More than 77,000 households have registered for Delhi’s rooftop solar scheme within three weeks of its launch, taking the city past one-third of its target to install 2.3 lakh solar power units by March 31 next year, officials said on Wednesday.
The portal recorded 77,614 applications since September 21, marking a sharp increase over the 29,718 rooftop solar connections installed by BSES and Tata Power before the scheme was introduced. Those existing connections had a combined capacity of 472 MWp.
BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), which serves East and Central Delhi, received the highest number of registrations at 27,197. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), covering North and Northwest Delhi, recorded 26,788 applications, while BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), which serves South and West Delhi, received 23,925 registrations.
Power Minister Ashish Sood said the response from rural areas and unauthorised colonies was particularly significant. “This shows the immense trust and enthusiasm of our citizens,” he said.
The registration figures come against a history of slow rooftop solar adoption in the Capital. Officials attributed the earlier pace partly to Delhi’s electricity subsidy, under which eligible consumers receive free electricity for consumption of up to 200 units a month. The existing subsidy can reduce the immediate financial incentive for households to invest in solar generation.
The high upfront cost of installing a system and difficulties in securing agreement among residents of group housing societies have also limited adoption. The current scheme seeks to address the cost barrier through a combination of central and Delhi government subsidies.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Centre provides a subsidy of up to Rs 78,000 for rooftop solar systems of up to 3 kW. The Delhi government has announced an additional subsidy of up to Rs 78,000 for eligible consumers, taking the combined assistance to Rs 1.56 lakh and making installation almost free of cost for qualifying households.
The government has also increased its subsidy for rooftop solar systems serving common facilities in group housing societies from Rs 2,000 to Rs 11,000 per kW, up to a capacity of 500 kW. Eligible installations can additionally receive central assistance of Rs 18,000 per kW.
Consumers may reduce their electricity bills through rooftop generation and can sell surplus power to distribution companies, subject to applicable rules. The extent to which these benefits translate into completed installations will depend on the processing of applications, approvals, installation capacity and connections by the distribution companies.
Delhi had around 73 lakh electricity consumers in 2024-25, including approximately 61 lakh domestic consumers. Nearly 48 lakh households received electricity subsidies, either through free power for consumption of up to 200 units a month or a 50% subsidy for consumption between 201 and 400 units.
The immediate milestone for the scheme is the government’s target of 2.3 lakh solar power units by March 31 next year. The current registrations will therefore need to move from applications to approved and commissioned systems for the city to measure progress against that deadline.
