Under Delhi govt's green push, over 17,000 rooftop solar plants energised by discoms till Sept

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) The adoption of rooftop solar plants in the national capital is picking up gradually under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojna, with over 17,000 plants installed so far in a joint green push by the Delhi government and power discoms, officials said on Friday.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in an open letter to residents of the city, had appealed for the adoption of solar power.

Under this scheme, the Delhi government is providing a capital subsidy of Rs 30,000 for solar plants up to 3 KW capacity. The banks offer loans for solar panel installation at the rates of 6.50-7 per cent, she said in the letter.

If someone installs a solar rooftop plant up to 3 KW, they will receive a total subsidy of Rs 1.08 lakh, Rs 78,000 from the Centre and Rs 30,000 from the Delhi government.

Furthermore, if a consumer's monthly electricity consumption is 500 units, they will enjoy a zero electricity bill after installing the 3 KW rooftop solar plant. Additionally, they will receive a monthly generation-based incentive (GBI) of Rs 900 for five years.

As a result, consumers can expect to save approximately Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,200, depending on the power purchase adjustment costs charged by the discoms.

BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) have energised 11,100 solar rooftop connections, including individuals, educational institutions, industries and commercial consumers till September 2025, a BSES official stated.

This has added over 228 MW of clean capacity to Delhi's grid, he said, adding that the move has empowered households, reduced consumer bills, and cut down emissions.

The BSES discoms have been working to expand domestic solar rooftops through various outreach initiatives, including Solar Camps, mobile 'Surya Rath' roadshows, 'Solar Melas' attended by local MLAs and MPs, RWA meets under 'BSES Apke Dwar', 'nukkad nataks' (street plays), door-to-door visits, and social media promotions, he said.

A Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) spokesperson informed that the discom has surpassed a cumulative rooftop solar capacity of 100 MW within its areas of operation.

So far, over 6,300 solar installations have been energised, supporting Delhi's broader renewable energy targets, he added.

The rooftop solar installations under TPDDL areas include 4,680 domestic consumers, 1,616 commercial and industrial setups, and 42 under virtual net metering (VNM) and group net metering (GNM) schemes.

Under these schemes, the excess solar power, beyond consumption, is shifted to the power grid, for which consumers receive incentives on their bills.

Discom officials noted that the solar rooftops enable citizens to generate clean electricity, and each new solar connection brings residents closer to the goal of a clean and green Delhi. PTI VIT VIT ARB MPL MPL