Senseible

Which grid emission factor does a wind or solar project in India use for emission reductions?

A large project under ACM0002 must use the combined margin. For wind and solar, CEA's own worked example weights the operating margin 75% and build margin 25%: 0.75 x 0.962 + 0.25 x 0.446 gives 0.833 t CO2 per MWh, using a three-year operating margin.

CEA's worked example, version 22.0

  1. Project: 100 MW wind farm, 312,500 MWh a year to the grid.
  2. Operating margin fixed ex ante as the generation-weighted average of FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26: 0.962.
  3. Build margin for FY 2025-26: 0.446.
  4. Combined margin with 75:25 weights for intermittent sources: 0.833.
  5. Projected reductions: 312,500 x 0.833 = 260,312.5 t CO2 a year.

Small projects

A project under 15 MW using AMS-I.D may choose the weighted average instead. CEA's example for a 5 MW hydro station uses 0.675 for FY 2025-26, giving 11,812.5 t CO2 a year on 17,500 MWh.

Check before you use it

Methodology versions and weights change. Confirm the rules of the programme you register under, whether CCTS, Verra or Gold Standard, before fixing a factor in the project design document.

What Senseible does here

Senseible keeps dated, site-level records from invoices and meter documents, useful as monitoring evidence. It does not register projects or issue carbon credits.

Sources: CEA, CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector, User Guide and database, Version 22.0 (August 2026)

Last reviewed 2026-10-23.