Who pays if wind damages a rooftop solar plant within the guarantee period, going by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy specification?
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) specification says the empanelled agency shall be fully responsible for damage to the plant caused by high wind velocity within the guarantee period, and the structure design factor of safety is a minimum of 1.5. Its vendor insurance clause names only material in transit and storage before commissioning.
What the wind clauses say
These are clauses from the technical specification in Annexure 3 of MNRE's guidelines for its residential rooftop solar scheme, Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. A factory is not bound by them, but they are a published checklist to hold a quotation against.
- Clause 3.6: the mounting structure shall be designed to withstand the speed for the wind zone of the location. The array structure design shall be appropriate with a factor of safety of minimum 1.5.
- Clause 3.7: the upper edge of the module must be covered with a wind shield so as to avoid air ingress below the module.
- Clause 3.8: suitable fastening arrangement such as grouting and clamping (printed as calming) should be provided to secure the installation against the specific wind speed.
- Clause 3.8 also says the empanelled agency shall be fully responsible for any damages to the solar photovoltaic (PV) system caused due to high wind velocity within guarantee period as per technical specification.
- Raw material for the structure is to comply with wind loading conditions as per IS 875 Part III (Indian Standard, IS).
How long the guarantee runs
- My reading: the guarantee period in clause 3.8 is the 5 year system warranty in clause 9 below, and the empanelled agency is the vendor. The technical specification defines no guarantee period, so the link is an inference.
- Model agreement clause 9: the complete system should be warranted for 5 years from the date of commissioning by DISCOM (the distribution company), which is the wording as printed.
- Clause 12: five years of comprehensive operation and maintenance, including overhauling, wear and tear and regular checking of the health of the system.
- Ask for the five year period to be stated in your contract from the date you sign the commissioning report, so that the wording above cannot be read two ways.
Insurance is the gap
Clause 13 of the model agreement names, for the vendor, any insurance cost pertaining to material transfer and storage before commissioning of the system. My reading: it names nothing after commissioning, so the vendor has no insurance duty under this clause, and storm, fire and theft cover on the running plant is yours to arrange. Tell your insurer the plant exists and ask whether the vendor's wind responsibility changes the premium.
What to put in your contract
- The wind zone and design wind speed used, with the designer's calculation.
- A line saying the vendor repairs or replaces wind damage inside the guarantee period at its cost.
- A named person and a response time for a storm claim.
- Photographs of fasteners, grouting and wind shield at handover.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads fuel invoices and electricity bills into monthly records, so your monthly grid units are on file. It does not insure, inspect or rate a plant.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-06. Re-check clause numbers and figures against the current version of the guidelines before you rely on them. Clause 3 is in Annexure 3; clauses 9, 12 and 13 are in Annexure 2. Whether a wind loss is covered is a matter for your signed contract and your insurer.