safety and legal advisers before procurement.