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Rooftop solar in Odisha: up to ₹1,38,000 in central and state subsidy, and the net metering rules that cap what you earn
What a home in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Berhampur or anywhere else in Odisha can claim, how long the state top-up lasts, and why sizing matters more here than in most states.
Odisha is one of the few states that puts its own money on top of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana subsidy for every eligible household, not just poorer ones. A family that installs a 3 kW rooftop system can receive ₹78,000 from the Centre and ₹60,000 from the state, ₹1,38,000 in all. For a 2 kW system the two add up to ₹1,10,000.
The state top-up was approved by the cabinet in January 2025 and published in the Odisha Gazette by the Energy Department on 10 January 2025. The resolution said households in the state had not been able to use the central scheme much, because urban low- and middle-income families found it unaffordable and many rural homes lacked money or suitable roofs. It set aside ₹1,800 crore over 2024-25 to 2026-27 to bring rooftop solar to three lakh homes.
Take-up has picked up since. By 31 July 2026 Odisha had 2,99,481 applications on the national portal and 1,53,684 systems installed, covering 1,54,776 households with 373.65 MW, and ₹719.23 crore of central subsidy had been released, according to figures the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy gave the Lok Sabha. That is roughly half of the three-lakh target, with the state scheme due to end in March 2027.
As on 29 October 2026: central subsidy ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. State assistance ₹25,000 for 1 kW, ₹50,000 for 2 kW, ₹60,000 for 3 kW and above, until 2026-27. Credited generation is capped at 90% of your yearly consumption and surplus is not paid for. Figures can change; your DISCOM, OERC and the national portal have the final word.
What you get
| System size | Central subsidy (₹) | Odisha state assistance (₹) | Total (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | 30,000 | 25,000 | 55,000 |
| 2 kW | 60,000 | 50,000 | 1,10,000 |
| 3 kW and above | 78,000 (maximum) | 60,000 (maximum) | 1,38,000 |
Both amounts stop growing at 3 kW, so the subsidy covers a much larger share of a small system than a large one. As an illustration, a 3 kW system quoted at ₹1,80,000 would cost about ₹42,000 after both subsidies, while a 5 kW system quoted at ₹2,80,000 would still cost about ₹1,42,000. Your vendor’s quote and the portal decide the real numbers.
The fine print in the state resolution
- Who qualifies: all eligible PM Surya Ghar households across the state, with no income limit in the resolution.
- From when: installations from the scheme’s launch on 13 February 2024, so early adopters are covered too.
- Until when: the three-year scheme period, up to 2026-27.
- Bhubaneswar: the older subsidy under the Bhubaneswar Green City Mission is folded into the new state assistance, so the two cannot be claimed together.
- Housing societies and RWAs: common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kW (at 3 kW per house) get state assistance equal to the central amount of ₹18,000 per kW.
- Who runs it: the four DISCOMs, under the Energy Department, with state and district committees monitoring progress.
How net metering works in Odisha
Rooftop systems are still governed by OERC’s 2016 order on net metering, with the standard operating procedure the Commission approved in February 2023 and an amendment of 27 November 2025. The rules that matter for homes:
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Size limit | Up to 500 kW or your sanctioned load, whichever is lower, within 75% of the local transformer’s capacity. If you want a bigger system than your load, apply for a load increase with the net metering application. |
| 90% cap | Generation credited to you is capped at 90% of your consumption over the financial year (from commissioning to 31 March in the first year). |
| Carry forward | Extra units roll over from one billing cycle to the next, but only until 31 March. Nothing carries into the next financial year. |
| Surplus | Anything above the 90% cap at year end is treated as free energy. It is not paid for and is not set against your bill. |
| Time of day | Imported power still gets normal time-of-day benefits under the tariff order. |
| Fee | ₹500, non-refundable and inclusive of taxes, for registration and feasibility. Conditions of a government scheme such as PM Surya Ghar take precedence where they differ. |
| Meter | The consumer bears the cost of meters and connection. Either you or the DISCOM can buy the meter; the DISCOM tests and fits it. |
| Inverters | Grid-tied or hybrid inverters are both allowed since November 2025, and SIM-based data loggers can stand in for a generation meter. |
The practical lesson is to size the system to what you use, not to what your roof can hold. Because surplus earns nothing, a household that generates more than it consumes in a year gives the extra away. The subsidy cap at 3 kW points the same way for most homes.
What could change: OERC’s 2026 draft
On 3 August 2026 OERC published the draft OERC (Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Sources) Regulations, 2026, and took comments until 31 August. It replaces an earlier April draft that the Commission withdrew. If notified as drafted, it would:
- pay year-end surplus under net metering at a feed-in tariff set by the Commission, credited to your bank account, with carried-forward units reset to zero each April;
- add net billing, gross metering, group and virtual net metering and behind-the-meter options, with a switch allowed once a year and at most three times in a system’s life;
- let existing net metering customers stay on net metering unless they choose to switch;
- require systems of more than 10 kW to add a battery of at least 10% of their capacity for two hours.
Until it appears in the Gazette, the 90% cap and the no-payment rule above still apply.
How to apply
- Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your consumer number, choosing your DISCOM: TP Central Odisha (TPCODL, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack), TP Southern Odisha (TPSODL, Berhampur), TP Western Odisha (TPWODL, Sambalpur and Rourkela) or TP Northern Odisha (TPNODL, Balasore). Our PM Surya Ghar guide has the steps.
- Check your last 12 months of bills and pick a size: most homes using up to 150 units a month need 1 to 2 kW, and 150 to 300 units a month need 2 to 3 kW.
- Choose a registered vendor and get the DISCOM’s feasibility approval.
- After installation, upload the system details and photos. The DISCOM inspects the plant and fits the bi-directional meter.
- Once the inspection is approved on the portal, the central subsidy is released to your bank account. Keep your application number handy to follow up on the state portion with your DISCOM.
The national helpline is 15555.
Common pitfalls
- Oversizing. Generation above 90% of your yearly use earns nothing under the current order.
- Leaving it too late. The state assistance is budgeted only up to 2026-27. Systems commissioned after the scheme period may not get it unless the state extends it.
- Double counting in Bhubaneswar. The Green City Mission subsidy is now part of the state assistance, not extra to it.
- Installing outside the scheme. A system not registered on the national portal gets neither the central nor the state money.
- Treating a draft as law. Feed-in payments for surplus are in OERC’s draft only.
Questions people ask
How much subsidy does an Odisha household get for rooftop solar?
Two amounts stack. The central PM Surya Ghar subsidy is ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW and ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. Odisha adds State Financial Assistance of ₹25,000 for each of the first two kW and ₹10,000 for the third, so ₹25,000, ₹50,000 or ₹60,000. Together that is ₹55,000 for 1 kW, ₹1,10,000 for 2 kW and ₹1,38,000 for 3 kW or more.
Is the Odisha state subsidy still available in 2026?
Yes, on the terms of the January 2025 resolution: it runs for the scheme period up to 2026-27, which ends on 31 March 2027, and covers up to three lakh households. Households that installed under PM Surya Ghar from its launch on 13 February 2024 are eligible.
Does a bigger system get more state subsidy?
No. The state assistance is capped at 3 kW per household, just like the central subsidy, so a 5 kW system gets the same ₹60,000 from the state and ₹78,000 from the Centre as a 3 kW system.
Do I need to apply separately for the Odisha subsidy?
The resolution says households apply through the national portal, pmsuryaghar.gov.in, and that the scheme is run by the DISCOMs under the Energy Department. There is no separate state form in the resolution. Ask your DISCOM how the state portion is being released if it has not reached you.
Does Odisha pay for surplus solar units?
Not under the current rules. OERC’s net metering order caps credited generation at 90% of your consumption over the financial year. Excess units carry forward month to month, but anything above 90% at the end of March is treated as free energy and lapses. A 2026 draft regulation would pay year-end surplus at a feed-in tariff, but it had not been notified as of 29 October 2026.
What does the net metering application cost in Odisha?
OERC’s procedure sets a non-refundable ₹500 registration and feasibility fee, inclusive of taxes. Since November 2025, OERC has said the conditions of a Central or State scheme apply to systems installed under it, so follow what the PM Surya Ghar portal asks of you. The meter cost is borne by the consumer.
Can I use a hybrid inverter with a battery?
Yes. OERC’s November 2025 amendment lets consumers install either grid-tied or hybrid inverters that meet MNRE’s safety and anti-islanding standards, and accepts SIM-based data loggers for generation readings.
Sources
The state assistance, its duration, the GHS/RWA rate, the Green City Mission merger and the ₹1,800 crore budget are from the Energy Department resolution in the Odisha Gazette of 10 January 2025. The net metering size limit, 90% cap, carry-forward rule and ₹500 fee are from OERC’s order of 23 February 2023 in Suo Motu Case 35 of 2022, which set the procedure under the 2016 net metering order. The inverter, data logger, scheme-precedence and meter cost rules are from OERC’s amendment order of 27 November 2025. The draft changes are from OERC’s public notice and draft regulations of 3 August 2026. State-wide figures are from the annexure to Lok Sabha unstarred question 2806, answered on 5 August 2026. The sizing bands are from TP Central Odisha’s PM Surya Ghar guidance.
- Odisha Gazette: State Financial Assistance under PM Surya Ghar (10 January 2025)
- OERC order in Suo Motu Case 35 of 2022: net metering procedure (23 February 2023)
- OERC: amendment to the net metering order (27 November 2025)
- OERC: draft Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Sources Regulations, 2026
- TP Central Odisha: PM Surya Ghar subsidy and sizing
- Lok Sabha: state-wise PM Surya Ghar progress as on 31 July 2026
- National Portal for PM Surya Ghar
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), Delhi (up to ₹78,000, with free plants for homes up to 400 units), Maharashtra (the SMART scheme), Gujarat (central subsidy only), Tamil Nadu (up to ₹22,000), Kerala (time-of-day net metering rules since January 2026), Karnataka (central subsidy only, with KERC’s 2026 rules opening net metering to all consumers), Andhra Pradesh (free plants for SC/ST homes, surplus paid monthly at ₹2.09 a unit), Telangana (central subsidy only for self-built systems, DISCOM-run plants planned for Gruha Jyothi homes), Haryana (a state grant of up to ₹50,000 for families earning up to ₹1.80 lakh, interest-free help for prompt payers) and Madhya Pradesh (central subsidy only, with PM Surya Ghar processing and meter testing fees waived since June 2026). If a number here disagrees with your DISCOM, OERC or the national portal, theirs wins. Corrections: [email protected].