SECI Tranche VIII Rooftop Solar Results 2026: 5.6 MW Across 8 States at Rs 2.97–3.97/kWh

Key Takeaways

• Agency: Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)
• Auction: Tranche VIII — Government Buildings Rooftop Solar
• Total capacity: 5,665 kW (5.6 MW) across 14 government buildings
• States covered: Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh
• Results announced: April 25–27, 2026
• L1 (lowest) tariff: Rs 2.97 per kWh
• Tariff range: Rs 2.97 to Rs 3.97 per kWh
• Model: RESCO — developer-owned, 25-year supply agreement
• Completion timeline: 7 months from PPA effective date
• Notable institutions: NIFT (Hyderabad, Delhi, Bhopal), NIT Jamshedpur, IISER (Thiruvananthapuram, Pune), MEA New Delhi, Textile Committee Mumbai, Kurukshetra Panorama

What Is This Auction?

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) announced the winners of its Tranche VIII rooftop solar auction in late April 2026, awarding 5,665 kW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems across 14 government buildings spread across 8 states and Union Territories.

Tranche VIII is the latest instalment of SECI's ongoing Government Buildings Rooftop Solar RESCO Programme — a structured initiative that empanels private solar developers to install, own, and operate rooftop solar systems on eligible government-owned buildings, with no capital expenditure from the government. Developers recover their investment through a 25-year power supply agreement at bid-discovered tariffs.

What makes Tranche VIII notable is its multi-state, multi-ministry scope — covering institutions under the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Education (NIFT, NIT, IISER), and Haryana state government, all within a single tender. This reflects SECI's role as a central nodal agency that can aggregate rooftop solar demand from diverse government entities and procure efficiently at scale.

Buildings and Locations

The 14 government buildings span 8 states and cover a diverse range of government institutions:

The geographic spread — from Hyderabad (Telangana) and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) in the south to Delhi, Kurukshetra (Haryana), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) in the north and central belt — demonstrates the truly pan-India nature of SECI's government buildings programme.

For Sun Wave Technologies, the inclusion of Haryana (Kurukshetra) and Delhi locations is particularly relevant. As an industrial solar EPC company based in Faridabad, Delhi-NCR, Sun Wave serves clients across the Delhi-Haryana-western UP corridor — the same geography where some of these Tranche VIII installations are located.

Auction Winners and Tariffs

Seven developers won allocations across the 14 buildings, with tariffs varying by building and location:

GH2 Solar was the largest winner by capacity, securing 2,500 kW (2.5 MW) across three allocations at tariffs of Rs 3.00–3.13/kWh. GH2 Solar has established itself as a consistent winner across SECI's government buildings programme.

Mateshwari Bus Operations achieved the lowest tariff of Rs 2.97/kWh — the L1 price for the entire Tranche VIII auction — winning 1,115 kW across three allocations. The Rs 2.97/kWh tariff is notably competitive for rooftop solar RESCO in India's 2026 market, reflecting the company's efficient project execution model.

The complete tariff schedule (exact allocations for Solaris, GP Eco, Alcon, and Kaho Solar) would be available in SECI's official auction result documentation.

The Rs 2.97/kWh L1 Tariff: A Market Milestone

The Rs 2.97/kWh L1 tariff in Tranche VIII is a market milestone for SECI's government buildings rooftop programme. For context:

The Rs 2.97/kWh tariff is:

• Below Rs 3/kWh for the first time in SECI's rooftop solar programme for government buildings
• Competitive with C&I tariff-based solar that large commercial consumers pay for self-owned systems
• 32% lower than the Rs 4.11/kWh discovered just one month earlier in Puducherry's Tranche V auction

The dramatic difference between Puducherry (Rs 4.11/kWh) and the best Tranche VIII tariff (Rs 2.97/kWh) reflects several factors:

• Scale: Tranche VIII aggregated 14 buildings across 8 states into a single competitive auction, enabling more efficient pricing than a single-UT tender
• Competition: Seven developers competed for Tranche VIII vs two for Tranche V — more competition drives lower tariffs
• Location mix: Buildings in Delhi, Haryana, and Maharashtra have different solar irradiance, logistics, and grid cost profiles than Puducherry

Project Execution Timeline

Completion requirement: All 14 rooftop installations must be commissioned within 7 months from the effective date of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

For a geographically dispersed project covering 8 states simultaneously, 7 months is an ambitious timeline that requires:

• Pre-mobilisation of equipment procurement before PPA signing
• Parallel site surveys and structural assessments at all 14 buildings
• Coordinated municipal and DISCOM net metering approvals across 8 jurisdictions
• Parallel installation teams deployed across multiple states

This execution complexity is why larger, more established RESCO developers (like GH2 Solar) with nationwide operations are better positioned to win multi-state tenders — they have existing field teams, supply chain relationships, and regulatory approval experience across multiple states.

What This Means for Government Institutions and EPC Buyers

For government institutions: The SECI RESCO programme provides a direct pathway to zero-capital solar adoption. Institutions like NIFT, NIT, IISER, and MEA can access solar power at Rs 2.97–3.97/kWh without any upfront investment, reducing their electricity bills for 25 years. SECI manages the entire procurement process — eligible institutions simply need to register their interest with SECI and make their rooftop available.

For EPC companies and RESCO developers: Multi-state government building tenders like Tranche VIII are increasingly competitive. The sub-Rs 3/kWh tariff environment requires:

• Efficient module procurement (likely ALMM-compliant TOPCon or bifacial PERC at competitive prices)
• Lean O&M models (centralized monitoring with minimal site visits)
• Economies of scale across multiple co-located or nearby buildings
• Access to competitive project financing at sub-10% interest rates

Companies interested in future SECI tranches should pre-qualify with SECI and monitor the SECI tender portal for upcoming Tranche IX, X, and subsequent government building rooftop auctions.

For industrial and commercial solar buyers, the Rs 2.97/kWh government building RESCO tariff is a useful reference for understanding what competitive RESCO rates look like in 2026. Private commercial and industrial RESCO contracts are negotiated bilaterally but typically fall in a range that reflects these publicly discovered benchmarks.

For industrial solar buyers in Delhi, Haryana, and adjacent states — the region where Sun Wave Technologies operates — the Tranche VIII tariff confirms that rooftop solar RESCO options below Rs 3.50/kWh are achievable for large commercial installations. For captive-owned systems, the economics are even better. See our guides on commercial and industrial solar options in India and the RESCO vs CAPEX solar model comparison.

About SECI's Rooftop Solar Programme

SECI's Government Buildings Rooftop Solar RESCO Programme has been India's largest centrally-coordinated government rooftop solar initiative since 2019. By procuring rooftop solar through competitive auctions across multiple government departments and institutions simultaneously, SECI achieves:

• Price efficiency through aggregated competition
• Standardisation of RESCO contract terms and performance standards
• Scale that attracts established RESCO developers who might not pursue individual government buildings
• Speed — SECI's centralised procurement is faster than each government department running its own tender

The programme complements PM Surya Ghar Yojana (which targets residential rooftop solar) and state DISCOM rooftop schemes — together forming India's comprehensive distributed solar adoption framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SECI Government Buildings Rooftop RESCO Programme?

This is SECI's initiative to install rooftop solar on government-owned buildings across India using the RESCO model — where private developers finance, build, and operate the systems, and government institutions pay only for the electricity generated at bid-discovered tariffs. Multiple "Tranches" have been auctioned since 2019, each covering different states or institution types.

What was the lowest tariff discovered in Tranche VIII?

Rs 2.97 per kWh — bid by Mateshwari Bus Operations for a 280 kW installation. This is the first time SECI's government buildings rooftop programme has discovered a sub-Rs 3/kWh tariff, reflecting both falling solar costs and increasing competition among RESCO developers.

Which states and institutions are covered in Tranche VIII?

Tranche VIII covers 14 government buildings in 8 states: Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. Notable institutions include NIFT (Hyderabad, Delhi, Bhopal), NIT Jamshedpur, IISER (Thiruvananthapuram, Pune), Ministry of External Affairs (New Delhi), Textile Committee (Mumbai), and Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre (Haryana).

How can government institutions apply for SECI rooftop solar?

Government institutions interested in participating in future SECI tranche tenders can register with SECI through its official portal (seci.co.in). SECI aggregates demand from interested buildings and designs each Tranche based on available rooftop space, load profiles, and geographic distribution.

How long does it take to complete the installation?

Under Tranche VIII terms, all 14 installations must be commissioned within 7 months of the PPA effective date. SECI monitors milestone completion and can impose penalties for delays.

Sources

• SECI Awards 5.6 MW Rooftop Solar Projects Across 14 Government Buildings Under RESCO Model — SolarQuarter (April 25, 2026)
• SECI Announces Results of 5.6 MW Rooftop Solar Auction; L1 Tariff Reaches Rs 2.97 per kWh — Renewable Watch (April 27, 2026)
• SECI Announces Winners of 5.6 MW Rooftop Solar Auction — Mercom India
• Potaliya Petrochemicals, Kishan Infrastructure Win SECI's 17.77 MW Rooftop Solar Auction — Mercom India