PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024 with an investment of over ₹75,000 crore, aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month through rooftop solar. Its broader objective is to promote clean energy, reduce electricity bills and enable households to become “prosumers” of electricity.

Achievements

Households Covered: 53,24,986

Rooftop Solar Installation Capacity: 15,792.18 MW

Subsidy Released: ₹29,829.7 crore

Benefits of the Scheme

• Household Savings: Rooftop solar reduces dependence on grid electricity and lowers monthly electricity expenditure.
  • Ex: Households can receive up to 300 units of free electricity per month.
• Renewable Expansion: Promotes decentralised solar generation and accelerates India’s clean-energy transition.
  • Ex: The scheme targets rooftop solar adoption across 1 crore households.
• Energy Security: Distributed generation reduces dependence on conventional power sources and improves household-level energy resilience.
  • Ex: Solar power generated during daylight can directly meet household electricity demand.
• Employment Generation: Creates demand for installation, maintenance, manufacturing and related solar services.
  • Ex: Expansion of rooftop installations creates local green jobs.
• Consumer Empowerment: Converts households from electricity consumers into prosumers capable of generating and, where applicable, exporting surplus power.
  • Ex: Net metering allows eligible households to receive credits for surplus electricity supplied to the grid.

Challenges

• High Initial Cost: The upfront cost remaining after subsidy can discourage economically weaker households.
  • Ex: Low-income households may struggle to finance rooftop systems.
• Rooftop Constraints: Limited roof space, shading and structural limitations restrict adoption in dense urban areas.
  • Ex: Apartment residents often lack exclusive rooftop space.
• DISCOM Delays: Delays in inspection, net-metering and grid connectivity can slow installation.
  • Ex: Consumers may face delays between installation and grid synchronisation.
• Awareness Gap: Limited awareness of subsidies and procedures restricts participation, particularly in rural areas.
  • Ex: Households may remain unaware of the online application and vendor-selection process.

Way Forward

• Affordable Finance: Expand low-interest loans and innovative financing models to reduce upfront costs.
  • Ex: Banks can provide dedicated rooftop-solar loans with longer repayment periods.
• Faster Approvals: Streamline inspection, net-metering and grid-connectivity procedures through digital single-window systems.
  • Ex: Strengthen integration of DISCOM services with the National Portal for Rooftop Solar.
• Inclusive Coverage: Prioritise rural and low-income households through targeted awareness and financing support.
  • Ex: Panchayats and SHGs can facilitate awareness and community-level adoption.
• Quality Assurance: Strengthen vendor monitoring, installation standards and after-sales maintenance.
  • Ex: Regular performance audits of empanelled solar vendors can ensure durable installations.

PM-Surya Ghar can transform India’s rooftops into a distributed clean-energy network, simultaneously reducing household costs and strengthening energy security. Ensuring affordable finance, faster implementation and reliable after-sales services will be crucial for converting its impressive early achievements into universal rooftop-solar adoption.