Solar for cold storage in Tamil Nadu
Compressors run 24 hours and work hardest in the afternoon heat, when solar output peaks. A right-sized rooftop plant is used almost entirely on site, so every unit saves your full energy charge.
Why cold stores suit solar
Refrigeration is a base load: compressors, condenser fans and evaporator fans run day and night. That base load is larger than a well-sized plant's output, so almost none of the solar is exported at the low feed-in rate.
Cooling load climbs with outside temperature, so compressor power peaks between about 11 am and 3 pm, together with solar output. Panels also shade the roof sheets, which cuts the heat the building takes in.
A grid-tied plant switches off in a power cut, as safety rules require. To keep critical compressors running, we size a hybrid inverter and battery for that load, with the diesel generator as the last resort.
What a 100 kWp plant saves a cold store
A 100 kWp rooftop plant makes about 1,44,000 units a year. On a cold store's round-the-clock load, almost all of it is used on site.
| Tariff | Saved per unit (₹) | Saving a year | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| LT III-B industry | 7.45 | about ₹10.1 lakh | 4.5–5.0 years |
| HT-I industry | 6.46 | about ₹8.7 lakh | 5.2–5.7 years |
Indicative, year one: 1,440 units per kWp a year, output used on site unless shown, O&M at ₹600 per kWp a year, before tax benefits and tariff changes. Plant costs are indicative; the final price follows a site survey. Network charges: TNERC GISS order No. 8 of 2021; LT III-B pays half under TNERC Order No. 3 of 2025. The charge on captive rooftop solar is contested in the Madras High Court (a December 2024 ruling against it was stayed in April 2025), so check your latest bill.
Run your own numbers in the TNEB bill calculatorWhat we check at a cold store
- Compressor and fan load by hour from 12 months of bills, so the plant matches the base load
- Roof over insulated panels: a fixing method that does not puncture the insulation or vapour barrier
- Which loads are critical in a power cut, if you want battery backup
- Recorded maximum demand against contract demand
Is there a subsidy?
The PM Surya Ghar subsidy is for homes only. A business that buys its plant can claim 40% accelerated depreciation in the first year; your CA can confirm the benefit.
If you are building or modernising a cold store for horticulture produce with a bank term loan, the National Horticulture Board's Capital Investment Subsidy scheme pays a back-ended subsidy on the eligible project cost. Its data sheet lists renewable and solar energy among energy-saving measures, and only components named in the project report count, so include the solar plant there. Check the current NHB guidelines for eligibility.
LT III-B industrial consumers also pay only half the rooftop network charge; the Government of Tamil Nadu pays the rest.
Cold storage solar: common questions
How much solar does a cold storage need?
Size the plant to the daytime base load of compressors and fans, not to the roof. A cold store that draws about 100 kW through the day can use a 100 kWp plant almost entirely on site. We size it from 12 months of bills.
Can solar run a cold storage during a power cut?
Not on its own. A grid-tied plant shuts down when the grid fails. To keep critical compressors running, add a hybrid inverter and battery sized for that load, with the diesel generator as the last resort.
Is there a subsidy for solar in cold storage?
There is no PM Surya Ghar subsidy for businesses. Buyers can claim 40% accelerated depreciation. New or modernised horticulture cold stores financed by a bank can include solar in the project report for NHB's back-ended Capital Investment Subsidy; check current NHB guidelines.
What does a 100 kWp solar plant cost for a cold store?
Indicatively ₹45–50 lakh in Tamil Nadu, before tax benefits. On a round-the-clock load it saves about ₹8.7–10.1 lakh a year depending on tariff, a simple payback of about 4.5–5.7 years.
Will panels damage the cold store roof?
They should not. We fix to the purlins or sheet profile without puncturing the insulated panels or vapour barrier, and add walkways so cleaning crews never step on the sheets.
More: solar by industry in Tamil Nadu · industrial solar EPC · 40% accelerated depreciation
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An engineer reviews your EB bill and roof, then sizes the plant to your load. We reply within one working hour, Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 7 pm.
- Plant size from your daytime load, not your roof area
- Savings worked out on your own tariff and network charge
- CAPEX, RESCO or open-access options side by side
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