How to apply for the government solar subsidy^* for your home (2026 step-by-step)

What the residential rooftop subsidy^* is

It is a central-government incentive for grid-connected rooftop solar on homes — not commercial or ground-mounted plants. The idea is simple: the government reimburses part of the cost of a residential rooftop system to bring down your payback period. The amount depends on the system size in kilowatts, it is capped, and the slabs are revised periodically. It is never a guaranteed figure, and it is paid after your system is installed and commissioned, not deducted upfront.

Because the money arrives as a reimbursement to your bank account, you (or your financier) fund the full system first. That is why the order of the steps below matters so much: skip the approval stage and the reimbursement can be refused entirely.

Who is eligible

• You own the home and the roof rights. The subsidy is for a residential consumer installing on a roof they control.
• You have a live grid connection with a DISCOM and a valid consumer/connection number — the application is tied to it.
• Your sanctioned load supports the system. The DISCOM checks that your connected load and the proposed capacity are compatible during feasibility review.
• The system is grid-connected with net metering (not a standalone off-grid battery setup).

Apartments and societies are different.A shared roof, common-area ownership and a different meter structure mean flat owners usually can't apply the way an independent householder does — group and virtual net-metering routes exist in some states instead. If you live in a flat, start with our guide to solar for apartments in Bangalore.

Step-by-step: how to apply

The process is sequential — each step gates the next. Here is the full flow from registration to money in your account.

1. 1

   Register on the national government subsidy portal

   Create an account on the national rooftop-solar subsidy portal with your state, your electricity distribution company (DISCOM), and your consumer/connection number. This links your application to your existing grid connection.

2. 2

   Apply with your DISCOM and consumer details

   Submit an application for the rooftop system you want, entering your sanctioned load and connection details. Your application is routed to your DISCOM for review.

3. 3

   Get feasibility approval before you install

   Wait for the DISCOM to confirm technical feasibility for your connection. Do not pay an installer in full or begin installation before this approval — installing first is a common reason applications are rejected.

4. 4

   Install through a registered / empanelled vendor

   Choose a vendor registered or empanelled under the scheme in your state and get the system installed. Using a non-empanelled installer can make the subsidy claim ineligible even if the hardware is fine.

5. 5

   Apply for net metering and pass inspection

   Your installer applies for net metering; the DISCOM installs a bidirectional meter and inspects the system before commissioning. This step converts your rooftop system into a grid-connected one that earns export credit.

6. 6

   Receive the subsidy in your bank account after commissioning

   Once the system is commissioned and net-metered, submit your bank details on the portal. The subsidy is transferred directly to your account after commissioning — it is a reimbursement, not an upfront discount.

A good installer runs most of this for you — the portal application, the DISCOM coordination, the net-metering application and the inspection. When you compare installers, confirm the subsidy paperwork and net metering are included in the quote, and that the vendor is empanelled in your state.

How much could you get

The subsidy^* scales with system size up to a cap, so a bigger system does not keep earning proportionally more. As a typical range published in 2026, the central slabs look roughly like this:

These are indicative slabs, not a promise. The amounts are revised periodically and the figure that applies to you is whatever the official portal shows on the day you apply. Confirm on the national government subsidy portal or via MNRE before committing. Last verified: July 2026.

Common mistakes that cause rejection

• Paying in full or installing before sanction. If you install before feasibility approval, the subsidy can be refused. Approval first, hardware second.
• Using a non-empanelled vendor. The system may be excellent, but the claim is typically only valid through a vendor registered/empanelled under the scheme in your state.
• Capacity mismatch.A system size that doesn't match your sanctioned load, or that exceeds what your connection permits, can stall the application at DISCOM review.
• Wrong or mismatched consumer details. The name on the connection, the consumer number and the bank account all need to line up, or the disbursement gets held.
• Skipping net metering / inspection. The subsidy is released only after commissioning, which requires the bidirectional meter and DISCOM inspection to be done.

We rank installers on transparency and whether they handle this paperwork end-to-end — see how we rank and our methodology.

Frequently asked questions