The economics of commercial and industrial solar projects are being shaped by energy banking regulations that eliminate consumers’ flexibility to use banked energy across broader time blocks.

In response, developers are altering their project designs to focus on real-time consumption, stronger behind-the-meter utilization, and more accurate load matching, rather than maximizing generation capacity. This shift has affected savings, internal rates of return, and payback periods for projects with high export dependency, while rooftop solar remains attractive for consumers with strong daytime demand.

In an interview with Mercom India, Dipankar Pal, Founder and Managing Director at Roofsol Energy, discussed how the revised banking framework, storage requirements, grid-related charges, and policy uncertainty are influencing C&I solar adoption.

How have Maharashtra’s revised banking rules changed the economics of C&I solar projects, particularly customer savings, project returns, and payback periods?

Maharashtra’s revised banking regulations have significantly altered the economics of C&I solar projects, particularly for consumers who were earlier dependent on exporting excess solar generation and utilizing banked energy across broader time blocks. As a result, payback periods for some projects have marginally increased, especially for installations designed with higher export dependency. However, for industries with strong daytime, continuous consumption profiles, rooftop solar remains economically attractive due to rising grid tariffs and long-term energy cost advantages.

With banked solar energy now usable only within the same or lower tariff time block, are developers redesigning projects around real-time consumption instead of maximizing generation?

Yes, absolutely. The revised banking structure is encouraging developers to prioritize real-time energy consumption rather than simply maximizing solar generation capacity. Earlier, many projects were designed to generate surplus energy that could be flexibly banked for later use.

Now, system sizing is becoming increasingly load-profile-driven. Developers are increasingly analyzing hourly consumption patterns, operational schedules, and seasonal demand fluctuations before finalizing project capacities.

Are developers in Maharashtra reducing project sizes, avoiding export-heavy designs, increasing behind-the-meter consumption, or changing power purchase agreements (PPAs) to limit unused power?

Developers are becoming more cautious about oversizing projects in areas with high export dependence. Instead, there is a clear shift toward optimized project capacities aligned closely with actual daytime consumption.

We are also seeing increased emphasis on behind-the-meter utilization strategies, operational load management, and flexible PPA structuring. In operational expenditure (OPEX) projects, particularly PPAs, attention is now being paid to consumption predictability and generation utilization to ensure long-term commercial sustainability for both developers and customers.

For new renewable projects above 100 kW, how are storage requirements changing tariffs, capital costs, and customer willingness to sign long-term PPAs?

 The integration of storage is undoubtedly increasing initial project capital costs and influencing tariff structures, especially for projects above 100 kW, where storage requirements are becoming more relevant under evolving regulations.

However, storage is also creating new opportunities by improving energy reliability, enhancing self-consumption, reducing reliance on peak demand, and minimizing curtailment risks. While customers remain price-sensitive, many forward-looking C&I consumers now view storage as a strategic investment rather than only an additional cost.

Over time, as battery prices continue to decline and storage technologies mature, we expect solar + storage solutions to become increasingly mainstream, particularly for industries prioritizing energy security and long-term tariff stability.

In Maharashtra, which model offers the strongest risk-return profile now: rooftop solar, group captive, open access, hybrid, or solar-plus-storage?

Currently, rooftop solar with strong behind-the-meter consumption continues to offer one of the most stable and attractive risk-return profiles for the C&I segment, particularly in areas with high daytime energy utilization. But capacity is limited due to a lack of space.

At the same time, group captive and open access models remain highly relevant for larger, energy-intensive industries seeking scale and long-term tariff advantages. However, regulatory complexity has increased in these segments.

Looking ahead, hybrid and solar-plus-storage solutions are expected to gain significant momentum as industries increasingly prioritize energy reliability, flexibility, and resilience alongside cost optimization.

Ultimately, the most suitable model depends on the customer’s load profile, energy strategy, operational pattern, and investment horizon.

How has rooftop solar demand changed among C&I consumers over the past year, especially after changes in banking and grid-related charges?

Despite regulatory adjustments and changes in banking mechanisms, rooftop solar demand in the C&I sector remains strong. In fact, rising electricity tariffs, sustainability commitments, and the growing focus on energy independence continue to drive adoption. We continue to see strong interest from industrial and commercial consumers seeking long-term energy cost optimization and sustainable power solutions.

However, customer expectations have evolved. Today, industries are seeking more customized and analytically optimized solutions rather than generic capacity installations. Decision-making has become more data-driven, with greater emphasis on load matching, long-term savings visibility, operational performance, and regulatory adaptability.

We are observing that customers increasingly prefer solution partners who can offer not only EPC execution, but also energy analytics, OPEX/PPA models, performance management, and regulatory guidance. The demand environment is positive, but the market is becoming more mature, technically sophisticated, and performance-focused.

Does rooftop solar remain attractive mainly for high daytime-load consumers, or can it still work for customers with uneven or seasonal consumption?

Rooftop solar is naturally most attractive for consumers with stable daytime loads because higher self-consumption directly improves project economics. However, we believe rooftop solar can still work effectively for customers with uneven or seasonal consumption patterns when projects are designed intelligently and aligned with actual operational requirements.

Through detailed load analysis, seasonal energy consumption assessment, and optimized system sizing, we help industries with variable demand profiles achieve meaningful energy savings and sustainability benefits while minimizing the risk of generation-consumption mismatches.

Additionally, the growing integration of energy storage solutions and advanced energy management systems will further improve the feasibility and efficiency of solar adoption for customers with fluctuating consumption patterns in the coming years. We are increasingly focusing on load-matched system designs and future-ready solar solutions that maximize long-term customer value under evolving regulatory frameworks.

What are the biggest barriers to rooftop solar adoption today: financing, DISCOM approvals, net metering limits, roof availability, grid support charges, or policy uncertainty?

Today, the biggest challenge is not technology maturity but policy and regulatory uncertainty. Frequent changes in banking regulations, grid charges, and approval frameworks can erode long-term investment confidence among developers and consumers.

DISCOM approvals and procedural timelines also remain important challenges in several states. In dense industrial environments, roof quality and available shadow-free area can also become limiting factors.

That said, financing availability has improved significantly over the years, especially with the growing adoption of OPEX and PPA models that eliminate upfront capital requirements for customers.

A more stable and predictable policy environment will be critical to accelerating rooftop solar adoption at scale.

Are C&I customers still preferring CAPEX rooftop solar, or is the market shifting more toward opex and long-term PPA models?

The market is clearly witnessing strong momentum toward OPEX and long-term PPA models, particularly among large and mid-sized C&I consumers. Many businesses today prefer to conserve capital for their core operations while outsourcing energy infrastructure investment to specialized renewable energy partners.

We have signed PPAs aggregating approximately 150 MWp, with an additional 100 MWp pipeline ready to be signed in the first two quarters of FY 2027. We have already commissioned over 100 MWp of PPA projects.

However, CAPEX remains attractive to organizations focused on asset ownership and long-term returns. Both models remain relevant, but OPEX’s growth trajectory is currently stronger in the market.

How is Roofsol positioning itself as C&I solar moves toward load-matched designs, storage integration, and more complex state-level regulations?

We are positioning ourselves through a combination of engineering-led project design, regulatory adaptability, and long-term asset management capabilities.

We are increasingly focusing on load-profile-based system engineering, advanced energy analytics, and customized solar architectures that maximize self-consumption and long-term performance under evolving regulatory frameworks.

At the same time, we are strengthening our capabilities in storage integration, O&M, and digital monitoring to support the requirements of next-generation solar infrastructure.

Our approach is not limited to EPC execution alone; we aim to become a long-term clean energy partner for customers by delivering technically optimized, financially sustainable, and regulation-ready energy solutions across India.