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Rooftop solar subsidy in Delhi: what a household gets in 2026

The central subsidy, Delhi’s new state subsidy of up to ₹78,000, free 2–3 kW plants for homes averaging up to 400 units a month, how the ULA and DISCOM trusteeship models work, DERC net metering, and how to give consent on the Delhi Solar Portal.

Last updated: 21 October 2026 · Luminity

Delhi has had a generous electricity subsidy for years but very little rooftop solar to show for it. By 31 July 2026, the capital had received 53,987 applications under the central PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana but had only 10,748 systems installed, with 47.59 MW of capacity covering 15,729 households, according to figures the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy gave the Lok Sabha. Uttar Pradesh had 7,15,951 systems by the same date.

The Delhi Government’s answer is the second amendment to the Delhi Solar Energy Policy 2023, notified by the Department of Power on 17 September 2026. It raises the state subsidy from ₹10,000 per kW (up to ₹30,000) to ₹26,000 per kW (up to ₹78,000), drops the generation-based incentive for new home systems, offers free plants to homes that already get subsidised power, and lets the discoms act as “trustees” so households no longer have to pay the full price upfront and wait for subsidies. The amendment itself notes that subsidies under the existing route reach consumers only after installation, which ordinarily takes one to two months, and that the loan rejection rate in Delhi is reported to be about 48%. The policy now runs to 31 March 2030 and targets 2,20,000 new residential rooftop systems.

As on 21 October 2026: central subsidy ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW plus ₹18,000 for the third kW (maximum ₹78,000), plus a Delhi subsidy of up to ₹26,000 per kW for systems up to 3 kW (maximum ₹78,000). Homes averaging up to 400 units a month in FY 2025-26 can get a 2 or 3 kW plant free, subject to feasibility. Figures can change; the Delhi Solar Portal, your discom and the national portal have the final word.

What you get, by system size

Delhi gets the standard central rates. The state amount is ₹26,000 per kW up to 3 kW, but it is also limited to whatever the plant costs after the central subsidy, so the combined support can never exceed the project cost. The table shows the maximum.

System size	Central subsidy (₹)	Delhi subsidy, up to (₹)	Total, up to (₹)
1 kW	30,000	26,000	56,000
2 kW	60,000	52,000	1,12,000
3 kW	78,000	78,000	1,56,000
Above 3 kW, up to 10 kW	78,000 (maximum)	78,000 (no additional subsidy)	1,56,000

The gazette gives two worked examples for a 3 kW plant. At a project cost of ₹1,75,000, the Centre pays ₹78,000, Delhi pays ₹78,000 and the household pays ₹19,000. At ₹1,50,000, Delhi’s share drops to ₹72,000 so that the two subsidies exactly cover the cost, and the household pays nothing. Housing societies and RWAs get ₹18,000 per kW from the Centre plus ₹11,000 per kW from Delhi for common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kW at 3 kW per house.

Free solar for homes up to 400 units a month

Delhi already gives residential consumers a zero bill up to 200 units a month and a subsidy of up to ₹800 on bills between 201 and 400 units. The amendment extends that group a free plant:

Who qualifies: residential consumers whose average gross monthly consumption in the previous financial year, including solar, was up to 400 units. For the current phase that is FY 2025-26. “Gross” means your solar generation plus net imports minus exports.
What you get: a 2 kW or 3 kW plant at no cost, if the roof is technically feasible. BRPL’s guidance puts the shadow-free roof needed at about 200 sq ft for 2 kW and 300 sq ft for 3 kW.
Who pays: the Centre pays its PM Surya Ghar subsidy and the Delhi Government pays the rest of the vendor’s price, including any extra top-up the tendered rate needs.
Who is excluded: households that have already taken a solar subsidy under PM Surya Ghar or the Delhi scheme. The portal also turns away non-residential connections and connections that already have more than 1 kW installed; those homes can still use the normal PM Surya Ghar route.
How many: the scheme note says up to 1.10 lakh installations will go through the PM Surya Ghar utility-led aggregation (ULA) framework in the first phase, first come, first served, up to 28 February 2027.

Homes under 200 units a month get an extra benefit. They keep the 100% electricity subsidy on any net units and also earn an incentive of 50% of their energy savings against the previous year’s average, paid annually. The portal describes this as up to ₹300 a month. The gazette’s example, a 150-unit home with a 2 kW plant generating 200 units, keeps a zero bill and earns about ₹550 a month from surplus payments and the incentive.

One caveat is written into the policy itself: the free plants depend on the central subsidy, and PM Surya Ghar currently runs to 31 March 2027. The amendment says the free-solar offer will be reviewed if the central scheme is not extended.

ULA, DISCOM trusteeship or your own vendor

There are now three ways to put solar on a Delhi roof, and the same vendors can work under all of them.

	ULA model	DISCOM trusteeship model	Normal PM Surya Ghar route
Vendor chosen by	Tender run for the state (IPGCL)	Bidding or expression of interest by IPGCL among PM Surya Ghar vendors	You, from registered vendors
Price	Discovered in the tender	Discovered in bidding	Agreed between you and the vendor
Delhi subsidy paid to	Vendor	Vendor, after commissioning	You, after commissioning
What you pay	Nothing up to 400 units; otherwise the balance, within the ULA ceiling	Discovered cost minus the Delhi subsidy, with the central subsidy credited to you	Full price upfront, subsidies later
Size	2 or 3 kW	Up to 3 kW	Any, subsidy capped at 3 kW

ULA is meant to be the default wherever the tendered price fits within the subsidies plus the maximum consumer share. Where it does not, the home is shifted to the trusteeship model rather than dropped. Until IPGCL finishes empanelment, households can use any PM Surya Ghar vendor and still get ₹26,000 per kW from Delhi; the consent guide says vendor selection may take about one and a half to two months.

The trusteeship part also covers maintenance after year five. PM Surya Ghar vendors must maintain the plant free for the first five years. After that, if you agree, your discom arranges maintenance, directly or through empanelled agencies, and adds the charge to your monthly bill. It is optional: you can make your own arrangements and pay nothing through the bill. Optional group insurance against fire, theft and weather damage will be offered the same way.

Net metering in Delhi

Rooftop systems connect under the DERC (Net Metering for Renewable Energy) Regulations, 2014, as amended in 2024:

Size: at least 1 kW, and limited by grid feasibility, your service line and your sanctioned load. If the system is bigger than the sanctioned load, you pay the difference in service line cum development charges.
Up to 10 kW: since the 2024 amendment, systems up to 10 kW on the same supply type are exempt from technical feasibility studies, and the discom must carry out any load enhancement or transformer upgrade needed. Feasibility for larger systems must be done within 15 days of a complete application.
Billing: your bill shows units exported, imported, billed and carried forward. Surplus units in a billing cycle are carried forward as energy credit.
Year-end: credits still unused at the end of the financial year are paid for by the discom at rates DERC notifies. The amendment’s example uses an APPC of ₹6.5 a unit.
Charges: net-metered systems were exempted from wheeling, banking, cross-subsidy and other charges for five years under the 2014 regulations, unless extended.

Flats and homes without a usable roof have options too. Under DERC’s group and virtual net metering guidelines, several consumers can share one plant and get credits in proportion to their share, and a consumer with several connections in the same discom area can use surplus from one against another.

How to apply

Keep your CA number (from your electricity bill), your discom’s name (BRPL, BYPL, TPDDL, NDMC or MES) and a mobile number ready.
Open solar.delhi.gov.in, read the scheme overview and choose “Confirm & Apply Now”, or pick “Consumer Consent for RTS Installation” from the home page.
Enter the CA number, discom and mobile number, and verify with the OTP. The portal checks your eligibility from the CA number and shows your category: free plant (up to 200 or 201-400 units) or subsidised plant (above 400 units).
Choose 2 kW or 3 kW, add the revenue district and pincode, and give consent under the ULA model of PM Surya Ghar. Save the reference number you get on screen and by SMS.
Apply for the net meter on your discom’s portal. A selected vendor visits to check feasibility and installs only if the site passes.
After installation, the discom fits the net meter. Subsidies are routed as the model you are under provides.

If you prefer your own vendor or want more than 3 kW, register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in instead; our PM Surya Ghar guide has the steps. BRPL’s solar helpline is 19123 (option 3). The PM Surya Ghar national helpline is 15555.

Common pitfalls

Assuming “free” is guaranteed. It is subject to roof feasibility, the first-come, first-served cap, approvals and the central scheme continuing beyond March 2027.
Judging eligibility by your bill. Eligibility uses average gross consumption in FY 2025-26, not the units you paid for this month.
Already having solar. A connection with more than 1 kW installed, or a household that took a solar subsidy before, cannot use the free route.
Oversizing. Neither subsidy grows beyond 3 kW, and surplus is paid at the DERC rate, which is lower than the retail tariff you avoid by using the power yourself.
Expecting GBI. New home systems no longer earn the generation-based incentive; the money has moved into the upfront subsidy.
Paying agents to “register” you. Consent on the Delhi Solar Portal and registration on the national portal are free.

Questions people ask

How much subsidy does a Delhi household get for rooftop solar?

Two amounts. The central PM Surya Ghar subsidy is ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third, up to ₹78,000. Since the second amendment to the Delhi Solar Energy Policy 2023, notified on 17 September 2026, the Delhi Government adds up to ₹26,000 per kW for systems up to 3 kW, capped at ₹78,000. Together that is up to ₹1.56 lakh for a 3 kW system. The state amount is the lower of ₹26,000 per kW and the project cost left after the central subsidy, so the two never add up to more than the plant costs.

Is rooftop solar really free in Delhi?

For some homes. Residential consumers whose average gross consumption in the previous financial year (FY 2025-26 for now) was up to 400 units a month can get a 2 kW or 3 kW plant at no cost, if the roof is technically feasible and the household has not taken a solar subsidy before under PM Surya Ghar or the Delhi scheme. The Delhi Government pays the cost left after the central subsidy, including any extra top-up the vendor price needs. Installations are done by vendors selected through IPGCL tenders, on a first-come, first-served basis.

What if my home uses more than 400 units a month?

You can still apply through the same consent route for up to 3 kW, but you pay the balance after both subsidies. The gazette’s example puts that at ₹19,000 for a 3 kW plant costing ₹1.75 lakh; BRPL’s October 2026 newsletter says ULA households above 400 units pay at most ₹5,000 per kW, or ₹15,000 for 3 kW, based on the tendered price. You can also go to any PM Surya Ghar vendor yourself and claim both subsidies.

Can I install more than 3 kW?

Yes, through a registered vendor outside the ULA and trusteeship models. You still get the central subsidy and the Delhi subsidy, but both stop growing at 3 kW: the state table gives no additional subsidy from 3 kW up to 10 kW.

Does Delhi still pay a generation-based incentive (GBI) to homes?

Not for new home installations. The second amendment discontinues GBI for new domestic rooftop systems and folds it into the bigger upfront capital subsidy. Homes that already receive GBI keep getting it under the policy. GBI continues for commercial and industrial consumers.

What happens to surplus units?

Under DERC’s net metering regulations, units you export beyond what you import in a billing cycle are carried forward as energy credit. Credits still unadjusted at the end of the financial year are paid for by the discom at rates DERC notifies. The amendment’s worked example values surplus at an average power purchase cost (APPC) of ₹6.5 a unit.

I live in a flat. Can I still use solar?

Yes. Group housing societies and RWAs get ₹18,000 per kW from the Centre plus ₹11,000 per kW from Delhi for common-area loads and EV charging, up to 500 kW at 3 kW per house. Delhi also allows virtual net metering, where several consumers share one plant and get credits in proportion to their share, and group net metering across connections in the same discom area.

Who do I deal with?

Consent is given on the Delhi Solar Portal (solar.delhi.gov.in). Net metering is handled by your discom: BSES Rajdhani (BRPL), BSES Yamuna (BYPL), Tata Power-DDL, NDMC or MES. IPGCL selects and empanels the vendors. The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management Centre of the Department of Power runs the portal.

Sources

Subsidy amounts, the cost formula, worked examples, free-solar eligibility, the GBI change, the trusteeship and ULA rules, the O&M arrangement, the 2,20,000 target and the 2030 validity are from the Delhi Solar Energy Policy 2023 (Second Amendment), notified on 17 September 2026. The 1.10 lakh first phase and 28 February 2027 date are from the Power Department’s scheme note. Portal steps, discom list and eligibility categories are from the Delhi Solar Portal consumer consent guide; central rates and society subsidy from the portal’s central-subsidy page. Net metering rules are from DERC’s 2014 regulations and 2024 amendment. The ₹5,000-per-kW ULA ceiling and roof areas are from BRPL’s October 2026 newsletter. Installation figures are 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) and Tamil Nadu (up to ₹22,000). If a number here disagrees with the Delhi Solar Portal, your discom, DERC or the national portal, theirs wins. Corrections: [email protected].