How to Get Free Solar Panels from the Government
Currently, no scheme is run by the government of India that provides free solar panels. However, there are many schemes run by the government that provide solar panels at subsidized rates.
You can get up to 50% subsidy for solar panel installation.
The scheme’s portal is named as National Portal for Rooftop Solar.
Let’s get a quick overview
Table of Contents
Overview: Government Scheme for Free Solar Panel
In India, most of our electricity is produced by Thermal power plants. Thermal plants have too many drawbacks; they are non-sustainable and costly. An alternative to this is renewable energy sources like Solar plants.
Solar plants are environment-friendly and cheaper as energy gets generated through sunlight.
That’s why both state and central governments in India have launched some great schemes for netizens to install solar panels. This article will discuss the recently launched scheme by the central government.
National Scheme for Rooftop Solar
Fees: Beneficiaries aren’t required to pay any application fees to the government. However, DISCOM may charge you for net-metering fees.
Requirements:
- Bank Details: Beneficiary’s name, Bank Account Number, Bank Name, IFSC Code, Copy of Cancelled Cheque.
- Electricity Bill: Valid electricity bill not older than six months.
- Proof of ownership of Premise
Important: The applicant’s name should be the same in all the documents.
Eligibility:
- All the documents should be legal and error-free
- You have installed solar panels from registered vendors of DISOM (Here you can find – List of DISCOM & their contact details)
- If you have installed solar panels by yourself or from unregistered vendors, you’re not eligible for this scheme
- This scheme is only for the residential sector (not for commercial, government, industrial, etc.)
Subsidy:
- Capacity up to 3 kWp: 40% of Benchmark cost or 40% of tendered rates (whichever is lower)
- Capacity 3 kWp – 10 kWp: 20% of Benchmark cost or 20% of tendered rates (whichever is lower)
- Capacity up to 500 kWp (check terms and conditions): 20% of Benchmark cost or 20% of tendered rates (whichever is lower)
Tutorial: How to Get Free Solar Panels from Government
Here is a tutorial on how to get free solar panels from Government.
Step 1 – Registration
The first step is to register yourself on the portal.
To do go to https://solarrooftop.gov.in/ and tap on Register here.
- Select State.
- Select your electricity distribution company (check on the electricity bill).
- Type the consumer account number (it is mentioned in the consumer bill).
- Then, register with your email address and mobile number.
You must provide the correct email ID and mobile number for the email or OTP verification.
Step 2 – Apply for Rooftop Solar
Once you have created an account, log in to the portal and apply for Rooftop solar form. Fill out the form and provide the legitimate documents.
Step 3 – Selection of Vendor and Plant Installation
After your form is approved, you must select a registered vendor to buy solar panels. You will get a list of registered vendors on the portal as Vendors in my area under your account.
Step 4 – Submit Installation Details
Once you have selected the vendor and installed the plant, you need to submit installation details on Portal and upload the applicant’s photo with the plant.
Step 5 – Inspection by DISCOM
After submitting the installation details, DISCOM officials will inspect the plant according to technical criteria prescribed by MNRE. Then, DISCOM officials will generate a commission report from Portal.
After successfully inspecting, DISCOM officials will install the net meter.
Step 6 – Submit Bank Account Details
Once your commission report has been generated, you can claim CFA/Subsidy.
You must provide your bank account details and a legible copy of the canceled cheque or passbook to claim a subsidy.
If all your details are correct, the subsidy amount will be directly transferred to the applicant’s bank account within 30 days.
If you have more questions regarding the scheme and process, read this FAQ provided by the Ministry.
More from ErrorExpress – How Solar Panel Financing Can Help Homeowners Make the Switch
Conclusion
The process of claiming the subsidy is quite simple if you have valid documents. Apart from this 40% subsidy is excellent; if your solar panel costs ₹2,00,000, you will only have to pay ₹1,20,000.
You also get a five-year maintenance warranty (read terms and conditions.)
That’s it from our side; I hope you find this page helpful!
