Haryana Open Access Solar Charges FY 2026-27: Wheeling, CSS

Direct answer: For FY 2026-27, a Haryana HT industrial consumer buying third-party open access solar should budget roughly ₹0.73/unit wheeling + ₹1.45/unit cross-subsidy surcharge (CSS) + ₹0.45/unit additional network cost + the ₹1.37/unit additional surcharge — about ₹4.00/unit in regulated charges alone before energy, transmission, losses and banking. Stacked on a typical ex-bus solar price, that lands third-party open access power near ₹6.8–7.6/unit, which barely beats or loses to the grid industrial tariff. Captive and group-captive solar deals are exempt from CSS and the additional surcharge, which is why almost every viable open access solar deal in Haryana in 2026 is structured as group captive.

Key Takeaways

• Haryana's FY 2026-27 tariff order left retail industrial tariffs broadly unchanged, but open access economics are decided by four stacked charges: wheeling ₹0.73/unit, CSS ₹1.45/unit, additional network cost ₹0.45/unit and additional surcharge ₹1.37/unit.
• The additional surcharge of ₹1.37/unit (up 13% from ₹1.21) applies from 30 April 2026 to open-access consumers in UHBVN and DHBVN areas buying from sources other than the DISCOM. Captive self-consumption is exempt.
• Green Energy Open Access in Haryana requires a contract demand or sanctioned load of at least 100 kW (HERC Green Energy Open Access Regulations, 2023).
• Banking is weak in Haryana: 8% of banked energy is deducted in kind, banked energy must be used within the same billing month, banking is capped at 30% of monthly DISCOM consumption, and drawal during peak-load hours is not permitted. Treat banking as spill management, not storage.
• There is no blanket CSS waiver for green open access in Haryana. The narrow exemptions are for waste-to-energy and for green energy used to make green hydrogen or ammonia.
• Because third-party open access carries the full ~₹4.00/unit charge stack while captive structures avoid CSS and the additional surcharge, group captive is the default deal structure for Haryana C&I buyers. Verify every number against the signed HERC order before quoting.

What are the Haryana open access charges for FY 2026-27?

The table below is a planning summary of the charges a Haryana HT industrial consumer should expect on a third-party interstate or intrastate solar open access transaction in FY 2026-27. These are regulated inputs, not a final invoice — always confirm the operative schedule in the signed HERC tariff order and any later surcharge order for the consumer's exact category and voltage.

Two cautions. First, the additional surcharge is revised periodically (it was raised from ₹1.21 to ₹1.37/unit for H2 FY2025-26) and must be re-checked for the current period. Second, the figures above exclude transmission charges and losses, SLDC/scheduling fees, deviation settlement, electricity duty and the energy price itself.

How do you calculate the landed cost of open access solar in Haryana?

A defensible landed cost adds every charge and physical loss to the energy price, then compares the result with the marginal avoidable grid tariff — not the average bill.

Landed cost = generation price (grossed up for losses) + transmission + wheeling + CSS + additional network cost + additional surcharge + banking/deviation + duty + transaction costs.

Illustration only — assume an ex-bus solar price of ₹3.20/unit and ignore transmission, losses, SLDC, duty and banking. The subtotal below is deliberately incomplete and is shown to demonstrate the structure, not to quote a rate.

The ~₹2.80/unit gap between the two rows is the entire business case for structuring Haryana open access deals as captive. For a factory on an effective grid tariff of roughly ₹7.5–8.5/unit, third-party open access offers little to no saving, while a compliant group-captive deal can cut the avoided energy cost by a third or more. The open access solar guide explains the full charge stack, and the solar savings calculator methodology helps set the baseline assumptions.

Why are most Haryana open access solar deals structured as group captive?

Section 42 of the Electricity Act, 2003 provides that cross-subsidy surcharge is not leviable when open access carries electricity from a captive generating plant for its own use, and Haryana's additional surcharge is likewise not applied to captive self-consumption. Because CSS (₹1.45) and the additional surcharge (₹1.37) together make up ₹2.82 of the ~₹4.00 third-party stack, avoiding them is decisive.

Captive status is a legal test, not a label. Under the Electricity Rules, a group-captive project must satisfy the 26% equity ownership and 51% annual consumption tests, and those tests must be maintained every year. If a project fails them, authorities can reassess surcharge exposure retrospectively. Equity documentation, user allocation, consumption forecasting, governance and annual evidence belong in cost diligence — read the group captive solar guide before treating an "exempt" quote as bankable. For a buyer choosing the ownership model, the CAPEX vs OPEX vs open access comparison frames the trade-offs.

How does banking work for open access solar in Haryana?

Banking is where many Haryana open access proposals quietly break. Under the HERC Green Energy Open Access framework, banking is permitted only under an agreement with the distribution licensee, and it is far weaker than buyers assume:

• Banking charge: 8% of the banked energy is deducted in kind.
• Settlement window: banked energy must be settled and used within the same billing month. It cannot be carried into the next cycle; unused energy lapses.
• Cap: banked energy is capped at 30% of the consumer's monthly consumption from the DISCOM.
• Peak restriction: drawal of banked energy during peak-load hours is not permitted.

The practical consequence is that Haryana banking is a spill-management tool for a day-ahead mismatch, not a storage mechanism. Solar that is generated but not self-consumed within the month loses 8% and then lapses. Size the plant and the contract to the factory's daytime, same-month load rather than relying on banking to absorb surplus.

Who is eligible for green energy open access in Haryana?

Green Energy Open Access is available to a consumer with a contract demand or sanctioned load of at least 100 kW. The framework also covers a consumer on an independent feeder emanating from a grid sub-station, a group of two or more consumers each with 100 kW and above connected at 11 kV or above through an independent feeder, and 100 kW+ consumers not on independent feeders who accept the DISCOM's system constraints and power-cut restrictions. The Green Energy Open Access Rules guide covers the national framework these state regulations implement.

How do Haryana's charges compare with other states?

Haryana sits at the expensive end of the open access spectrum for third-party buyers because CSS and the additional surcharge are both significant and banking is restrictive. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh each run different wheeling, CSS and banking combinations, so a multi-state industrial group should not assume one open access structure fits all sites. See the state-by-state open access cost comparison for a side-by-side view, and our Haryana additional-surcharge update for the ₹1.37/unit order in detail.

How should a Haryana factory structure an open access solar deal?

The sequence that avoids the common failures:

1. Confirm eligibility and load. Verify the site meets the 100 kW threshold and pull 12 months of interval or billing data to establish the daytime load profile and the marginal avoidable tariff.
2. Choose the structure first. Given the charge stack, default to group captive unless there is a specific reason a third-party PPA still clears the hurdle. Model both before signing.
3. Fix the delivery point. State whether the quote is at the generator bus, state periphery or consumer meter, and who bears losses, scheduling fees, banking deductions and future charge changes.
4. Size to same-month load. Because banking lapses monthly and peak drawal is barred, size the plant to daytime, in-month consumption rather than annual energy.
5. Verify the current order. Download the signed HERC tariff order and the latest surcharge order, confirm wheeling, CSS, additional network cost and additional surcharge for the exact category and voltage, and get a written computation tied to the connection number.
6. Stress-test. Model a case where captive qualification fails or banking is unavailable, and compare savings after retained fixed charges and taxes. The solar IRR calculation methodology gives a consistent evaluation structure.

Sun Wave designs and delivers rooftop and open access solar for industrial buyers across Haryana — including Gurugram, Manesar-Bawal and Faridabad. If you want a landed-cost model for your connection, see our guides to industrial solar in Gurugram, solar installation in Faridabad and DHBVN net metering, or speak to our team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cross-subsidy surcharge for open access in Haryana in FY 2026-27?

The reported CSS for Haryana HT industrial open access in FY 2026-27 is ₹1.45/unit. Confirm the operative figure in the signed HERC tariff order for your category and voltage before applying it, and note that qualifying captive transactions are exempt.

Is there an additional surcharge on open access in Haryana?

Yes. HERC set the additional surcharge at ₹1.37/unit for H2 FY2025-26, effective 30 April 2026, for open-access consumers in UHBVN and DHBVN areas buying from sources other than the DISCOM. Captive self-consumption is exempt. The rate is revised periodically, so re-check the latest order.

Are captive and group-captive solar deals exempt from CSS in Haryana?

Yes. A qualifying captive generating plant supplying its own users is not liable for cross-subsidy surcharge, and captive self-consumption is exempt from the additional surcharge. The project must genuinely satisfy the 26% equity and 51% consumption tests every year to keep that treatment.

How much can you bank solar power in Haryana, and at what cost?

Banking carries an 8% in-kind charge, is capped at 30% of monthly DISCOM consumption, must be settled within the same billing month, and cannot be drawn during peak-load hours. Unused banked energy lapses at month-end, so banking is a spill tool, not storage.

What is the minimum load for green energy open access in Haryana?

A consumer needs a contract demand or sanctioned load of at least 100 kW. Certain independent-feeder and grouped-consumer arrangements at 11 kV and above also qualify under the HERC Green Energy Open Access Regulations, 2023.

Is third-party open access solar worth it in Haryana in 2026?

Usually not on its own. With wheeling, CSS, additional network cost and additional surcharge adding up to roughly ₹4.00/unit, third-party open access solar often lands close to the grid industrial tariff. Group-captive structures, which avoid CSS and the additional surcharge, are where most of the value sits.

Sources

• HERC — regulations index
• HERC — wheeling charges (distribution system)
• HERC — cross-subsidy and additional surcharge
• Mercom — Haryana hikes additional surcharge for open access consumers for 2H FY2026
• CER IIT Kanpur — Green Energy Open Access eligibility (100 kW)
• Electricity Act, 2003 on India Code