Bihar net metering: the NBPDCL & SBPDCL application guide

Bihar net metering lets a rooftop solar customer in Patna or anywhere in the state export surplus power and earn credit for it. For an EPC, the work is to move each plant cleanly through the right DISCOM — NBPDCL or SBPDCL — from feasibility to a sealed bidirectional meter. This guide covers the process, the caps, fees and the timeline.

Bihar net metering in brief

Bihar net metering lets a solar plant export extra units to the grid and net them against the units the customer draws. The Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) writes the rules, and the state's two distribution companies run them on the ground. Bihar's rooftop market is still young, so the process is straightforward but the figures need checking against the latest BERC order.

The items EPCs watch most are the per-consumer capacity cap — commonly cited around 500 kW — the 1.1 kW small-system clause, and BERC's billing relaxation. All three are order-specific and change; verify the latest BERC order before you quote.

NBPDCL and SBPDCL — which serves your site

Bihar is split between two distribution companies. You apply to the one that serves the installation site, named on the customer's bill.

Net metering, net billing or gross — which applies?

Bihar has offered net metering, where export is netted against import in units. The model can vary by consumer class and system size under BERC orders, and BERC's billing relaxation affects how the credit is settled.

The three models in plain words

• Net metering — export is subtracted from import in units; you pay for the net units.
• Net billing — export is paid a separate, usually lower, rate; import is at the retail tariff.
• Gross metering — all generation is sold at a fixed feed-in tariff and you buy all power at retail.

Which model and export value apply to your customer is set by the current BERC regulation. Verify the latest BERC order, including the billing relaxation, before you build a savings case. Our net vs gross vs net-billing guide explains how each one changes the payback.

Capacity caps and the 1.1 kW clause

Your system size in Bihar is tied to the customer's sanctioned load and to the headroom on the local distribution transformer (DT). The DISCOM checks both at feasibility. Bihar also has a small-system easing — a clause where very small systems do not need a sanctioned-load change.

The numbers that move

The ~500 kW per-consumer cap, the 1.1 kW no-load-change clause, and the DT solar-share limit are all BERC figures that change with each order. There is no single national DT loading number — around 30% is commonly cited, but it varies by state and feeder. Every one of these is an estimate; verify the current cap, the 1.1 kW clause and the DT rule with NBPDCL, SBPDCL or BERC before you size the plant. If the system exceeds the sanctioned load, the customer needs a load enhancement first.

Under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules 2020, systems up to a threshold (long cited as ≤10 kW) have a form of deemed feasibility — but that threshold has been debated and amended in 2024–2026, so verify the current threshold and how your Bihar DISCOM applies it.

The application process, step by step

NBPDCL and SBPDCL take the net-metering application against the customer's existing consumer number. Here is the flow an EPC follows from start to a working, metered plant.

The exact portal flow and the sequencing of the CEI / electrical inspection change with DISCOM circulars and BERC orders. Re-check the current DISCOM process before you file.

Documents you need for a Bihar application

Collect the document set before you open the application. A missing or mismatched paper is the most common reason a file sits.

See our full net-metering documents checklist for the EPC-grade version that works across states.

Fees, deposits and meter cost

Bihar net metering has three money items: the application or processing charge, a possible security deposit on any extra sanctioned load, and the cost of the bidirectional meter. The DISCOM supplies, tests and seals the meter.

The figures that change

The application charge, the deposit and the meter cost are BERC and DISCOM decisions that move. The 1.1 kW small-system clause can also remove a load-change cost for tiny systems. These are estimates; verify the current fee schedule with NBPDCL or SBPDCL before you put numbers in a quote. Our deposit, meter and fee guide shows how to model these line items.

Timeline and commissioning

A clean Bihar net-metering case commonly runs a few weeks from feasibility to a sealed meter, but the real timeline depends on the DISCOM, the plant size, meter stock and whether a CEI inspection is needed. Larger commercial plants take longer than a small home system.

What happens at commissioning

At commissioning, the DISCOM installs the bidirectional meter, tests it, and seals it. Export only starts counting from that date. Compare states in our timeline by state guide. All timeline figures are estimates — verify the current schedule with your DISCOM.

Feasibility and DT notes for Bihar sites

Feasibility decides the plant size the DISCOM will allow. The DISCOM looks at the distribution transformer (DT) the customer's connection sits on, the existing rooftop solar on that transformer, and the customer's sanctioned load. A good roof can still get a cut size if the transformer is already carrying its share of solar.

What an EPC should check before applying

• Sanctioned load — read it off the latest bill; if the plant is larger, plan the load enhancement first, unless it falls under the 1.1 kW no-load-change clause (verify).
• Transformer headroom — ask the DISCOM whether the local DT has solar room before you commit a size.
• Phase match — a three-phase plant needs a three-phase connection; a single-phase connection caps the size.
• CEI trigger — larger systems need an electrical inspection; plan for it early.

The exact DT solar-share figure the DISCOM applies is a BERC item and varies by feeder. Treat it as an estimate and verify the current rule with NBPDCL or SBPDCL before you promise a size. An informal feasibility check saves a formal rejection later.

When it stalls — delays and escalation

Most Bihar delays come from feasibility queries, a DT-loading limit, or a wait for the meter. First, clear the query the DISCOM raised — a corrected SLD or a load enhancement often unblocks it. If the file still sits, escalate up the DISCOM hierarchy and, if needed, raise it with BERC under the consumer grievance route.

The national Rights of Consumers Rules set time-bound expectations for connection steps, which gives you a clear basis to push. Our delay and escalation guide maps the full path. Keep a dated record of every submission.

How SuryaHub helps Bihar EPCs

In a young market like Bihar, the win is a clean, repeatable process across NBPDCL and SBPDCL. SuryaHub keeps the whole pipeline — from lead through the DISCOM and net-metering steps to handover — in one place, so a Bihar EPC can see exactly where each plant sits, which document is pending, and when the meter is due. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; the only real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL, and every state figure here is a scheme estimate, not a guarantee.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references

Bihar net-metering caps, the 1.1 kW clause, the metering model, fees and the billing relaxation come from BERC orders and DISCOM circulars and change with each amendment. Always confirm the current figure with NBPDCL, SBPDCL and BERC before you apply.

• Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) ↗

  Sets Bihar net-metering caps, the metering model, fees and billing relaxation. Verify the current notified order.

• NBPDCL / SBPDCL ↗

  The two Bihar DISCOMs that run net metering on the ground; see also sbpdcl.co.in.

• Ministry of Power — Rights of Consumers Rules ↗

  National rules on deemed feasibility and bidirectional metering.