CEA Notifies Technical Standards for Solar, Wind, Floating Solar and BESS Projects
The Central Electricity Authority has notified the Technical Standards for Construction of Electrical Plants and Electric Lines (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, establishing comprehensive technical standards for solar, wind, floating solar and Battery Energy Storage System projects. The regulations will come into effect from April 1, 2027.
July 06, 2026. By Mrinmoy Dey
The regulations, which will come into effect from April 1, 2027, expand the scope of the existing 2022 regulations by incorporating detailed technical standards for emerging renewable energy technologies and standalone battery storage projects.
The amended regulations introduce several new definitions covering battery containers, battery management systems, battery racks, battery modules, battery energy storage capacity, state of charge, state of health and other key BESS components, providing a uniform regulatory framework for the rapidly growing energy storage sector. They also specify technical requirements for ground-mounted solar plants, floating solar projects, onshore and offshore wind power plants, and BESS installations.
According to the regulations, renewable energy plants and battery storage systems must be designed to operate within the voltage, frequency and power factor limits prescribed under the CEA's grid connectivity standards. Developers will also be required to maintain detailed engineering documents, equipment specifications, manufacturer guarantees, type-test certificates and plant modelling data throughout the operational life of the project.
The CEA has mandated that renewable energy projects with installed capacities of 10 MW and above install Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) conforming to World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) standards. These stations must continuously monitor key meteorological parameters, including solar irradiance, wind speed, ambient temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. In addition, projects must deploy Power Plant Controllers (PPCs) capable of receiving remote dispatch instructions from Load Dispatch Centres while providing active and reactive power control to support grid stability.
The regulations further strengthen communication and monitoring requirements by mandating secure and redundant communication systems between generating stations and the grid interconnection point. Communication systems used for protection functions must remain isolated from supervisory control and monitoring systems. The notification also requires installation of power quality meters, harmonic analysers, event loggers and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to improve grid visibility and operational reliability.
For solar power plants, the regulations prescribe a minimum design life of 25 years and require project developers to consider geological stability, flooding risks, climatic conditions and maintenance accessibility while selecting project sites and designing layouts. Detailed technical specifications have also been issued for photovoltaic modules, module mounting structures, junction boxes, inverters, inverter-duty transformers, AC distribution boards, earthing systems, communication infrastructure and fire protection systems. Solar modules installed in highly corrosive environments, including coastal regions, must pass salt mist corrosion tests, while all modules are required to incorporate bypass diodes and RFID-based traceability tags containing information on manufacturers, country of origin, electrical characteristics and certification details.
The notification also lays down stringent performance standards for solar inverters. These include a minimum efficiency of 98 percent, adjustable power factor between 0.9 leading and 0.9 lagging, compliance with IEC 61850 communication protocols, extensive fault recording capabilities, data storage for at least 90 days, automatic start-up and synchronisation features, and mandatory type testing through recognised laboratories. The combined inverter capacity installed at a solar power plant must not be less than the plant's rated capacity.
Recognising the increasing deployment of floating solar projects across India, the CEA has introduced a dedicated set of technical standards for floating photovoltaic plants. The regulations require detailed site assessments covering wind conditions, water depth, water-level fluctuations and bathymetric surveys before project development. Solar panels must be installed at least 12 inches above the water level, while floating structures must be UV-resistant, non-toxic, recyclable and capable of withstanding long-term environmental exposure. Water quality parameters, including pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and total dissolved solids, must also be assessed before selecting construction materials for anchoring systems, floating platforms and cables. Junction boxes and electrical connectors installed over water must provide at least IP67 ingress protection, while marine-grade cables are required wherever cables remain in contact with water.
The regulations further prescribe specialised anchoring and mooring systems capable of accommodating fluctuating water levels, along with safety measures such as lighting on floating platforms, cable identification systems for navigation safety, protection against animals and rodents, and alternative earthing arrangements where conventional shore-based earthing is not feasible.
For Battery Energy Storage Systems, the amended regulations establish comprehensive technical standards governing battery management systems, battery containers, power conversion systems, operational characteristics and grid integration requirements. BESS installations will also be required to comply with the same communication, monitoring, protection and grid support standards applicable to renewable energy generating stations, ensuring safe and reliable integration of storage assets into India's electricity network.
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