No. 283/54/2018-GRID SOLAR HIG BEI | Government of India adie ite adtercolta Saf sisrera/ Ministry of New & Renewable Energy fas ate Saf WaT / Grid Solar Power Division walter tear 14, Safir aeretrore aAeaR, aidt as, a§ feet - 110003 Block No. 14, C.G.O. Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110003 Date: 2° January, 2019 OFFICE MEMORANDUM and Manufacturers of Solar Photovolt for mpulsory Reaistrati r, 2019 1. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has issued “Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017" vide Government of Indie Gazette Notification No. 2561 dated 5" September, 2017, 2. The above referred order of this Ministry, and amendments thereof, had been issued, inter-alia, with a view to ensure quality of solar cells, solar modules, used in solar PV power plants, by way of compliance of solar PV cells & modules with the applicable standards and testing requirements. However, since solar PV power installations are set up for a period of 25 years and solar PV cells and modules used in plants require long term warranty, itis desirable to ‘ensure that such products are indeed made in units in which production has been claimed. itis, possible that some units may claim production of solar cells & modules produced or made ‘elsewhere. The reliability of producer is essential to protect the consumer interests and ensure larger energy security of the Country, 3. Accordingly, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has decided to enlist the eligible models and manufacturers of solar PV cells and modules complying with the BIS Standards and publish the same in a list called the “Approved List of Models and Manufacturers” (ALMM). Only the models and manufacturers included in ths list wil be eligible for use in Government’ Government assisted Projects/ Projects under Government Schemes & Programmes, installed in the country, including Projects set-up for sale of electricity to Government under "Guidelines for Tariff Based Competitive Bidding Process for Procurement ‘of Power from Grid Connected Solar PY Power Projects dated 3rd Aug’ 2017 and the amendments thereof’. The word “Government’ shall include Central Government, State Governments, Central Public Sector Enterprises, State Public Sector Enterprises and, Central and State Organisations! Autonomous bodies 4, ALMM shall consist of LIST-1, specifying models and manufacturers of Solar PV Modules and LIST-Il, specifying models and manufacturers of Solar PV Cells. The effective dates for operationalizing of these Lists would be as follows: ust. ILISTA, Solar PV Module: Sst March’ 2020 [UIST Solar Cells Bist March’ 2020 Skt Page 1of 4After the effective date, all projects falling under the purview of Paragraph 3 above shall have to source their modules from models and manufacturers included in LIST-I. Further, for deployment of modules after the effective date in projects covered under para (3) above, the Solar PV Module manufacturers enlisted in List-| have to mandatorily source Solar Cells from the manufacturers enlisted in LIST-I. All projects for which bids have been finalised before the issuance of this order shall stand exempted from the mandatory requirement of procurement of cells and modules enlisted in the ALMM order. All projects that would be bid-out, henceforth, following “Guidelines for Tariff Based Competitive Bidding Process for Procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar PV Power Projects’, shall have a clause in their RIS that the cells ‘and modules used in such projects shall be from the models and manufacturers included in ‘ALNIM list. However, in order to allow smooth transition, such projects where the bids have not been finalised before the issuance of this order, will be permitted to procure outside the ALM LIST til 31st March'2020, In case of procurement from within India, the date of procurement shall mean the date of dispatch while in case of procurement from outside India, the date of procurement shall mean the date of filing of bill of entry with Indian Customs. The provisions of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion's (DIPP's) “Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India), Order 2017", dated 15th June, 2017 ; and the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy's (MNRE's) “Implementation of Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order for Renewable Energy sector’, dated 11th December, 2018 shall also be applicable wherever the procurement is by a "Procuring Entity" as defined in the DIPP’s Order dated 16th June, 2017. In all such cases, not only the domestic content requirement contained in these Orders shall be followed, but also the modules shall be sourced from models and manufacturers included in LIST-I of ALMM. For being eligible to be included in the List, the manufacturers should first get the BIS registration/ certification, as applicable, under the “Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devies and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017", or any amendment thereof, or any order issued in supersession of this order, for each model. Such enlistment shall be valid for a period of two years and can be further renewed on submission of necessary documentary evidence for the continued satisfactory performance of their products. Before inclusion in the ALMM list, a team of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy shall ‘conduct an inspection of the manufacturing facility of the manufacturers whose models have been registeredicertiied by BIS as per the “Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017", or any amendment thereof, or any order issued in supersession of this order. During the inspection, the team shall conduct the production and sale audit of the company to ensure that the solar cells and modules being supplied are indeed made in the unit. The Ministry will be empowered to conduct the said audit at any time in order to check any complaint. The models and manufacturers shall be enlisted in ALMM for a period of two years by an order of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy after it is satisfied that such models meet the prescribed standard and the manufacturer has sufficient capacity to manufacture them based on facility inspection ‘The models and the manufacturers so enlisted, shall be subjected to random quality/tests, including inspection of manufacturing premises and in case of any failure or non-compliance by the enlisted manufacturer, they shall be removed from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), Page 2 0f 410. The present instructions apply to all solar PV cells and modules being manufactured under any technology. 11, Following procedure shall be followed while enlisting the manufacturers of solar PV cells and modules a. While applying, the Applicant manufacturers have to submit, apart from applicable fee prescribed by MNRE from time to time, documentary evidence of their financial and physical manufacturing capabilities, ranging over the previous three years, or the period of existence of such units, whichever is less. The evidence would include the details of purchase of raw materials, production & sales details, profit & loss account, statement of assets & liabilities etc. ‘As a measure of facilitation, wherever such details as required at (a) above, are also required to be submitted as statutory requirements under different laws/regulations in the Country (eg. Company's Act, Income Tax Act, GST Act etc.), and are already being subjected to scrutiny, such documentary evidence may be taken as sufficient for the purpose of preliminary assessment Wherever such details, as required at (a) above, are not being submitted as statutory requirements under different laws/regulations in the Country, or that these units are ‘operating beyond the jurisdiction of Indian Laws, where necessary documentary ‘evidence may not be available for the purpose of preliminary assessment, in all such cases, the applicant's unit(s) shall be first subjected to preliminary inspection by MNRE of any agency authorised by MNRE, for this purpose. ‘After satisfactory verification of the physical establishment and operations of the unit, the applicant shall be required to submit details, on monthly basis, for the next one year, of purchase of raw materials, production & sale of finished goods, bank statement(s) reflecting such transactions of sale and purchase, satisfactory performance recommendation certificate(s) from their buyer(s) and also solvency certificate from their banks. All such units where the preliminary assessment has been done, and where It is found that there are no major operational issues or performance related defaults, the Units shall qualify for site inspection. ‘The manufacturers, willing for enlistment, shall apply for the same in the prescribed Application Format. Separate applications to be submitted for each model. ‘The following certified documents! information, duly signed by Authorised Signatory, shall be provided with the Application: i. Copy of Certificate of Incorporation. fi, Document authorising the Signatory to sign the Application. il. Copy of BIS registration/ certification, as applicable. iv. Copy of Certificates declaring Standards from Accredited Labs of BIS. v. Affidavit and Indemnity Bond in the prescribed format signed by Authorised Signatory and attested by Judicial Magistrate or Executive Magistrate or Notary Public. Sa Page 3 0f 4h. The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) will be uploaded on the MNRE website and will be quarterly updated. i. Such enlistment shall be valid for a period of two years and can be further renewed on submission of necessary documentary evidence, along with applicable fee, for the continued satisfactory performance of their products, as mentioned at 10(a) above. Wherever, such details, as required at S. No. 11(a) above, are not being submitted as statutory requirements under different lawsiregulations in the country, or that these units are operating beyond the jurisdiction of Indian Laws, the renewal of enlistment would be subject to the site inspection of the applicant unit. j. The Applications for inclusion/ renewal in ALMM, along with all required documents should be submitted to: Shri Sanjay Kamdhar, Scientist-C Grid Solar Power Division Ministry of New & Renewable Energy Block no. 14, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Dethi-110003 (Sanjay Karndhar) Scientist-C To: All Concerned Copy to: Director (Technical), MNRE, for uploading on MNRE Website Page 4 of 4