With the ever-expanding Sun’s energy available in abundance, leveraging it shouldn’t be the biggest challenge for mankind. With very limited available options in the energy space, it has become imperative for the world to harness solar energy to the maximum. Nations across the globe are drafting policies that enable their people to harness solar energy. In India, too, a similar kind of policy has been drafted, and the Prime Minister has personally initiated the marketing of this rooftop solar scheme. The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is a flagship Indian government initiative launched in February 2024 to provide free electricity to households through rooftop solar installations. With a massive outlay of ₹75,021 crore, the scheme aims to solarise 1 crore households by the fiscal year 2026–27. India needs this kind of scheme that enables people to shift their dependence from electricity, with over 144 crore people living in a country, and with very limited sources of power, the nation must look for available possible alternatives from solar energy.
The Indian Government has left no stone unturned in making this scheme a runaway success. The key benefits of PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana range from free electricity to subsidies. Every household will definitely consider the scheme and enquire more about the benefits and the method of installation. With every participating household receiving up to 300 units of free electricity every month, the benefit has the potential to draw a huge amount of interest from everybody. Since the average monthly electricity consumption for an Indian household is around 90-100 units (kWh) per household, every household can save around 200 units every month. While the urban households generally use more than 100 units per month compared to the rural ones, the savings will exceed the monthly usage. The urban household can increase its usage of electrical appliances, ACs during summers, and other relevant electrical appliances, depending on its necessities.
Income Generation, on the other hand, can be a real motivation and booster for many households. Yes, the scheme creates an opportunity for every household to generate electricity and sell it. Households can earn between ₹17,000 and ₹18,000 annually by selling surplus power back to the grid (DISCOMs). The scheme has definitely raised several eyebrows across the rural landscape, with an earning potential, the scheme has perpetually become a matter of high interest. The government has created requisite provisions that aid the installation process, and it has provided a substantial subsidy to reduce the upfront cost of the solar panels. Over Rs 30,000 per kW for systems up to 2 kW and Rs 18,000 for each additional kW up to 3 kW. The Maximum Subsidy is capped at ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW or higher.
The eligibility criteria are simple: the applicant must be an Indian citizen and own a house with a roof suitable for solar installation and must have a valid consumer electricity connection from a local DISCOM. One should note that households that have already availed of other solar panel subsidies are not eligible. The registration process is again simple. Log onto https://pmsuryaghar.gov.in/, select your state and DISCOM, then enter your electricity consumer number and mobile number. Once approved, choose a registered vendor to install the plant.
Sunrise Solar, being a four-decade-old solar company in Bangalore, takes immense pride in being associated with such a scheme. The solar revolution will make India more atmanirbhar, and joining hands with such a scheme is indeed the proudest moment.
