West Bengal cold storage cuts bills with 250 kW rooftop solar

A cold storage facility in Kotulpur, Bankura district, West Bengal has commissioned a 250 kW rooftop solar project. The system uses 585 Wp TOPCon bifacial modules from Anchor by Panasonic and two 125 kW Solis string inverters, mounted at a 15-degree tilt on a Galvalume structure to address roof weight limitations. Fender Vertex Solutions executed the project for operator Radharani Himghar, which runs facilities primarily for potato farmers and traders.

Project impact and savings

The project is expected to save approximately ₹2.8 million annually on electricity bills. It will offset the facility's prior annual consumption of around 120 MWh. The estimated simple payback period for the investment is two years and eight months.

Overcoming implementation challenges

Structural challenges arose due to rooftop weight limitations inherent in cold storage buildings. The engineering team addressed this by using a lightweight Galvalume mounting system. Fender Vertex Solutions said the approach "addressed the weight constraint by using Galvalume for the mounting structure, allowing it to reduce the structural load associated with the installation." The project also handled local net-metering policy hurdles in West Bengal during its implementation phase.

Broader market context

This installation reflects rapid growth in India's commercial and industrial solar sector. According to market research, India added 6.6 GW of rooftop solar capacity in the first half of 2026. This represents a 131% year-over-year increase from the 2.8 GW added in the same period the previous year.

The cold storage industry is one of the most energy-intensive segments of the commercial landscape. Maintaining temperature-controlled environments requires a constant, high-volume electricity supply. Rising operational expenses due to volatile grid power tariffs are a key challenge, positioning the sector as a major driver for future commercial solar growth.

Industry relevance and outlook

The integration of bifacial modules and high-efficiency string inverters is becoming standard practice for maximizing energy yield in limited rooftop spaces. This project serves as a case study for engineering, procurement, and construction contractors in overcoming site-specific challenges. Stakeholders should monitor upcoming regional policy shifts regarding net metering in West Bengal and across India.