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Rooftop solar in Andhra Pradesh: subsidy, free plants for SC/ST homes and APERC net metering

The central subsidy, the state’s free rooftop plants for SC and ST households, the promised top-up for Backward Classes, how APERC’s net metering pays for surplus every month, the 2026 changes for single-phase homes, and how to apply with APEPDCL, APCPDCL or APSPDCL.

Last updated: 24 October 2026 · Luminity

Andhra Pradesh has more people queuing for rooftop solar than almost any other state. By 31 July 2026 it had 9,04,508 applications on the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana portal, behind only Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, and 2,66,417 systems installed with 814.09 MW of capacity and ₹1,512.61 crore of central subsidy released, according to figures the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy gave the Lok Sabha.

Those portal figures undercount what is on the state’s roofs. Andhra Pradesh is also running one of the country’s largest utility-led rooftop programmes, in which the DISCOMs themselves install plants on the homes of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe consumers. On 7 August 2026, Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K. Vijayanand said the state had installed 4,11,915 rooftop systems as of 4 August, including 1,33,477 under the SC/ST programme that were still awaiting upload to the national portal.

As on 24 October 2026: central subsidy ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW plus ₹18,000 for the third kW (maximum ₹78,000). Free DISCOM-installed plants for SC/ST homes using up to 200 units a month. A ₹20,000 top-up for BC households on 2 kW systems has cabinet approval but was still being rolled out. Net surplus is paid monthly at ₹2.09 a unit. No application fee for home systems up to 5 kWp. Figures can change; your DISCOM, APERC and the national portal have the final word.

What you get, by household

How much help you get depends less on system size than on which group your household falls in.

Household	Central subsidy (₹)	State support	Who installs
Any domestic consumer, 1 kW	30,000	None	You, through a registered vendor
Any domestic consumer, 2 kW	60,000	None	You, through a registered vendor
Any domestic consumer, 3 kW or more	78,000 (maximum)	None	You, through a registered vendor
SC/ST household using up to 200 units a month	Used by the DISCOM towards the plant	State pays the rest of the cost, plus roof rent of ₹1 per sq ft a month	DISCOM (utility-led aggregation), plant preferably 2 kW
BC household, 2 kW (approved, rollout pending)	60,000	₹20,000 extra, for homes using up to 200 units a month	Proposed BC utility-led model

The central subsidy is credited after your system is installed, inspected and its details are verified on the portal. It is the same everywhere in India; what makes Andhra Pradesh different is the state’s own programmes for poorer households.

Free rooftop plants for SC and ST households

The state already gives SC and ST domestic consumers up to 200 units of free electricity a month under the Jagjeevan Jyothi scheme. In G.O.Rt.No.16 of 22 February 2025, the government decided to supply that free power from rooftop solar instead, and told the three DISCOMs to use the utility-owned, utility-led aggregation (ULA) model in MNRE’s guidelines. The main terms:

Who qualifies: SC and ST domestic consumers using up to 200 units a month.
Plant size: preferably within 2 kWp per home.
Cost to the household: nothing. The state bears the capital cost beyond the central subsidy, funded through its existing SC/ST power subsidy; the DISCOMs may borrow first and the state services the loans.
Roof rent: the state pays the household ₹1 per square foot of roof a month.
Maintenance: the installer maintains the plant for 12 years, the first 5 free, then hands it to the DISCOM in working order. Each home gets a smart meter as part of the scheme cost.
No suitable roof: such households are to be served from plants elsewhere through APERC’s virtual net metering rules.

Progress has been uneven. By early August 2026 the state had set a target of 5,99,105 systems with 1,198.21 MW for the SC/ST programme; materials had been supplied for 3,01,524 and 2,27,549 installations were complete, 38% of the target. APSPDCL led with 47%, ahead of APCPDCL (35%) and APEPDCL (32%). If you qualify, the scheme comes to you through your DISCOM; you do not apply through a vendor.

The ₹20,000 top-up for Backward Classes

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the BC top-up in the Assembly in March 2025, and the state cabinet approved it on 11 December 2025: an extra ₹20,000 on top of the central subsidy for BC consumers using up to 200 units a month who install a 2 kW system, taking total support to ₹80,000. Telugu daily Samayam reported after the decision that the formal orders were still awaited. In August 2026, Vijayanand asked officials to speed up the rollout of the “proposed” BC utility-led aggregation model under which it will be paid. Until your DISCOM confirms how and when it applies, do not count on it when you compare vendor quotes.

How net metering and payment work

Rooftop systems in the state are governed by APERC’s Grid Interactive Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems Regulation, 2023 (Regulation No. 4 of 2023), as amended in December 2025. The basics for a home:

Size: at least 1 kWp, and within your contracted load. Net metering is allowed up to 500 kWp and net billing up to 1,000 kWp, so the cap does not bind for homes.
Monthly settlement: what you export is set off against what you import in each billing month. Net import is billed at your normal tariff; if net drawal is below the minimum energy in the tariff order, you pay for that minimum.
Payment for surplus: net export is paid every month at the feed-in tariff of ₹2.09 a unit under net metering or net billing, fixed for 25 years or the life of the plant. Gross metering on LT supply pays ₹3.13 a unit, but then all your consumption is billed at the retail tariff.
Bank details: payment is by electronic transfer, so you must give a cancelled cheque with your account number and IFSC code with the application.
No wheeling charges or losses where the plant and your consumption are at the same point, and no cross-subsidy surcharge. Grid support charges apply as set in APERC’s tariff orders.

Monthly payment has not always happened in practice. In February 2026 APERC said it had received several complaints during the tariff hearings that settlement was not monthly and that prosumers were not being paid for surplus, and it directed the DISCOMs to settle monthly and pay by electronic transfer “forthwith”. If your bill shows exports but no payment, take it up with your DISCOM first, citing clauses 16.1 and 16.5 of the regulation.

What changed in 2026

5 kW on single phase (5 August 2026): consumers with single-phase LT connections and connected loads up to 5 kW can now install up to 5 kW. APEPDCL had told APERC that the old 3 kW cap was blocking net metering approvals for PM Surya Ghar applicants.
More room on transformers (22 July 2026): the total rooftop capacity allowed on a distribution transformer was raised from 80% to 100% of its rating. APEPDCL had asked for 120%; the other two DISCOMs warned that more than 100% could cause reverse power flow and voltage problems. The feeder limit stays at 100%.
SGST refund withdrawn (24 March 2026): G.O.Ms.No.18 deleted the 100% SGST reimbursement that the state’s 2025 clean energy guidelines had offered domestic PM Surya Ghar consumers.

How to apply

Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your electricity service number, select your DISCOM (APEPDCL, APCPDCL or APSPDCL) and pick a registered vendor. Our PM Surya Ghar guide has the steps.
Within 7 working days the DISCOM must either point out missing details or acknowledge a complete application. For LT connections it must then communicate technical feasibility within 7 working days; if it stays silent, feasibility is deemed approved. Feasibility is valid for four months and can be extended to at most ten.
Sign and submit the net metering agreement within four months of feasibility. It is deemed accepted if the DISCOM raises no remarks within two weeks.
Install within three months of the agreement (a one-time three-month extension is allowed), then request inspection online with the work completion report. The DISCOM must inspect within 10 working days, and inspection is deemed approved if it does not.
The DISCOM tests and seals the meter and synchronises the plant within 7 working days of inspection approval, and issues a commissioning certificate. Billing on the new arrangement starts within a month or the next billing cycle.

There is no application fee for systems up to 5 kWp, and APERC has told the DISCOMs to waive application fees and net metering costs for domestic rooftop systems inside and outside PM Surya Ghar. The national helpline is 15555.

Common pitfalls

Counting on the BC top-up too early. It has cabinet approval but is tied to a proposed DISCOM-led model; check with your DISCOM before you sign.
Being promised an SGST refund. The state withdrew the reimbursement in March 2026.
Oversizing for export. Surplus earns ₹2.09 a unit, far less than the tariff you avoid by using solar power yourself.
Skipping the bank details. Without them the DISCOM cannot pay for your monthly surplus.
Letting feasibility lapse. It expires after four months unless extended, and the agreement must be filed within that window.
Paying agents to “register” you. Registration on the national portal is free, and SC/ST households in the free scheme should not be paying anyone.

Questions people ask

How much subsidy does an Andhra Pradesh household get for rooftop solar?

Every household gets the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy: ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third kW, capped at ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above. SC and ST households using up to 200 units a month are covered by a separate state programme that installs a plant, preferably 2 kW, at no cost to them. The state cabinet has also approved an extra ₹20,000 for Backward Classes households on a 2 kW system, but the rollout was still described as proposed in August 2026.

Is rooftop solar free for SC and ST households in Andhra Pradesh?

Yes, for eligible homes. Under G.O.Rt.No.16 of 22 February 2025, the DISCOMs install, own and maintain rooftop plants for SC and ST domestic consumers who use up to 200 units a month, the households already covered by the state’s free-power scheme. The state pays the cost beyond the central subsidy out of its existing SC/ST power subsidy, and pays the household a roof lease rent of ₹1 per square foot a month. Homes without suitable roofs are to be served through virtual net metering.

What do I get paid for surplus solar power?

Under APERC’s rules, export and import are settled every month. If you export more than you import, the DISCOM pays for the net export at the feed-in tariff, ₹2.09 a unit under net metering or net billing, by electronic transfer to your bank account. If you import more, you pay for the net import at your normal tariff, subject to the minimum energy charge in the tariff order.

Can I install 5 kW on a single-phase connection?

Yes, since 5 August 2026. The regulations had capped single-phase systems at 3 kW, which blocked net metering approvals for PM Surya Ghar applicants with 5 kW single-phase loads. APERC now allows consumers with single-phase LT connections and a connected load of up to 5 kW to install systems of up to 5 kW.

Are there application or net metering fees?

Not for homes. The amended regulations charge no application fee for systems up to 5 kWp (₹1,000 above 5 kWp and up to 100 kWp), and APERC directed the DISCOMs in 2025 to waive application fees and net metering costs for domestic rooftop systems, whether or not they are under PM Surya Ghar.

Can I still claim the SGST refund on my rooftop system?

No, not under the current guidelines. The state’s 2025 clean energy guidelines offered domestic PM Surya Ghar consumers a 100% reimbursement of SGST on rooftop systems. G.O.Ms.No.18 of 24 March 2026 deleted that provision and the claim form.

How long should approvals take?

For LT connections, the DISCOM must flag missing details within 7 working days and communicate technical feasibility within 7 working days of a complete application; if it does not, feasibility is deemed approved. Inspection is due within 10 working days of your completion request, and is deemed approved if the DISCOM misses that, and the plant must be synchronised within 7 working days of inspection approval.

Sources

Capacity limits, feed-in tariffs, settlement, fees and timelines are from APERC Regulation No. 4 of 2023 as amended by Regulation No. 10 of 2025 and its errata, with APERC’s orders of 22 July 2026 and 5 August 2026, its directions of 6 February 2026 and its letter of 23 July 2025. The SC/ST programme terms are from G.O.Rt.No.16 of 22 February 2025, and the SGST change from G.O.Ms.No.18 of 24 March 2026. Programme progress is from the Deccan Chronicle’s report of 7 August 2026, and installation figures from the annexure to Lok Sabha unstarred question 2806, answered on 5 August 2026.

Related reporting is on the solar and policy pages. Other state guides: Uttar Pradesh (a ₹15,000-per-kW top-up, up to ₹30,000), Rajasthan (₹17,000 and 150 free units), Maharashtra (the SMART scheme), Gujarat (central subsidy only), Tamil Nadu (up to ₹22,000), Delhi (up to ₹78,000, with free plants for homes up to 400 units), Kerala (time-of-day net metering rules since January 2026) and Karnataka (central subsidy only, with KERC’s 2026 rules opening net metering to all consumers). If a number here disagrees with your DISCOM, APERC or the national portal, theirs wins. Corrections: [email protected].