Solar Subsidy in Delhi 2026 — ₹1,08,000 Stacked Subsidy Plus 5 Years of GBI

Introduction

Delhi is currently the most generous rooftop solar market in India — not because panels are cheaper here, but because a Delhi household can stack three separate benefits that most other states do not offer together: the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy, a Delhi state capital subsidy, and a Generation Based Incentive paid every month for five years.

The result is that a 3kW system costing around ₹2 lakh can come down to roughly ₹92,000 out of pocket, and then keep earning an incentive on every unit it produces. This guide explains exactly what is available, who qualifies, and how to claim it without getting stuck in the process.

The Three Layers of Solar Subsidy in Delhi

Layer	What It Pays	Paid By	When
PM Surya Ghar (central)	Up to ₹78,000	Ministry of New & Renewable Energy	One-time, via DBT after commissioning
Delhi capital subsidy (state)	₹10,000 per kW, up to ₹30,000	Government of NCT of Delhi	One-time, credited via electricity bill / DBT
Generation Based Incentive (GBI)	₹3.00 or ₹2.00 per unit generated	Government of NCT of Delhi	Monthly, for 5 years from commissioning

The first two reduce what you pay up front. The third is an ongoing payment on top of the electricity you save — which is what makes Delhi’s numbers look unusual compared with the rest of the country.

Layer 1: PM Surya Ghar Central Subsidy

Central financial assistance is paid at ₹30,000 per kW for the first two kilowatts and ₹18,000 for the third. Beyond 3kW there is no further central subsidy.

System Size	Central Subsidy
1 kW	₹30,000
2 kW	₹60,000
3 kW and above	₹78,000 (capped)

Group Housing Societies and RWAs are treated separately: common facilities including EV charging are supported at ₹18,000 per kW, subject to a ceiling of either 500 kWp or three kilowatts per household, whichever is lower.

Layer 2: Delhi State Capital Subsidy

On top of the central assistance, the Delhi government provides a capital subsidy of ₹10,000 per kW for residential rooftop systems, capped at ₹30,000 — that is, up to 3kW.

System Size	Central Subsidy	Delhi State Subsidy	Total Support
1 kW	₹30,000	₹10,000	₹40,000
2 kW	₹60,000	₹20,000	₹80,000
3 kW	₹78,000	₹30,000	₹1,08,000
5 kW	₹78,000	₹30,000	₹1,08,000
10 kW	₹78,000	₹30,000	₹1,08,000

One caution worth knowing: different Delhi government pages currently display different state subsidy figures — the older policy documents show ₹2,000 per kW capped at ₹10,000, while the state solar portal shows the enhanced ₹10,000 per kW capped at ₹30,000. Always check the current figure on solar.delhi.gov.in on the day you apply, and ask your installer to show you the sanction letter rather than relying on a quotation.

Group Housing Societies receive a separate state capital subsidy of ₹2,000 per kW for common facilities, in addition to the central ₹18,000 per kW.

Layer 3: Generation Based Incentive (GBI)

This is the part most homeowners have never heard of, and it is the reason Delhi paybacks are shorter than anywhere else in NCR. The GBI is paid on every unit your system generates — not just on what you export — and is credited through your monthly electricity bill.

Consumer Category	GBI Rate	Duration
Residential, up to 3 kW	₹3.00 per unit	5 years from commissioning
Residential, above 3 kW up to 10 kW	₹2.00 per unit	5 years from commissioning
Group Housing Society / RWA, up to 500 kW	₹2.00 per unit	5 years from commissioning
Commercial & Industrial	₹1.00 per unit	5 years from commissioning

What that means in rupees: a 3kW system in Delhi generating around 4,300 units a year earns roughly ₹12,900 a year in GBI, or about ₹64,500 over five years. A 5kW system at the ₹2 rate earns around ₹14,500 a year, or ₹72,500 over five years.

Under the state’s standard operating procedure, GBI is credited monthly and any amount exceeding your bill is reimbursed within seven days of the billing cycle closing, with the government settling with DISCOMs on a quarterly basis.

What a Delhi Household Actually Pays

System Size	Gross Cost	Total Subsidy	Net Cost	GBI Over 5 Years
1 kW	₹65,000 – ₹75,000	₹40,000	₹25,000 – ₹35,000	≈ ₹21,500
2 kW	₹1,25,000 – ₹1,45,000	₹80,000	₹45,000 – ₹65,000	≈ ₹43,000
3 kW	₹1,85,000 – ₹2,20,000	₹1,08,000	₹77,000 – ₹1,12,000	≈ ₹64,500
5 kW	₹3,10,000 – ₹3,60,000	₹1,08,000	₹2,02,000 – ₹2,52,000	≈ ₹72,500

For a 3kW system, the GBI alone very nearly covers the remaining net cost across five years. Add the electricity you no longer buy at ₹9–₹11 per unit and the payback for most Delhi households lands between two and three and a half years.

Eligibility — Who Can Claim

1. You must be a residential electricity consumer of BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna or Tata Power DDL, with the connection in your own name.
2. You must own the property. Tenants generally cannot claim the subsidy against a landlord’s connection.
3. The system must use ALMM-listed modules that are domestically manufactured from domestically manufactured cells (DCR requirement).
4. The installer must be registered on the PM Surya Ghar national portal. Installing through an unregistered vendor forfeits the central subsidy entirely.
5. The bank account for the subsidy transfer must be Aadhaar-linked and in the same name as the electricity connection.
6. One subsidy claim is allowed per electricity consumer number.

How to Apply — Step by Step

1. Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your state, DISCOM and consumer number, and verify by OTP.
2. Submit the application for DISCOM feasibility approval. This checks your sanctioned load and the loading on your local distribution transformer.
3. Choose an installer registered on the national portal, and get a written quotation with a component-wise breakup.
4. Complete the installation, then submit the plant details and photographs on the portal.
5. Apply for the net meter. Your DISCOM will inspect the installation before releasing the meter.
6. The DISCOM issues a commissioning certificate through the portal once inspection is cleared.
7. Submit your bank details and a cancelled cheque. Central subsidy is released by Direct Benefit Transfer; the Delhi state subsidy and GBI flow through your electricity account.

Official guidelines provide for the central subsidy to be processed within 15 days of DISCOM approval. In practice, most Delhi households report receiving it around seven to ten weeks after commissioning, with delays usually caused by a name mismatch between the bank account and the electricity connection.

Common Reasons Delhi Applications Get Stuck

• Name mismatch between the electricity bill, Aadhaar and the bank account — by far the most common cause of delay.
• Sanctioned load lower than the proposed system size, requiring a load enhancement before net metering can be approved.
• The local distribution transformer already carrying its permitted limit of rooftop solar, leading to a reduced or refused feasibility approval.
• Panels that are ALMM-listed as a brand but where the specific model number installed is not on the list — ALMM approval is granted per model, not per manufacturer.
• Installing through a vendor not registered on the national portal, which cannot be corrected after the fact.

Conclusion

A Delhi household installing 3kW of rooftop solar in 2026 can claim ₹78,000 in central subsidy and ₹30,000 in Delhi state subsidy — ₹1,08,000 in total — and then earn ₹3 per unit generated for five years through the Generation Based Incentive. Against a gross cost of around ₹2 lakh, that is an unusually strong proposition, and it explains why rooftop solar adoption in the capital has accelerated sharply.

The paperwork is where most people lose time, not the installation. Get the name on your electricity bill, Aadhaar and bank account matching before you apply, confirm your sanctioned load, and verify that the exact panel model quoted to you appears on the ALMM list.

Get a Free Quote from Solar Squad

Solar Squad is a Delhi-based rooftop solar installer and we handle the full subsidy process for our customers — portal registration, DISCOM feasibility, net metering application, inspection follow-up and subsidy claim. Contact us for a free assessment of what your roof, your load and your bill actually qualify for.

Official Sources and Further Reading

Subsidy amounts, tariffs and net metering rules are revised from time to time. These are the primary sources this guide is based on — always confirm current figures on the official portal before you sign a contract.

• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana — official national portal
• MNRE guidelines for residential Central Financial Assistance (PDF)
• Delhi Solar Portal — state subsidy and Generation Based Incentive rates
• Delhi government SOP for capital subsidy disbursal and GBI (PDF)
• Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC)

FAQs

How much solar subsidy can I get in Delhi in 2026?

Up to ₹1,08,000 for a 3kW system — ₹78,000 from the PM Surya Ghar central scheme plus ₹30,000 from the Delhi state capital subsidy — along with a Generation Based Incentive of ₹3 per unit for five years.

Is the Delhi GBI paid on all generation or only exported units?

Under the Delhi Solar Policy the incentive is paid on units generated by the system, credited monthly through your electricity bill for five years from the date of commissioning. Confirm the crediting method with your DISCOM at the time of commissioning.

Can I get the subsidy for a system larger than 3kW?

Yes, but the amount does not increase. Both the central subsidy and the Delhi capital subsidy are capped at 3kW, so a 5kW or 10kW system receives the same ₹1,08,000.

How long does the solar subsidy take to arrive in Delhi?

Guidelines provide for processing within 15 days of DISCOM approval. Most Delhi households actually receive it around seven to ten weeks after commissioning; name mismatches between the bill, Aadhaar and bank account are the usual cause of delay.

Do RWAs and housing societies get a solar subsidy in Delhi?

Yes. Common facilities are supported at ₹18,000 per kW centrally plus ₹2,000 per kW from the Delhi government, capped at 500 kWp or three kilowatts per household, whichever is lower, with GBI at ₹2 per unit.