How long does a 1 MW solar plant take to build?

Typical end-to-end: 60–90 days from signed PO. That includes detailed design, structural audit, equipment procurement, civil works, installation, commissioning, and DISCOM net-metering approval. We file the DISCOM application in parallel with civil works, not after — that's the biggest schedule-saver at this size.

What roof area do I actually need for 1 MW?

Around 1,00,000 sqft of shadow-free roof at standard mounting. If the roof is short, we extend with elevated structures over parking or driveways — adds shade for vehicles, doubles up the asset, and at 1 MW the incremental steel cost is usually 4–7% of project cost.

Behind-the-meter vs open access vs group captive — which structure fits at 1 MW?

Three real options at MW scale: (1) behind-the-meter rooftop consumed on-site — simplest, no wheeling charges, needs matching daytime load; (2) open access wheeling from an off-site plant — pays cross-subsidy surcharge and wheeling charges, viable when rooftop is short; (3) group captive with 26% consumer equity in a special-purpose vehicle — exempts from cross-subsidy surcharge, best for consumers with >1 MW connected load. Choice hinges on your daytime consumption profile, not plant size.

How does the group captive 26% equity math work at 1 MW?

Regulation says the consumer must hold at least 26% equity in the SPV that owns the plant and consume at least 51% of its annual generation to qualify as captive. Typical structure: developer holds 74%, consumer holds 26%. The exemption saves cross-subsidy surcharge (Rs. 1–3/unit in most states) plus additional surcharge. Pays back the equity in 2–4 years for a well-matched load. We structure the SPV with your CA and file the CEA captive declaration.

How much do wheeling and cross-subsidy charges eat into the tariff on open access at 1 MW?

Depends on state — this is where the math turns. UP: cross-subsidy surcharge Rs. 1.20–1.80/unit + wheeling Rs. 0.35/unit + banking losses ~2%. Haryana: cross-subsidy Rs. 1.50–2.10/unit + wheeling Rs. 0.42/unit. Delhi does not allow rooftop wheeling. Total open-access delivered cost typically lands Rs. 5.50–6.50/unit versus behind-the-meter LCOE of Rs. 3.20–3.80/unit — behind-the-meter wins wherever the load can absorb it.

What does the DPR (Detailed Project Report) actually contain at 1 MW, and who signs off?

A bankable 1 MW DPR includes: 12-month site-specific solar resource analysis (usually pulled from NREL or Meteonorm), structural load calculation on the roof (signed by a licensed structural engineer), single-line electrical diagram with fault-level calculations, IRR/NPV/DSCR financial model over 25 years, and O&M plan with SLA. PSU banks require a Chartered Engineer's certification on the technical sections. We ship this DPR as part of the sales cycle — banks accept it without third-party validation.

Central inverter or string inverter for a 1 MW rooftop — which do you spec?

For a 1 MW rooftop we default to 8–12 string inverters (100–125 kW each) unless the customer explicitly wants a central. Reasons: better generation retention if one inverter faults, granular string-level monitoring, easier phased commissioning, and lower spare-parts inventory across the portfolio. Central inverters shine on ground-mount 1 MW+ where cable runs and inverter-room civil costs justify the single-machine architecture.

Commercial & Industrial · 1 MW

1 MW Solar Power Plant Cost in India — 2026 Honest Numbers

No brochure ranges. Live ₹/Wp from our facts registry, a working calculator, and CAPEX vs OPEX math you can stress-test before talking to anyone.

Verified 21 May 2026 · Bridgeway internal C&I project records, 2025–2026

1 MW commercial rooftop solar plant — industrial shed in Delhi NCR

1 MW Solar Plant — At a Glance

Honest ballpark figures for a 1 MW commercial rooftop in India. Final price moves with site, roof type, and grid evacuation distance.

Verified 21 May 2026 · Bridgeway internal C&I project records, 2025–2026

Indicative CAPEX

Rs. 3.60 Cr

Rs. 36/Wp turnkey, all BoS included

Annual generation

1,500 MWh

North India, shadow-free roof

Roof needed

1,00,000 sqft

Shadow-free, RCC or sheet metal

Payback

3.5–5 yrs

At C&I tariff Rs. 8–10/unit

Suitable for

Multi-specialty hospitalsLarge campusesFactoriesIT parks

1 MW Calculator

Your Numbers, Not a Brochure

Move the sliders. Switch between CAPEX and OPEX. Every number below is sourced live from our facts registry.

Verified 21 May 2026 · Bridgeway internal C&I project records, 2025–2026

Plant capacity

1000 kW

Roof area available

1,00,000 sqft

Enough roof for 1000 kW

Current monthly electricity bill

Rs. 80,00,000

Implied tariff: Rs. 12.0/unit

How are you paying?

Indicative project cost

Rs. 3.60 Cr

at Rs. 36/Wp · turnkey, no hidden BoS

Generation

1,20,000 units/mo

1,440 MWh/yr

Monthly bill saving

Rs. 14,40,000

Annual: Rs. 1.73 Cr

Payback

2.1 yrs

25-yr plant life · 22+ yrs of free power after

CAPEX vs OPEX/PPA — Which Fits You?

The honest answer: it depends on your tax position and your appetite for capex. We do both. Here's the side-by-side.

Verified 21 May 2026 · Bridgeway PPA contracts FY25-26

At MW scale the decision expands to group captive and open access.

Beyond Rs. 4Cr project size, three additional structures enter the tradeoff: group captive with 26% consumer equity (exempts cross-subsidy surcharge), open access from an off-site plant (pays wheeling + CSS), and third-party OPEX with a longer PPA. Banks want a Chartered Engineer-certified DPR with 25-year IRR/NPV/DSCR modelling — we ship that as part of the sales cycle rather than as a separate advisory.

CAPEX (you buy)

OPEX / PPA (we own)

Upfront cost

Full CAPEX

Zero — we fund it

Ownership

You own the plant from day one

We own it; transfers after 15 yrs

Effective tariff

~Rs. 2.7–3.6/unit (LCOE)

Fixed Rs. 4–5/unit, 15-yr PPA

Balance-sheet impact

Capitalised asset, depreciation benefit

OPEX line, no debt loaded

Accelerated depreciation (40%)

Best when

Profitable business that wants the IRR

Trust, school, hospital — no capex appetite

From PO to Energised — 60 to 90 days

Four phases. Two of them run in parallel. We never quote "30 days" — that's a sales-call number, not an EPC number.

Site Audit + Engineering

5–7 days

Structural survey, shading analysis, load profile from your last 12 bills, single-line diagram, and DPR sign-off.

Financing + DISCOM Filing

2–3 weeks

Bank/NBFC DPR or PPA paperwork in parallel with net-metering application to your DISCOM. We run both tracks.

Build + Installation

4–8 weeks

Procurement, civil/structural, module mounting, string wiring, inverters, ACDB/DCDB, earthing, SCADA.

Commissioning + Net Meter

2–4 weeks

DISCOM inspector visit, bi-directional meter swap, plant energisation, performance ratio sign-off.

What Actually Breaks at 1 MW

1 MW is where the project moves from a purchase to a program — DPR, bankability, and single-point failure modes all matter.

The DPR requirement kicks in

PSU banks won't sanction a 1 MW loan without a Chartered Engineer-certified DPR: site-specific solar resource, structural load calc, single-line electrical diagram with fault-level analysis, 25-year IRR/NPV/DSCR model, O&M plan. We ship this DPR as part of the sales cycle; banks accept it without third-party validation.

Central inverter single-point-of-failure

A 1 MW central inverter down = 1 MW of generation offline. String inverters (8–12 units at 100–125 kW each) trade 1–2% conversion efficiency for far better generation retention on faults. Unless the customer specifically wants central, we default to strings at rooftop 1 MW.

String-level monitoring is the spec that matters

At 1 MW, a single module's PID or shading loss can eat 3–4% of annual generation and be invisible on inverter-level dashboards. String-level monitoring flags underperforming strings within a day, before it compounds. SCADA with 15-minute granularity per string is table stakes above 500 kW.

Financing a 1 MW Plant

Most C&I customers don't pay full capex up front. Three routes — bank term loan, NBFC, or OPEX/PPA. We help with the DPR for all three; we don't push a particular lender.

See All Financing Options