Solar for textile mills in Tamil Nadu
Spinning, weaving and processing mills run three shifts, so every unit a rooftop plant makes in daylight is used on site. Large shed roofs give the space; your load decides the size.
Why mills suit solar
Ring frames, looms, humidification plants and compressors run around the clock. Daytime load stays above a right-sized plant's output, so the whole output saves the HT-I energy charge of ₹7.50 a unit, less the ₹1.04 network charge.
Solar does not lower the ₹608/kVA demand charge, which is billed on your highest recorded demand. That is why we size to your daytime base load, not your peak.
North-light sheds and long metal roofs in Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Erode and Karur give the area. Above 1 MW, the plant runs in parallel with the grid through a reverse-power relay, so it must stay within your daytime load. For more than your roof can hold, open access is the usual route.
What a mill-sized plant saves
On a three-shift HT-I load, a right-sized plant's output is used on site. Each unit saves ₹6.46 after the network charge.
| Plant size | Plant cost | Saving a year | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWp | ₹2.0–2.2 crore | about ₹43.5 lakh | 4.6–5.1 years |
| 1 MWp | ₹3.8–4.2 crore | about ₹87 lakh | 4.4–4.8 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 mill
- 12 months of HT bills and the load by shift, to find the daytime base load
- Roof type and strength: north-light sheds, metal sheet or RCC, and purlin capacity
- Recorded maximum demand against contract demand
- Net feed-in up to 999 kW, or parallel operation above 1 MW
Is there a subsidy?
We found no direct capital subsidy for rooftop solar in Tamil Nadu's textile policy. A mill that buys its plant can claim 40% accelerated depreciation in the first year; your CA can confirm the benefit.
Smaller units on LT III-B supply pay only half the rooftop network charge; the Government of Tamil Nadu pays the rest. Most spinning mills are on HT supply, where the full ₹1.04 applies.
Textile mill solar: common questions
How much does rooftop solar save a spinning mill?
On HT-I, each solar unit used on site saves ₹6.46 after the network charge. A 500 kWp plant makes about 7.2 lakh units a year, roughly ₹43.5 lakh saved after O&M, a simple payback of about 4.6–5.1 years.
Does solar reduce the HT demand charge?
Usually not. The ₹608/kVA demand charge is billed on your highest recorded demand, which can fall in a cloudy hour or at night. Solar cuts the energy units you buy.
Can a mill install more than 1 MW on its roof?
Yes, in parallel operation with a reverse-power relay, so no power flows back to the grid and the plant must stay within your daytime load. For more capacity, open access is the usual route.
Is there a solar subsidy for the textile industry in Tamil Nadu?
We found no direct rooftop-solar capital subsidy in the state textile policy. Buyers can claim 40% accelerated depreciation, and LT III-B units pay only half the rooftop network charge.
Will a north-light roof take solar panels?
Usually, on the sloping sheet side. We check purlin spacing, sheet condition and wind zone, and design walkways so the glazing and sheets are never walked on.
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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