Energetica India Magazine May - June 2026

MNRE Rules Out Blanket Extension for ALMM List-II Deadline, Allows Case-Specific Exemptions MNRE has clarified that there will be no blanket extension of the June 1, 2026 deadline for mandatory compliance with the ALMM List-II requirements for solar PV cells in net-metering and open access renewable energy projects. However, the ministry has allowed case- by-case exemptions for projects where substantial progress or investments had already been made prior to the deadline. Under Category I, projects where 100 percent of solar PV modules had been installed before June 1, 2026 but com- missioning remained pending may qualify for exemption. Developers will be required to submit approval or cer- tification from the concerned Electrical Inspectorate confirming completion of DC-side installations, including mod- ule installation. Under Category II, projects that had undertaken “effective steps” before the deadline must satis- fy multiple conditions simultaneously to qualify for consideration. These in- clude possession of at least 75 percent of project land before June 1, 2026, achievement of financial closure, grant of in-principle connectivity, and ap- proval of electrical drawings before May 1, 2026. Additionally, developers must either demonstrate that 100 percent of re- quired solar modules had reached the project site before notification of the memorandum or prove that over 50 per- cent of modules had already been in- stalled prior to June 1, 2026. Supporting documents such as land records, loan sanction letters, connectivity approvals, GST invoices, e-way bills, geo-tagged photographs and Electrical Inspec- torate certifications will be required. All applications must be submitted dig- itally through a dedicated portal devel- oped by the National Institute of Solar Energy by June 30, 2026. Claims will be evaluated by an expert committee constituted by MNRE, which may also undertake field inspections wherever necessary. Sinovoltaics Launches PV Lab Test Advisor for Utility Scale Solar PV Projects PV and BESS quality assurance spe- cialist Sinovoltaics has announced the launch of Sinovoltaics’ PV Lab Test Advisor v1.0, a web-based assessment tool designed to build project-specific reliability testing scopes for utility-scale solar PV projects. As the solar industry continues to evolve, reliability testing is increasing- ly shifting toward project-specific risk engineering. Utility-scale PV projects require testing strategies tailored to the actual climate conditions, technology selection, and site-specific risks of each project. This means reliability testing scopes cannot follow a one-size-fits-all approach, stated the company. Sinovoltaics’ PV Lab Test Advisor ad- dresses this challenge by enabling de- velopers, IPPs, and EPCS to generate customised reliability testing recom- mendations based on project-specific in- puts. The tool reflects Sinovoltaics’ po- sition that tailored reliability testing is essential to preventing long-term under- performance and reducing project risk. Arthur Claire, Director of Technolo- gy at Sinovoltaics, said, “The industry trend of copy-pasting the same reliabil- ity testing scope from project to project does not adequately address the unique risks of each utility-scale PV installa- tion. Context-aware reliability testing is key to preventing underperformance of utility-scale PV projects.” The PV Lab Test Advisor is part of Sinovoltaics’ Zero Risk Solar testing framework. While on-site factory qual- ity assurance remains central to defect prevention, external laboratory reli- ability testing provides an additional layer of protection for utility-scale solar projects, the company stated. The tool is currently available free of charge for developers, independent power produc- ers (IPPs), and EPCs involved in util- ity-scale solar PV projects. Based on project-specific information, the plat- form generates a recommended testing scope that can be downloaded as a PDF report. energetica INDIA- May-June_2026 14 ENERGY UPDATES