Govt mandates real-time weather tracking at large solar, wind plants; CEA issues strict AWS rules
real-time weather tracking
at large
renewable energy projects
, the
Central Electricity Authority
(CEA) has notified stringent technical guidelines for
Automatic Weather Stations
(AWS) at
solar and wind power plants
across the country. Every project of 50 MW and above will now be required to log encrypted weather data at 15-minute intervals, store it for six months, and transmit it securely to national agencies.
The guidelines—released in July 2025—are aimed at improving accuracy of renewable generation forecasts, strengthening
grid reliability
, and ensuring secure cyber-physical systems at clean energy installations.
According to the CEA, all existing and upcoming wind and solar power projects with capacities of 50 MW or more are required to deploy AWS with specified sensors to monitor weather parameters including solar irradiance, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and rainfall. The recorded data must be stored locally for a minimum of six months and shared with the National and Regional Load Dispatch Centres (NLDC/RLDC), State Load Dispatch Centres (SLDC), and Renewable Energy Management Centres (REMCs).
The AWS must be equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers for time synchronization and should be capable of encrypting and transmitting data every 15 minutes using secure communication protocols.
The guidelines also prescribe minimum sensor specifications and calibration standards. For instance, irradiance sensors must be secondary standard pyranometers compliant with ISO 9060 Class A, while wind sensors must meet IEC 61400-12-1 or WMO standards. Temperature sensors are required to have accuracy within ±0.2°C, and barometric pressure sensors must offer resolution of at least 0.1 hPa.
In a significant step toward grid integration and
energy forecasting
, the guidelines stipulate that developers must also share AWS data with designated agencies, as instructed by Central Transmission Utility (CTU), SLDCs, and REMCs. In case of data loss or system failure, the project developer must inform all stakeholders within 15 minutes.
The guidelines apply to utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, onshore wind farms, and hybrid systems including solar-wind combinations. These will be applicable to both AC and DC capacities of 50 MW and above. However, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are excluded from the AWS requirement unless co-located with solar or wind capacity.
The AWS data is expected to play a critical role in energy forecasting models, grid dispatch planning, and renewable integration into India's electricity system, especially as the country targets 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
CEA has made it mandatory for project developers to provide real-time data access to grid operators and to ensure robust local storage with backup power supply. Furthermore, the AWS should have protective enclosures to ensure continuous operation under various environmental conditions.
The guidelines also mandate compliance with cybersecurity provisions under the Central Electricity Authority (Cyber Security in Power Sector) Guidelines, 2021. This includes safeguarding data acquisition systems and ensuring data integrity through encryption and authentication protocols.
AWS installations are to be certified by a CEA-empanelled agency, and periodic calibration of sensors is mandatory. All installations must include meteorological masts at a minimum height of 10 metres, though wind farms with turbines over 100 metres tall must use hub-height sensors.
In case of large solar or wind installations exceeding 150 MW, at least two AWS systems are required to be deployed. Additionally, if the plant area exceeds 10 sq km, an extra AWS must be added per 10 sq km.
The directive comes amid increasing reliance on weather-sensitive power generation and the need for accurate, real-time meteorological data to support India's growing renewable portfolio.
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