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Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Maharashtra, has invited bids for installing a 1 MWp rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system integrated with a 5 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) across various buildings on its campus. The project will be implemented under the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model. The tender was published on November 6, 2026. Bids can be submitted until November 30, 2026, at 3 PM, with the opening scheduled for December 1.
According to the tender, the scope includes the supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the rooftop-mounted solar PV system and battery storage infrastructure. The project comprises 1,000 kWp of solar capacity and 5,000 kWh of battery storage.
Under the RESCO model, the developer is responsible for installing and operating the renewable energy system, while the consumer purchases the electricity generated under an agreed commercial arrangement.
The tender specifies a 25-year period for electricity generation and supply from the rooftop solar and BESS project. This arrangement allows the university to procure renewable electricity without necessarily undertaking the entire upfront capital investment for the installation.
The tender’s bill of quantities (BOQ) also lists a rate of ₹32 per kWh for electricity generated and supplied through the project over the 25-year period. This is a quoted BOQ rate and should not be confused with a final awarded tariff.
The university has specified technical qualification requirements for prospective bidders. These include experience in executing a single similar project of at least 1,500 kWp during the last five financial years, along with cumulative project execution experience of at least 3,000 kWp during the same period.
Bidders must also demonstrate experience in installing at least one battery energy storage system with a capacity of 500 kWh.
The tender carries an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹10 lakh and a tender fee of ₹10,000. The bid validity period is 120 days.
SPPU’s proposed project comes amid wider solar adoption across India’s higher education institutions, with universities and IITs increasingly using campus rooftops and available land to generate electricity and reduce dependence on grid power.
IIT Roorkee, for instance, has reported a cumulative rooftop solar capacity of 2.8 MWp, including a 1 MWp plant installed under the RESCO model. Its solar installations cover 27 departmental and institutional buildings.
Similarly, IIT Kanpur’s Sustainability Report 2024-25 puts its existing solar generation capacity at 2.21 MW, comprising 1 MW under the CAPEX model and 1.21 MW under RESCO. The institute is also installing an additional 0.4 MW system and has assessed the potential to expand its solar capacity to 10 MW.
IIT Guwahati signed an agreement with ICICI Foundation in February 2026 to establish a 2 MW solar power plant on its campus. Meanwhile, IIM Bangalore’s rooftop solar installation is expected to meet approximately 15% of the institute’s electricity requirements.
The trend extends beyond the IIT system. Jindal Global University reported 2.4 MW of on-site solar capacity and generated 25.56 lakh kWh of solar electricity in 2025, more than double its 2024 generation of 11.82 lakh kWh.
For SPPU, integrating a 5 MWh BESS with rooftop solar introduces another dimension to campus energy management. While solar installations help institutions generate electricity locally, battery storage can shift some of that generation to periods when sunlight is unavailable.
However, the project’s eventual contribution will depend on its battery power rating, operating schedule, energy procurement arrangement and actual utilisation. Its implementation could offer a useful reference for other large institutional consumers considering solar-plus-storage installations.
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