India’s solar market has grown at a staggering pace over the last decade, becoming one of the world’s top renewable energy destinations. However, this rapid growth brought an inevitable challenge: a flood of low-quality, uncertified, and inefficient solar inverters entering the market — affecting safety, system performance, and customer trust.
To address this, the Ministry of Power (MoP) has announced a major policy reform:
Mandatory Minimum Efficiency Standards and BEE Labeling for all Grid-Connected Solar Inverters (up to 100 kW).
This reform marks a turning point for India’s rooftop and utility-scale solar sector.
Let’s explore the policy in detail — what it means, why it matters, and how it will transform the solar ecosystem.
1. What This Notification Covers
The Ministry of Power has officially notified “Grid Connected Solar Inverters” as a mandatory product under:
✔ The Energy Conservation Act, 2001
✔ Endorsed under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) standards and labeling program
This mandatory regime applies to:
- Single-phase inverters: 230V AC, 50 Hz
- Three-phase inverters: up to 415V AC, 50 Hz
- Rated Capacity: Up to 100 kW
- All types: string inverters, central inverters (up to 100 kW), hybrid inverters, and grid-tied variants
- Both domestic and imported products
2. Minimum Efficiency Standards — A New Performance Benchmark
For the first time in India, the government has defined minimum energy efficiency levels that every inverter must meet.
These standards focus on two key performance indicators:
- Overall conversion efficiency
- Static MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) efficiency
✔ Minimum Mandatory Efficiency Table
| Rated Output Power | Minimum Required Efficiency |
|---|---|
| Below 1 kW | 92% |
| 1–3 kW | 93% |
| 3–5 kW | 95% |
| 5–10 kW | 96% |
| 10–20 kW | 97% |
| Above 20 kW | 98% |
This creates a uniform national benchmark to eliminate performance discrepancies between brands.
Why this matters:
- Higher efficiency = better generation
- Better generation = lower payback period
- Lower payback = higher customer satisfaction
- Higher performance = strengthened industry credibility
3. Mandatory BEE Labeling – Transparency for Every Customer
Just like refrigerators, fans, or ACs carry an energy label, now solar inverters must also carry a BEE-endorsed label.
This label will show:
- Verified efficiency
- Compliance with national standards
- Model & brand authentication
- Testing details
Impact:
Customers can compare products easily, reducing the influence of misleading advertising or inflated efficiency claims.
4. Testing Requirements – No Room for Fake Claims
All inverters must be tested according to:
- IS 17980:2022
- IEC 62891:2020
Testing must be performed only in:
- NABL-accredited labs
- ILAC/APLAC accredited labs
- NISE-approved labs
- Government-qualified third-party labs
- Manufacturer-owned qualified labs (only if certified)
No Negative Tolerance
Manufacturers cannot overstate efficiency values.
Whatever is tested → must be printed.
No inflated claims → no market manipulation.
5. Effective Period
These standards will be mandatory from:
🗓 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027
After this, the government is expected to revise and tighten the standards even further.
Why This Policy Was Necessary
India’s solar sector is flooded with:
- Low-quality imported inverters
- Non-certified models
- Poor MPPT efficiency
- Frequent breakdowns
- High replacement rates
As rooftop and distributed solar adoption grows, inverter quality becomes the backbone of system performance.
This reform ensures:
✔ High-quality inverters
✔ Long system life
✔ Reduced complaints
✔ Better integration with DISCOM grids
✔ Improved trust among consumers
Impact on Manufacturers, Installers & Distributors
Manufacturers
- Must upgrade to higher-efficiency designs
- Need to submit products for mandatory testing
- Must adopt transparent labeling
- Compulsory compliance → better brand recognition
Installers & EPC Companies
- Reduced warranty claims
- Higher customer satisfaction
- Standardized performance → easier system design
- More trust in Indian products
Distributors
- Will need to stock only certified products
- Improved product credibility
- Reduced risk of rejected projects
Customers
- Higher returns on investment
- Longer inverter life
- Better safety and performance
- Transparency in choosing products
10-Year Outlook — How This Changes India’s Solar Landscape
India is expected to install:
300–350 GW of new solar capacity by 2035
Inverters are the brain of a solar system — poor-quality inverters compromise the entire installation.
With this reform:
- India moves toward global-quality inverter standards
- Domestic manufacturing will get a boost
- Cheap, low-grade imports will decline
- Solar rooftop reliability will increase
- Payback periods will shorten
- Grid stability will improve
This is a foundational step toward India’s journey to:
500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030
Net-zero emissions by 2070
A Strong, Clean & Reliable Solar Future
The government’s decision to bring solar inverters under mandatory standards is more than a technical reform — it’s a push toward accountability, quality, and world-class performance.
It benefits:
- Businesses
- Industries
- Installers
- Households
- Manufacturers
- The nation’s entire renewable energy mission