In short
- What you pay now: private schools and colleges on HT that are not government-aided pay ₹8.25 a unit (HT IIB); government and government-aided ones pay ₹7.75 (HT IIA). Both pay 25% more from 6–10 am and 6–10 pm.
- Why solar fits: classes, labs and hostels' daytime load run while solar makes power.
- No capital needed: with our zero-investment model we fund, build and run the plant; you pay an agreed rate per unit.
- Holidays matter: we size the plant to term-time daytime use, because units exported in the summer holidays earn less than they save.
- Large HT campuses (63 kVA and above) can also buy solar or wind power through open access. For a private college at an assumed ₹4.00 solar price: about ₹7.49 a unit through third-party, about ₹5.66 through group captive, against about ₹8.99 from TNEB (before the additional surcharge and our fee).
Rates are from TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025 and were still in force on 11 October 2026. The order allows an inflation-linked rise of up to 6% from 1 July each year; the 2026 rise has not been ordered. Illustrative default values — request a site-specific quotation.
What your campus pays TNEB
Illustrative default values — request a site-specific quotation. TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025; "unit solar replaces" assumes about 15% of solar units fall in the morning peak.
Rooftop solar with no investment
Classroom blocks, hostels, libraries and sports halls usually have large, flat or sheet roofs that suit solar. With our zero-investment model, we fund, build, clean and maintain the plant, and your institution pays only for the units it uses, at an agreed rate. Your fee budget stays for teaching. The agreement usually runs many years, so read the exit terms first (what to check).
Sizing for holidays: in April and May, when solar is strongest, most schools are closed. Units your campus can't use are sent to the grid and earn less than a unit you use yourself. So we size the plant to your term-time daytime load, from your own bills, not to your roof area.
Large campuses: open access and group captive
Engineering colleges, medical colleges and universities often have HT connections well above 63 kVA. They can buy solar or wind power from a plant elsewhere through open access. Third-party purchase needs no investment. Group captive saves more, but the buyers together must hold at least 26% of the plant company and together use at least 51% of its power, so the institution takes a share of the equity, which some trusts and institutions find hard. Every charge worked out →
Illustrative default values — request a site-specific quotation. Open access figures assume a 33 kV solar plant supplying an 11 kV connection, with line losses, wheeling, transmission, scheduling, cross-subsidy surcharge and electricity tax counted. They leave out the additional surcharge (none ordered for power used after 30 September 2025; TNPDCL has proposed ₹0.63 a unit on third-party power from October 2026, which would make HT III about ₹8.20 and HT IIB about ₹8.12), Aran's facilitation fee, and, for group captive, the cost of your equity.
How we're paid for open access deals: a small facilitation fee on each unit delivered, shared by the generator and the buyer and agreed in writing before anyone signs. We never buy or resell the power.
When solar is not worth it
- The roof is due for replacement within a few years.
- The building is rented on a short lease.
- The roof is heavily shaded by trees or taller buildings.
- Most of your power use is at night (for example, a hostel-only block).
Common questions
Can a school get solar with no investment?
Yes. With our zero-investment model we fund, build and maintain the plant on your roofs, and the school pays an agreed rate for each unit it uses. The school owns nothing and puts in no capital. The agreement usually runs many years, so read the exit terms first.
What do schools and colleges pay TNEB per unit?
On HT, private schools and colleges that are not government-aided (HT IIB) pay ₹8.25 a unit, and government and government-aided ones (HT IIA) pay ₹7.75, with 25% extra from 6–10 am and 6–10 pm (TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025).
What about the summer holidays?
We size the plant to your term-time daytime use. Units sent to the grid during the holidays earn less than units you use yourself, so a plant sized to the roof rather than the load is a poor deal.
Can a college take open access in Tamil Nadu?
Yes, if it has an HT connection with a contracted demand of 63 kVA or more. It can buy solar or wind power from a plant elsewhere through third-party open access or group captive.
Get a free check for your campus
Send your last three EB bills on WhatsApp and tell us roughly how much roof you have. We come back within two working days. No obligation.
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