A solar plant, from plan to 25 years of operation
Nine stages, every cost, every agency, every deadline — and exactly where owners lose money at each one. Sourced from GERC, GUVNL, GEDA, CERC, IREDA and MNRE.
A solar plant is not a purchase — it is a 25-year asset that passes through nine distinct stages, each with its own costs, agencies, deadlines and ways to lose money. Below is the complete lifecycle in Gujarat, with the real, sourced numbers EPCs rarely put in writing. Every figure here traces to GERC, GUVNL, GEDA, CERC, IREDA, MNRE or CEEW.
Concept & Feasibility
1–3 monthsBefore a rupee is committed, the project is modelled: irradiance, yield, evacuation capacity and a bankable DPR. Getting this stage wrong is the most expensive mistake in solar.
| Gujarat irradiance (GHI) | 5.5–6.0 kWh/m²/day; Kutch highest |
| Specific yield | 1,500–1,800 kWh/kWp/yr; 1 MW ≈ 14–17 lakh units/yr |
| CUF (Gujarat) | GERC norm 19%; fixed-tilt 19–21%, tracker+bifacial 23–24% |
| Bankable DPR cost | ≈ ₹0.5–1.5 lakh/MW (IREDA Form APP-P-DPR-1-1 format) |
| Substation check | GETCO publishes spare capacity on the 3rd of every month |
Owners lose money when yield is over-stated (no P90 analysis) or the chosen substation has no spare evacuation capacity — discovered only after land is bought.
Want someone on your side at every stage?
From concept to commissioning to 25 years of operation — we verify every number.
Sources: GERC tariff orders, GUVNL DREBP guideline & PPA, GEDA Executive Procedure, GETCO RE connectivity procedure, CERC RE Tariff Regulations 2024, IREDA Financing Norms, MNRE/CPCB notifications, JMK Research price index, CEEW & NREL studies. Figures are indicative ranges where sources differ, and dated to 2025–26. Nothing here is financial advice.