Households free to install rooftop solar panel by any vendor under govt scheme: MNRE

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy on Friday said households are free to get rooftop solar panel installed by themselves or by any vendor of their choice and a photograph of the installed system for distribution utility is sufficient to avail benefits or subsidy under the government scheme.

Earlier under the rooftop solar scheme, the households were required to get that from the listed vendors only to avail the benefits and subsidy under the scheme. The decision to simplify the rooftop solar scheme was taken in a review meeting chaired by Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy R K Singh on January 19, 2022, as per a statement by the ministry. According to the statement, after the review, the minister gave directions for simplifying the Roof Top Scheme, so that the people are able to access it easily.

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He has directed that henceforth, it will not be necessary for any household to get the rooftop solar panel installed by any of the listed vendors. The households may also install the rooftop solar panel by themselves or get the rooftop solar panel installed by any vendor of their choice, and inform the distribution company about the installation along with a photograph of the system, which has been installed, the statement said.

The intimation to the Discom of the installation of the rooftop solar panel can be given either in the material form through a letter / application or on the designated website, which has been set up by every Discom and by the central government for the Roof Top Scheme. The distribution company will ensure that the net metering will be provided within 15 days of the information being received. The subsidy to be given by the government, which is 40 per cent for rooftop of up to 3 KW capacity and 20 per cent beyond that up to 10 KW will be credited to the account of the householder by the Discom within 30 days of the installation.

In order to ensure that the quality of the solar panel and the inverter is according to the prescribed standard, the central government will publish from time to time the lists of solar panel manufacturers and inverter manufacturers whose products meet the expected quality standards and the price lists thereof; and the householder can select the solar panels and inverter of his choice.

The option of getting the rooftop solar panel installed by any of the vendors designated by the Discom remains available as earlier. In such cases also, the householder may select the solar panel and inverter of his choice, according to the statement.