PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana – How to avail benefits under this scheme

The Union Cabinet LED by PM Narendra Modi has approved PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with a total outlay of Rs.75,021 crore for installing rooftop solar and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for one crore households. The scheme was launched recently on 13^th February.

Under this scheme rooftop solar power units will be installed and households will be able to save electricity bills as well as earn additional income through sale of surplus power to distribution companies. A 3 kW system will be able to generate more than 300 units a month on an average for a household.

Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for Residential Rooftop Solar

The scheme provides a Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of 60% of system cost for 2 kW systems and 40% of additional system cost for systems between 2 and 3 kW capacity. The CFA will be capped at 3 kW. At current benchmark prices, this means Rs 30,000 subsidy for 1 kW system, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW systems and Rs 78,000 for 3 kW systems or higher.

Households will be able to access collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7% at present for installation of residential RTS systems up to 3 kW.

Features of the Scheme

A Model Solar Village will be developed in each district of the country to act as a role model for adoption of rooftop solar in rural areas,

Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions shall also benefit from incentives for promoting RTS installations in their areas.

The scheme provides a component for payment security for Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) based models as well as a fund for innovative projects in RTS.

How to apply for subsidy under this scheme? Step by Step Guide

To get subsidy in your bank account within 30 days, first you have to register on the national portal pmsuryaghar.gov.in.

Step 1

Select your State & Electricity Distribution Company.

Enter your Electricity Consumer Number, Mobile Number & Email.

Step 2

Login with Consumer Number & Mobile Number.

Apply for the Rooftop Solar as per the form.

Step 3

Once you get the feasibility approval, get the plant installed by any of the registered vendors in the Distribution Company.

While selecting the vendor, you can access relevant information such as appropriate system sizes, benefits calculator, vendor rating etc on the National Portal.

Step 4

Once installation is completed, submit the plant details and apply for net meter.

Step 5

Commissioning certificate will be generated from the portal, after installation of net meter and inspection by the Distribution Company.

Step 6

Once you get the commissioning report. Submit the bank account details and a cancelled cheque through the portal. You will receive your subsidy in your bank account within 30 days.

Impact

The proposed scheme is expected to result in addition of 30 GW of solar capacity through rooftop solar in the residential sector, generating 1000 BUs of electricity and resulting in reduction of 720 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions over the 25-year lifetime of rooftop systems.

It is estimated that the scheme will create around 17 lakh direct jobs in manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, sales, installation, O&M and other services.