New Delhi: More than 4,300 households on a daily average have applied for rooftop solar installations in Delhi since registrations opened on Sept 21, according to Delhi govt.In less than three weeks — from Sept 21 till Oct 9 — over 77,600 households have registered, with rural areas and unauthorised colonies showing the strongest response, it stated.At 27,197, East and Central Delhi together accounted for the highest number of applications, followed by North and North-West Delhi (26,788), while South and West Delhi combined recorded 23,925 applications.Power minister Ashish Sood said Delhi govt’s rooftop solar scheme offers a way to reduce dependence on conventional electricity and bring down monthly bills without having to bear the installation cost upfront, provided they meet the eligibility conditions. The response from rural areas and unauthorised colonies, he said, was particularly encouraging.Sood added that the three discoms — BYPL, Tata Power-DDL and BRPL – have been holding camps and guiding residents through the registration process.Under the policy, residential consumers with average monthly consumption of up to 400 units can get rooftop solar systems of up to 3 kW installed at zero upfront cost. The financial support combines a central subsidy of up to Rs 78,000 under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with a matching state subsidy of up to Rs 78,000. Delhi govt covers the remaining cost under the zero-upfront model, while vendors provide five years of free operation and maintenance.Households consuming fewer than 200 units a month will continue to receive their existing 100% electricity subsidy and will also be eligible for an energy-saving incentive for electricity fed back into the grid. The benefits will depend on eligibility and the terms of the scheme.
