Commercial rooftop solar in Gandhinagar: sector offices, Infocity and GIFT City

Three power companies, one city

Torrent Power supplies the planned sectors of Gandhinagar. UGVCL supplies Kalol, Mansa, Dehgam and the villages. Areas just outside the sectors, such as Kudasan, Sargasan, Raysan and Infocity, can fall on either side, and the address does not tell you which. GIFT City has its own distribution licensee, GIFT Power Company Ltd, licensed by GERC.

Your bill names the company that will process your net meter. Torrent lists its solar document counter for the Gandhinagar zone in Sector 11, near Ch-3 Circle. UGVCL cases go to the sub-division on the bill. In GIFT City, the application goes to GIFT Power. GERC's net metering regulations cover all licensees in the state, so the core rules are the same everywhere.

GIFT City: district cooling changes the load

GIFT City runs what it calls India's first district cooling system. Chilled water is made centrally and sent to buildings through the utility tunnel, which removes the need for outdoor AC units and building-level cooling towers. For solar this matters: a tower on district cooling does not run its own chiller compressors, so the electricity it buys is mostly lifts, lighting, IT equipment, fans and pumps. The daytime electrical load is likely to be smaller than in a similar office elsewhere, and a modest plant may cover a larger share of it. Confirm with your building management how cooling is supplied and billed in your tower before sizing anything.

The towers here, office buildings in the IFSC and domestic tariff area, banks, tech offices and hotels, have small roofs for their height and many occupiers. Rooftop solar is a decision for the building owner or association, usually for the common load. Bigger buildings are on HT, where solar is set off only between 7 am and 6 pm on the same day.

Roof work on a tall tower also needs more care than on a sector shop. Wind at the top of a high-rise is stronger, so the mounting structure has to be designed and anchored for that height, and the waterproofing and roof access rules of the building have to be respected. Ask the installer to show the wind design before work starts.

Sector 11 and Sector 21: low-rise centres with open roofs

The commercial centres in the sectors hold shops, offices, banks and coaching institutes in buildings of a few floors. Compared with a tower, the roof is large relative to the load below it, which makes solar more useful. The catch is the same as in any multi-owner building: each shop has its own Torrent meter, and the current rules allow a plant on one connection only. The association's common meter, or one owner with written terrace rights, is the realistic route. Group and virtual net metering are not in force in Gujarat; GERC's 2026 draft regulations only propose them.

Shops and small offices on Non-RGP connections net solar over the whole billing cycle, which suits the weekly rhythm of a sector market. Coaching institutes with AC classrooms through the day are a good daytime match.

Infocity, Kudasan, Sargasan and Raysan

• Infocity: IT offices, complexes and hotels. Office hours fit the solar day well. Check whether you are on Torrent or UGVCL, and on LTMD remember that only use between 7 am and 6 pm counts against solar.
• Kudasan and Sargasan: new commercial complexes, showrooms, clinics and schools. Terrace rights in new buildings may still be unsettled, so speak to the developer or association early.
• Raysan: newer complexes and small offices at the city's edge. Single-owner showrooms and schools on their own plots are the simplest projects here.
• Anywhere: units left over after set-off are bought by the power company at a rate linked to GUVNL's solar tenders, not carried forward, so size to your normal working day.

Rented offices and the paperwork

If your office is leased, as is common in towers and IT complexes, GERC's rules allow rooftop solar on rented premises and systems owned by a developer or third party; the owner's written consent is the key document. Systems up to 10 kW need no technical feasibility study under the 2024 amendment. Businesses get no PM Surya Ghar subsidy; ask your CA about accelerated depreciation. If you want, we can connect you with one checked installer who works in your part of Gandhinagar.