Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2024, said that through rooftop solarization, one crore households will be enabled to obtain up to 300 units free electricity every month. Earlier, prime minister Narendra Modi on January 22 chaired a meeting to launch the Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana, with the target of installing rooftop solar in one crore houses.
“The first decision I have taken after returning from Ayodhya is that our government will launch the Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana with a target of installing rooftop solar on 1 crore houses. This will not only reduce the electricity bill of the poor and middle class but will also make India self-reliant in the energy sector,” the prime minister posted on social platform X (Twitter).
Aside from the newly announced scheme, the government is currently operating a national rooftop scheme under which it bears 40% cost of a solar rooftop project in households.
The new scheme will result in savings of up to Rs 15,000 to 18,ooo for such households from free solar electricity and selling the surplus to distribution companies.
Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana key facts
Under the scheme, rooftop solar panels will be installed at one crore poor and middle-class households that will help generate power from solar energy. According to Modi, the power of the sun could be harnessed by every household with a roof to reduce their electricity bills, and to make them truly independent for electricity needs.
The PM also directed that a massive national campaign should be started to mobilise residential segment consumers to adopt rooftop solar in large numbers.
What are rooftop panels?
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are placed on the top of building roofs to generate electricity. Electricity generated from the rooftop solar system can be used to meet the buildings’ energy demand, charge batteries for later use, or can be exported to the electricity grid. Apart from the solar PV panels, a rooftop solar system also has other components such as an inverter, module mounting structure, wires and cables, monitoring and safety equipment and meters, etc.
Advantages of rooftop solar system
- Saving on electricity bill
- Utilisation of available vacant roof space
- Low gestation period
- No additional requirement for transmission and distribution lines
- Reduces T&D losses as power consumption and generation are collocated
- Improvement in the tail-end grid voltages and reduction of system congestion
- Long-term energy and ecological security by reduction in carbon emission
According to the Ministry of new and renewable energy, under Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II, around 3,377 megawatts of capacity has been allocated to various state implementing agencies for the residential sector as of February 28, 2023, against the target capacity of 4,000 MW. An amount of Rs 2917.59 crore has been released to them under the programme. Also, 4.3 lakh beneficiaries were reported to benefit under the Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II.
Who is eligible to apply for Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana?
The scheme is meant for poor and middle-income households.
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What documents are needed to apply for Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana?
Just like any other government-run scheme, the applicant will have to submit identity proof, address proof, proof of income, and date of birth proof to apply for the scheme once registrations for it open.
The following documents can be submitted to apply for the scheme:
- Aadhaar
- Voter ID
- Ration card
- Electricity bill
- Income proof
- Bank account passbook
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How to apply for Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana?
 The PM has announced the scheme on January 22, 2024. The government has yet to notify the process for registration for the scheme.
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FAQs
What types of roofs are suitable for a Rooftop solar (RTS) system?
Rooftop solar PV systems can be installed on any type of roof having sufficient load bearing capacity.
Do I need a shadow-free area for solar modules?
Solar modules need uninterrupted sunlight to produce maximum electrical energy. With the shadow even on a part of the module, productivity reduces to a great extent, wasting installed system capacity. Also, prolonged (regular, though intermittent) shadow on some cells or modules reduces their life substantially and these become useless much before their standard life of over 25 years.
Will I get constant/same energy from the rooftop solar panel all-year long?
No, the daily energy generation from the RTS will depend on the temperature and solar irradiance among other parameters and these may not be the same every day.
Will I get the same annual energy from the RTS for all 25 years?
No. On exposure to sunlight and outside environment, the solar module loses generation capacity.
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