Energetica India Magazine March - April 2026

energetica INDIA- Mar-Apr_2026 41 FEATURE STORY • Daytime Peak-shaving: Since most Solar Open Access plants are producing more power than can be utilised in real-time by the end consumers during the peak solar production hours of 11 AM – 3 PM, BESS being part of the system helps by ab- sorbing this power for charging. Thus, reducing risks of over- supply from solar power plants and ensures no lapse of power due to power banking restrictions. • Offset Expensive Peak TOD power in the Evening: Power pric- es are the highest during evening periods (6 PM to 12 AM) across India. For C&I customers, grid tariffs during these hours are 25-40 percent more expensive than the power during daytime hours. Hence, drawing power from BESS during this time results in much higher savings for the C&I customers. This is also a relevant solution for behind-the-meter BESS ap- plications to supplement RTS systems. • Reduce DSM burden on Power Producers: The recently no- tified CERC DSM regulations have tightened requirements for RE projects to provide accurate daily forecasts to SLDC/ NLDC. Going forward, deviations from forecasts will attract penalties that could exceed 5 percent of revenues for solar producers, a 7x–10x increase compared to earlier DSM rules. Integrating BESS with RE systems can help control this by shaping the generation profile closer to forecasts without af - fecting overall daily output. “For C&I consumers facing peak tariffs that are 20-40 percent higher than off-peak rates, BESS helps shift energy usage and reduce costs. It is also advantageous where grid outages or voltage fluctuations impact operations, ensuring continuity and minimising downtime losses,” Patel remarks. “It is particularly valuable in sectors such as data centres, pharmaceuticals, and continuous process industries. The economic viability of BESS improves in scenarios with pro- nounced peak and off-peak tariff differentials, while opera- tionally enhancing energy reliability,” asserts Kejriwal. From an operational standpoint, BESS is also advantageous when paired with open access or hybrid renewable projects, as it enables time-shifting of energy and enhances the effective utilisation of renewable power, states Sreenivas. The Way Ahead India’s C&I power transition is being driven by structured procurement models and grid-responsive technologies, with open access expanding and captive structures evolving through regulatory refinements. At the same time, battery energy storage is becoming critical to address intermittency, peak mismatch, and forecast deviations, enabling load shift- ing and improving dispatchability. Overall, the sector is moving toward integrated energy models where procurement, generation, and storage are optimised to lower costs, enhance reliability, and support higher renewable penetration.