The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has introduced guidelines for the registration of solar photovoltaic modules and inverters under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.
This aims to help consumers make informed decisions when choosing high-efficiency products with improved warranties for their rooftop solar installations. Solar modules must achieve a minimum 3-star rating according to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s (BEE) star labelling programme for solar modules, which was introduced in October 2023. The modules must also have a minimum rated capacity of 500 W and a product warranty lasting for minimum ten years from the commissioning date, providing coverage for manufacturing defects. Additionally, they must achieve a minimum fill factor of 77 per cent under standard test conditions. Meanwhile, inverters must meet the criteria of the BEE’s energy labelling programme for inverters and offer a minimum product warranty of eight years from the commissioning date, which includes coverage for manufacturing defects. The minimum overall efficiency required for hybrid inverters varies based on their power ratings: 92 per cent for 1 kW inverters, 93 per cent for 1-3 kW inverters, 95 per cent for 3-5 kW inverters, 96 per cent for 5-10 kW inverters, and 97 per cent for 10-20 kW inverters. Efficiency requirements increase with higher power ratings.
