Solar Subsidy in India 2026: PM Surya Ghar Amount, Eligibility & Application

 

Direct answer: For an eligible individual household in a normal-category state, PM Surya Ghar CFA is ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW and a maximum ₹78,000 for 3 kW or above. Approval and payment remain conditional on the applicant, equipment, installation, inspection and portal process.

A solar subsidy can reduce the cost of an eligible home rooftop system, but it is not automatically deducted because panels were installed. The household, electricity connection, vendor, equipment, portal record, DISCOM inspection and bank details must all meet the prescribed requirements. The safest budget therefore starts with the gross installed price and treats Central Financial Assistance (CFA) as conditional until it is approved. This guide explains the current PM Surya Ghar framework as checked on 15 September 2026. It covers standard and special-category rates, eligibility, RWA projects, the online process, DCR and ALMM checks, loans, the five-year vendor maintenance obligation, delays and edge cases. State incentives and DISCOM procedures can differ, so use the official portal record for your application.

Quick Takeaways

• PM Surya Ghar CFA primarily supports qualifying residential grid-connected rooftop systems.
• Normal-category individual-household CFA stops increasing after 3 kW, even if the system is larger.
• Special-category states and UTs use higher central rates, with a maximum of ₹85,800 at 3 kW.
• The exact module and cell compliance, current ALMM/DCR position and registered-vendor status matter.
• Registered vendors  must provide five years of comprehensive maintenance under the scheme guidelines.
• Government CFA, a vendor discount and a loan are three different financial items.
• “Up to 300 units free” is an objective dependent on generation, consumption and billing rules, not a blanket waiver.

PM Surya Ghar Subsidy Amounts for Individual Households

Installed DC module capacity	Normal-category CFA	Calculation
1 kW	₹30,000	1 × ₹30,000
2 kW	₹60,000	2 × ₹30,000
3 kW and above	₹78,000 maximum	No additional individual-household CFA beyond 3 kW

CFA is calculated from the rated DC capacity of the installed solar modules, not the inverter rating or battery capacity. A larger system can still be sensible when consumption and roof conditions justify it; additional capacity should be evaluated on its electricity value, not on extra central subsidy.

Special-Category State and UT Rates

The scheme guidelines prescribe higher benchmark-based CFA for Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, the North-Eastern states including Sikkim, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.

Installed DC module capacity	Special-category CFA	Important note
1 kW	₹33,000	Subject to eligibility and approval
2 kW	₹66,000	Subject to eligibility and approval
3 kW and above	₹85,800 maximum	No additional individual-household CFA beyond 3 kW

Any separate state top-up is additional to the central scheme and must be verified on the current state or DISCOM portal. Do not publish a state incentive from an old news report without checking its budget, eligibility period and stacking rules.

Who Is Eligible?

For CFA under the standard consumer-funded route, the installation must be a qualifying residential rooftop solar system tagged to a residential electricity connection of the serving DISCOM. Eligible locations can include a roof, terrace, balcony, elevated structure or qualifying building-integrated PV. Group, virtual or other metering arrangements may qualify where approved by the relevant DISCOM and state regulations.

Applicant or system	General CFA position	What must be confirmed
Individual household with residential grid connection	Potentially eligible	Portal application, registered vendor, compliant system, inspection and approval.
Commercial, industrial, institutional or government connection	No residential CFA	Evaluate business economics and other applicable programmes.
Pure off-grid solar system	Not eligible under this route	System architecture and current scheme rules.
Grid-connected behind-the-meter or battery-hybrid system	May qualify subject to regulatory/DISCOM approval	Reverse-power protection, inspection and approved arrangement.
Rented home or shared roof	Do not assume eligibility	Consumer account, roof authority, owner/society consent and DISCOM documentation.
Existing subsidised rooftop system being expanded	Balance CFA may be available	Prior benefit and eligible balance up to 3 kW overall.

Existing Systems: How Additional CFA Can Work

An existing installation that already received MNRE rooftop CFA is not always automatically excluded from additional support. If the system is expanded, the guidelines allow additional CFA for the eligible balance capacity up to 3 kW of the overall plant size. An installation receives CFA only once after each qualifying installation event, and relocating an already subsidised system does not create a new claim. The total assistance across the original installation and any qualifying expansion cannot exceed the applicable 3 kW household cap. Confirm the prior-benefit record, remaining eligible capacity and portal route before ordering an expansion.

Can Housing Societies and RWAs Receive CFA?

Eligible Group Housing Societies, RWAs, apartment owner associations and similar resident bodies can receive CFA for a connection dedicated to common facilities, including EV charging. The normal-category rate is ₹18,000 per kWp; the special-category rate is ₹19,800 per kWp. Supported capacity is the lower of the installed common-facility capacity, 3 kWp per dwelling and 500 kWp, after accounting for individual systems within the society as prescribed.

Example	Eligible supported capacity	Normal-category CFA
100 kW common system, 20 households	Lower of 100 kW and 20 × 3 kW = 60 kW	60 × ₹18,000 = ₹10.8 lakh
100 kW common system, 50 households	Lower of 100 kW and 50 × 3 kW = 100 kW	100 × ₹18,000 = ₹18 lakh

How to Apply Online: Step-by-Step

• Size the system from annual consumption, daytime use, roof area, shade and future loads. Do not size only to reach the subsidy cap.
• Register on the official PM Surya Ghar National Portal using the correct state, DISCOM, consumer number and contact details.
• Submit the rooftop-solar application and follow the feasibility status shown by the portal. A deemed-approval/feasibility waiver has been introduced nationally for systems up to 10 kW, but implementation details can still appear differently by DISCOM.
• Compare registered vendors on the portal. Agree in writing on design, exact components, gross price, exclusions, warranties, five-year CMC and responsibility for portal corrections.
• Install the system using compliant equipment and retain model numbers, serial numbers, invoices, DCR evidence and photographs.
• Update the plant details and upload the documents and geo-tagged photographs required by the portal.
• Complete the applicable metering agreement, DISCOM inspection and commissioning. The DISCOM may approve, return the application for correction or reject it with reasons.
• After approval, verify the activated e-token or current redemption control, submit the correct bank or loan account details and redeem the claim.
• Track the payment reference in the portal and keep copies of the complete submission trail.
• The August 2026 government update describes the consumer journey as end-to-end digital and reports PFMS-enabled subsidy release within 15 days. The original guidelines specify processing within 15 days after DISCOM approval. This is not the total time from registration to installation, inspection and commissioning, and should not be promised as a guaranteed customer timeline.

Documents and Evidence to Keep Ready

Exact uploads vary by stage and DISCOM. Keep the following records consistent and accessible:

• Latest electricity bill, consumer account number and correct DISCOM details.
• Registered mobile number and email used for portal access.
• Identity, address, ownership, occupancy or authorisation documents requested for the specific case.
• Signed vendor agreement, itemised quotation and final tax invoice.
• Module and inverter datasheets, exact model codes, serial-number list and compliance evidence.
• Geo-tagged installation photographs, test records, metering agreement and commissioning certificate.
• Bank proof held in the consumer’s name, such as a cancelled cheque, statement or passbook record.
• Loan-account details if the project is financed through an eligible loan.

DCR and ALMM: Related but Not Identical

Domestic Content Requirement means the modules must be domestically manufactured using domestically manufactured cells for a CFA claim under this route. Non-DCR modules make the installation ineligible for CFA. ALMM is the Ministry’s approved-model and manufacturer framework: List-I covers modules and List-II covers cells. Both lists and their clarifications changed repeatedly in 2026. Do not accept “the brand is approved” as sufficient evidence. Verify the exact module model, manufacturing facility and applicable cell requirement on the current MNRE records and confirm how the portal validates DCR for the project. A brand can sell several models with different eligibility positions.

Registered Vendor Responsibilities and Five-Year Maintenance

The scheme guidelines require CFA installations to use a vendor registered on the National Portal. They also require the registered vendor to provide repair and maintenance services free of cost for a five-year comprehensive maintenance period from commissioning. Non-performing or under-performing components are to be repaired or replaced during that period, subject to the scheme framework and applicable OEM warranties. Before signing, ask the vendor to identify the five-year CMC in the agreement, list exclusions, provide escalation contacts and explain who bears labour, freight and access costs. Keep the OEM warranty documents as well; a component warranty and the vendor’s CMC serve different purposes.

How to Budget Before CFA Reaches the Account

Financial item	How to treat it	What to verify
Gross installed price	Starting project cost	Equipment, taxes, civil work, metering, approvals and exclusions.
Government CFA	Conditional assistance	Capacity slab, consumer category, DCR/ALMM, inspection and portal approval.
Vendor promotion	Separate commercial offer	Eligibility, validity, taxes and effect on base price.
Loan or EMI	Payment method, not a saving	Interest, fees, tenure, foreclosure and CFA-credit treatment.

Under the guidelines, when a consumer uses an eligible loan, CFA can be transferred to the loan account. If the CFA exceeds the outstanding loan balance, the remainder may be transferred to the consumer’s bank account. Ask the lender how interest accrues before approval and whether any prepayment or account-adjustment rules apply.

What “Up to 300 Units Free” Means

The scheme objective is to help households obtain free or low-cost electricity up to 300 units per month through rooftop generation. It is not a universal government waiver of 300 billed units. The result depends on system size, solar resource, shade, consumption timing, tariff, the approved metering arrangement and settlement rules. Fixed charges, duties, meter charges and unoffset grid imports may remain.

What Can Delay or Block a Claim?

Stage	Evidence to retain	If progress stops
Registration/application	Application ID and correct consumer details	Correct the state, DISCOM, consumer number or contact mismatch.
Feasibility/status	Portal or DISCOM response	Check sanctioned load, state rule, transformer or document issue.
Vendor/installation	Agreement, compliant equipment and invoice trail	Reject unrecorded model or capacity substitutions.
Inspection/metering	Inspection acknowledgement and metering record	Close technical observations with dated evidence.
Commissioning/redemption	Commissioning status, e-token/control and account proof	Verify plant capacity, bank/loan account and pending approval.
Disbursement	Portal transaction or payment reference	Raise a documented portal/DISCOM query using the application ID.

Six Questions to Ask a Registered Vendor

• Is the quoted DC module capacity identical across the design, invoice and portal record?
• Which exact module and cell evidence demonstrates current DCR/ALMM compliance?
• What is excluded from the gross price, subsidy support and metering assistance?
• Who fixes a rejected document or inspection defect, and can an extra fee be charged?
• Will I receive portal access, invoices, serial numbers, warranties and commissioning records?
• How are the five-year CMC, loan-account credit and any vendor discount documented separately?

Current Scheme Context: August 2026

A PIB release dated 4 August 2026 reported that PM Surya Ghar had benefited more than 50.06 lakh households, commissioned 14.8 GW of rooftop capacity and released ₹28,024 crore in subsidy through Direct Benefit Transfer. It also reported 34,219 registered vendors, of whom 29,469 were active. These programme-level figures show scale; they do not determine the eligibility or payment timing of one application.

How Freyr Energy Can Support the Process

Freyr Energy’s current official residential-solar page states that the company supports documentation, application, installation, net metering and subsidy-claim submission. As of the review date, it also advertises an additional Freyr Energy discount of up to ₹22,000 alongside eligible government CFA of up to ₹78,000. These must be shown separately: the government CFA is conditional assistance, while the Freyr amount is a company promotion subject to its own terms. A provider can help prepare and correct the application, but no installer should guarantee government approval or disbursement. The customer should retain portal access and copies of every submission.

Conclusion

PM Surya Ghar can materially reduce the cost of qualifying residential rooftop solar, provided the system follows the current portal, vendor, technical, DCR and DISCOM process. Start with consumption and roof suitability, calculate the eligible CFA for that system size, and budget from the gross installed price. Do not let the ₹78,000 cap drive an unsuitable design. Use a registered vendor, verify the exact module and cell compliance, document the five-year maintenance obligation and retain all portal and commissioning records. Treat the government subsidy, any Freyr Energy discount and financing as separate items. These steps make the project financially clearer even if an approval or payment takes longer than expected.  

Sources and Fact Notes

MNRE operational guidelines for residential CFA PM Surya Ghar National Portal PIB: 4 August 2026 programme milestone and process update MNRE: current ALMM List-I, List-II and clarifications MNRE: clarification to residential CFA guidelines