More than 19,000 housing pockets have rooftop solar systems, benefits 9 lakh households

NEW DELHI: More than 19,000 residential areas have set up community rooftop solar systems under PM Surya Ghar Yojana to power common utilities, benefiting over 9 lakh households.Officials said the clean energy generated is used for operating lifts, common-area lighting, water pumps, security systems and sewage treatment plants. Govt has released Rs 422 crore as central financial assistance to resident welfare associations (RWAs) to help them install the systems.“With common-area electricity bills forming a significant component of monthly maintenance expenses in many large housing complexes, govt support helps them reduce recurring costs while transitioning to cleaner energy,” an official said. The cumulative rooftop solar capacity of over 278 MW has been installed for these communities.Gujarat leads in total installations, with more than 9,000 housing societies setting up solar capacity, followed by Maharashtra, where over 7,500 residential areas have opted for the facility. Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are also steadily expanding the adoption of community solar, said another official.Ahmedabad, Pune, Vadodara, Nashik and Surat are among the top five cities with the highest number of rooftop solar installations for housing societies.To make community-scale rooftop solar financially viable, govt provides central financial assistance of Rs 18,000 per kW for eligible RWA and group housing society projects. Housing societies in special category states and Union territories, including the North-Eastern states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep, are eligible for a higher central financial assistance (CFA) of Rs 19,800 per kW, the official added.

Launched in Feb 2024, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) aims to bring rooftop solar to one crore Indian homes by March 2027. The total number of rooftop solar installations, including individual households, has reached 47.8 lakh with total installed capacity of 16.8 GW, benefitting nearly 56.9 lakh families. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has so far disbursed over Rs 31,515 crore as central financial assistance, while several states are also running separate subsidy schemes to promote the installation of rooftop solar systems.