New Delhi, 16 March

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said more than one crore households have already registered under the rooftop solar scheme 'PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana', and lauded it as "outstanding news".

"Registrations have been pouring in from all parts of the nation. Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have seen over 5 lakh regulations," he said in a post on 'X'.

The prime minister also asked those who have not yet registered to do so at the earliest, noting that the initiative promises substantial reductions in electricity expenses for households along with ensuring energy production. "It's poised to encourage Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) on a grand scale, contributing to a better planet," he said.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the prime minister, last month approved the scheme with a total outlay of Rs 75,021 crore for installing rooftop solar panels and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for one crore households. "In about a month since it was launched, over 1 crore households have already registered themselves for the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana...Those who haven’t registered yet should also do so at the earliest," Modi said on 'X'.

The prime minister had launched the scheme on February 13, 2024.

The scheme provides a central financial assistance (CFA) of 60 per cent of system cost for 2 kW systems and 40 per cent of additional system cost for systems between 2 kW to 3 kW capacity. The CFA will be capped at 3 kW.

At current benchmark prices, this will mean 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. The households can apply for subsidy through the National Portal and can also select a suitable vendor for installing rooftop solar.

The National Portal is assisting the households in their decision-making process by providing relevant information like appropriate system sizes, benefits calculator, vendor rating etc.

Households will be able to access collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7 per cent at present for installation of residential RTS (rooftop solar) systems up to 3 kW. Other Features of the scheme include a Model Solar Village to be developed in each district to act as a role model for the adoption of rooftop solar in rural areas.

Besides, urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions will also benefit from incentives for promoting rooftop solar (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.