Delhi Solar Subsidy 2026 — ₹78,000 from the state, and free solar under 400 units

Policy update  Updated 2 September 2026 · 7 min read · SolarfiX by Electrik Bee — Authorised Channel Partner, Reliance New Energy

On 1 September 2026, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, alongside Power Minister Ashish Sood, announced a revised Delhi Solar Policy at a press conference. It changes the arithmetic of rooftop solar in the capital completely, because for a large share of Delhi households the cost of a solar system is now zero.

This guide covers the exact subsidy breakdown, who qualifies, how to apply, and the mistakes that cost people their subsidy.

1. What changed in the Delhi Solar Policy

The earlier Delhi Solar Energy Policy 2023 (notified on 14 March 2024) already had a capital subsidy and a Generation Based Incentive, but the amounts were nowhere near enough to cover a whole system. The 2026 revision changes three things:

1. A much larger state subsidy — up to ₹78,000 on a 3 kW residential rooftop system.
2. A new top-up — ₹19,000 (3 kW) or ₹18,000 (2 kW) for households consuming up to 400 units a month.
3. Separate support for societies — a structured subsidy for group housing society common-area installations.

At the press conference the Chief Minister said the government wants not only to reduce electricity bills but to support the installation cost itself, and that free rooftop solar would be provided to every household consuming up to 400 units.

solar.delhi.gov.in

2. The slab-wise subsidy table

These are the Delhi Government's published numbers. Find the row that matches your monthly usage:

In the 400-plus category, surplus electricity can be sold to the grid at ₹6.50 per unit — which is why the monthly benefit is highest in that slab.

3. Why 400 units is the number that matters

The entire policy pivots on one figure: 400 units a month.

• 400 units or below: you get the ₹19,000 (3 kW) or ₹18,000 (2 kW) Delhi top-up. Central plus Delhi plus top-up equals the full listed cost, so nothing comes out of your pocket.
• Above 400 units: no top-up. On a 3 kW system your contribution is ₹19,000 — still only about 11% of a ₹1.75 lakh system.

Here is the counter-intuitive part: heavier users benefit more each month (about ₹2,143 versus about ₹950), because their tariff slab is higher and exported surplus is counted at ₹6.50 a unit. That ₹19,000 contribution is typically recovered in roughly nine months.

Read the detailed guide to the 400-unit rule →

4. What group housing societies get

Common areas in Delhi societies — lifts, water pumps, corridor lighting, STPs — consume a great deal of electricity. The revised policy has a separate structure for them:

A ₹16 lakh investment returning roughly ₹81,000 a month works out to a payback of about 20 months, and it shows up directly in the society's maintenance charges.

5. Who is eligible

• A valid domestic electricity connection in Delhi (BRPL, BYPL or TPDDL).
• The connection must be in your name — the subsidy is credited to that person's bank account by DBT.
• A shadow-free roof: roughly 180 sq ft for 2 kW, 270–300 sq ft for 3 kW.
• Ownership of the roof, or written NOC (essential for builder floors and societies).
• A net meter — the Delhi subsidy and GBI apply only to net metered installations.

6. How to apply

1. Register on the PM Surya Ghar portal with your consumer number and discom details.
2. Select a vendor and obtain feasibility approval.
3. Get the system installed.
4. Apply to your discom for the net meter; it is fitted after inspection.
5. Apply for the Delhi subsidy and GBI on the Delhi Solar Portal.
6. After verification both subsidies arrive by DBT in your bank account.

For the document checklist and a screen-by-screen walkthrough, see the PM Surya Ghar and Delhi subsidy application guide →

Worth repeating: choosing a vendor empanelled on the PM Surya Ghar portal is not mandatory for the Delhi subsidy. The Delhi Solar Portal states that customers may choose any vendor they like. Read the official rule →

7. How long it takes

A realistic timeline, based on SolarfiX projects in Delhi:

• Survey to quotation: 1–2 days
• Registration and feasibility approval: 5–10 days
• Installation: 1–3 days
• Net meter inspection and fitting: 10–20 days
• Subsidy credited after the net meter: usually 30–45 days

So roughly 25 to 45 days from the first call to money in the account, assuming your documents are complete.

8. Mistakes that hold up your subsidy

• Installing before registering. Always register on the portal first, or the claim can be rejected.
• Connection in somebody else's name. The subsidy goes to the connection holder, so the names must match.
• Skipping the net meter. Without it there is no Delhi subsidy and no GBI.
• Panels outside approved specifications. Subsidy requires modules that meet the approved specs.
• Bank KYC mismatch. DBT simply fails — check the account details carefully.