--- title: Green Energy Open Access India 2026 | Arrays Ingenieria description: Green Energy Open Access lets consumers from 100 kW buy solar from off-site plants. Eligibility, charges, banking, GOAR and the ISTS waiver phase-out. url: https://arraysingenieria.com/green-energy-open-access/ last_updated: 2026-10-11 source: Arrays Ingenieria (Arrays Ingenieria Pvt. Ltd.) --- Guide · Grid & Regulation # Green Energy Open Access in India: Buy Solar Power from Off-Site Plants from 100 kW Can't fit enough solar on your roof? Green Energy Open Access lets consumers from 100 kW buy power from a solar plant elsewhere. Eligibility, approvals, charges, banking, and the ISTS waiver phase-out. On this page - What open access is - The 2022 rules and the 2023 amendment - Captive or third-party? - ISTS charges: the waiver is phasing out - How to evaluate an open-access project - Frequently asked questions - Sources By the [Arrays Ingenieria engineering team](https://arraysingenieria.com/about/) · Updated 11 Oct 2026 · 3 min read **Key takeaways** - The **Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022** cut the eligibility threshold from 1 MW to **100 kW**; captive consumers have no minimum - A 2023 amendment lets consumers **aggregate connections** in the same electricity division to reach 100 kW - Applications go through the national **GOAR** portal, with deemed approval if not decided in time - Charges (wheeling, transmission, cross-subsidy and other surcharges) are set by state regulators and decide the economics - The full **ISTS charges waiver** ended for projects commissioned after 30 June 2025 and is phasing out in steps ## What open access is Open access lets an electricity consumer buy power from a generator of its choice and have it delivered through the transmission and distribution network, paying charges for using the wires. With **green energy open access** the generator is a renewable plant, typically a ground-mount solar plant on cheaper land elsewhere in the state, owned by you (captive) or by a developer (third-party). It suits businesses whose roof or land cannot host a plant big enough for their consumption: textile mills, cement and steel units, data centres, hospitals and large commercial campuses. ## The 2022 rules and the 2023 amendment Key features of the Green Energy Open Access Rules | Feature | What the rules provide | | --- | --- | | Eligibility | Consumers with contracted demand or sanctioned load of 100 kW or more (down from 1 MW); captive consumers have no load limit | | Aggregation (2023 amendment) | Several connections of the same consumer within the same electricity division can be pooled to reach 100 kW | | Single window | Applications through the national Green Energy Open Access Registry (GOAR) portal | | Timelines | Applications to be decided within a fixed period, otherwise deemed approved | | Banking | Surplus green power can be banked, at least on a monthly basis, subject to charges set by the regulator | | Charges | Transmission, wheeling, cross-subsidy and other surcharges as fixed by the state commission, with limits on how fast some can rise | | Green certificates | Consumers can obtain green energy certificates for the power they buy | **State rules differ** Each state's regulator has to adopt and implement the rules, and some states apply their own thresholds or charges. Check your state's current open-access regulations and charges before modelling a project. ## Captive or third-party? Two ways to use open access | Model | Who owns the plant | Key condition | Charges | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Captive | You (or a group captive company you hold at least 26% of) | You consume at least 51% of the plant's output | Cross-subsidy and additional surcharges generally not payable | | Third-party | A developer | PPA at an agreed tariff | All applicable open-access charges | Captive projects usually give the lowest landed cost because surcharges fall away, but they need equity or a group-captive structure. The plant itself is an ordinary ground-mount solar plant: piling, structures, modules, inverters, a substation and a transmission line to the grid. Civil works for the 10 MW ground-mount solar plant at DCM Textile, Hisar: the kind of plant that open-access and captive projects are built around. ## ISTS charges: the waiver is phasing out Inter-state transmission (ISTS) charges were fully waived for solar and wind projects commissioned up to **30 June 2025**, for 25 years. For projects commissioned after that, the waiver phases out in steps: the Ministry of Power's schedule levies 25% of the applicable charges on projects commissioned in the first year after June 2025, then 50%, then 75%, with full charges for projects commissioned after June 2028. Co-located battery storage projects have separate, more generous terms. For an inter-state open-access deal, this makes commissioning dates matter: a project commissioned earlier keeps a larger waiver for its whole life. ## How to evaluate an open-access project - **Map your demand**Contracted demand, consumption profile and tariff over 12 months. - **Check eligibility and state charges**Threshold, aggregation, banking and the full list of charges in your state. - **Choose the model**Captive, group captive or third-party PPA. - **Find the site**Land, irrigation-free terrain, evacuation to a nearby substation, soil for piling. - **Model the landed cost**Generation cost plus all charges and losses, compared with your grid tariff. - **Apply on GOAR**With the plant and consumer details; track approvals and connectivity. Building a captive ground-mount plant? We do the piling, civil works, fencing and installation & commissioning. [Get a free solar quote](https://arraysingenieria.com/free-solar-quote/) ## Frequently asked questions Who is eligible for green energy open access? Consumers with contracted demand or sanctioned load of 100 kW or more, and captive consumers with no minimum. Several connections in the same electricity division can be aggregated. Where do I apply for green open access? Through the national Green Energy Open Access Registry (GOAR) portal, greenopenaccess.in, and your state's nodal agency. Is the ISTS charge waiver still available? The full waiver applied to projects commissioned up to 30 June 2025. After that it phases out in steps, with full charges for projects commissioned after June 2028. Is open access cheaper than rooftop solar? Not always. Rooftop solar avoids network charges entirely. Open access makes sense when you need more green power than your roof can host; the state's charges decide the economics. ## Sources - [Green Energy Open Access Registry (GOAR) portal](https://greenopenaccess.in/) - [IEEFA: Impact of the Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022](https://ieefa.org/resources/impact-green-energy-open-access-rules-2022) - [Eco-Business: Amendment to India's electricity rules brings green energy to smaller consumers](https://www.eco-business.com/news/amendment-to-indias-electricity-rules-seen-to-bring-green-energy-to-more-small-consumers/) - [T&D India: Waiver of ISTS charges on renewable energy to be phased out](https://www.tndindia.com/waiver-of-ists-charges-on-renewable-energy-to-be-phased-out/) This guide explains public policy in plain language for planning purposes. Rules, rates and deadlines change: confirm the current position with the notifying authority, your DISCOM and your tax adviser before you commit. Last checked 11 Oct 2026. **About the authors.** Arrays Ingenieria is an ex-servicemen-led solar EPC and installation & commissioning company working Pan-India, from Assam's tea estates to industrial rooftops. [Our story](https://arraysingenieria.com/ex-servicemen-led-msme/) · [Our projects](https://arraysingenieria.com/projects/) [Ground-Mount Solar](https://arraysingenieria.com/service-ground-mount/)[Pile Foundations](https://arraysingenieria.com/service-piling/)[Civil Works & Fencing](https://arraysingenieria.com/service-civil/) From Our Sites ## Case Studies on This Topic Real plants our veteran-led crews have built, with the scope of work in detail. [Industrial · Civil Works: **DCM Textile, Hisar: Civil Works, Piling and I&C for Solar**9979 kWp (10 MW) · Hisar, HaryanaRead the case study](https://arraysingenieria.com/project-dcm-hisar-10mw-solar-civil-works/)[Utility-Scale · Civil & Fencing: **Noida International Airport (YIAPL): 14.36 MW Solar, Piling & Fencing**14.36 MW · Noida International Airport, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar PradeshRead the case study](https://arraysingenieria.com/project-yiapl-14-36mw-solar-civil-fencing/)[Utility-Scale · Piling: **SECI 300 MW Solar Project, Koppal: Piling and DC Installation**300 MW solar project · Koppal, KarnatakaRead the case study](https://arraysingenieria.com/project-seci-300mw-koppal-pile-foundation/) Keep Reading ## Related Guides [Business Models: **CAPEX vs OPEX (RESCO) Solar: Which Model Suits Your Business?**Own your solar plant and keep every unit, or pay a developer per unit with no upfront cost? 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