Rooftop solar in Chennai · Operating since 2020
Solar panel installation in Chennai, handled end to end
We design, install and commission rooftop solar for homes, schools, businesses and factories across Chennai — hardware, TANGEDCO net metering file, government approvals and the PM Surya Ghar subsidy claim. Then we maintain it free for one year. The only thing you deal with is a lower EB bill.
Average Chennai pricing, not a quotation. Your exact figure comes after the roof survey. Open the full calculator →
Commercial and industrial systems are quoted after a load study, not from a web form. How our EPC process works →
₹78,000
subsidy claimed and followed to your bank account by us
One year free
cleaning, inspection and monitoring from commissioning
25 year panels
manufacturer performance warranty, passed through in full
Since 2020
homes, schools, businesses and factories across Chennai
The short answer
What does solar installation in Chennai involve?
Solar installation in Chennai means fitting an ALMM-listed rooftop system sized to your sanctioned load, then getting it approved and net-metered by TANGEDCO. A typical Chennai home installs 3 kW to 5 kW, generating roughly 4.8 units per kW per day. Residential systems qualify for a PM Surya Ghar subsidy of up to ₹78,000, credited directly to your bank account after commissioning.
01
How much does solar panel installation in Chennai cost?
Two sizes cover most Chennai homes. A 3 kW system is approximately ₹2,10,000 and a 5 kW system approximately ₹3,20,000. Both are subsidy plans: the ₹78,000 PM Surya Ghar subsidy is credited directly to your bank account after commissioning, so you pay the amount above and the subsidy comes back to you. The 3 kW generates around 14 units a day, roughly 430 units a month; the 5 kW generates around 24 units a day, roughly 720 units a month. Final cost depends on panel technology, inverter brand, structure height and roof condition, so we confirm it after a free site visit. Most Chennai homeowners recover the investment through bill savings in four to six years, on a system built to run for 25 years.
Generation basis
Chennai receives roughly 5.3 peak sun hours a day, so each kW installed generates about 4.5 units daily, or in the region of 1,500 to 1,600 units a year.
On GST
Since 22 September 2025, a complete solar power generating system supplied as a single package attracts 5% GST, down from the earlier 12%. Buying panels, inverter and structure separately can push parts of the bill to 18%, which is one reason a turnkey quote from one vendor usually works out cheaper.
The cap
The subsidy is capped at ₹78,000 regardless of system size, so anything above 3 kW is a decision about how much of your bill you want to erase, not about how much subsidy you can claim.
The 500 unit cliff
Why crossing 500 units on your TANGEDCO bill costs so much
Tamil Nadu's domestic tariff is telescopic and bi-monthly, and it changes sharply at 500 units. Since 10 May 2026, domestic consumers using up to 500 units per bi-monthly cycle receive 200 free units, while consumers above 500 units receive only 100 free units and are also repriced into higher slabs. Crossing that threshold by a small margin can add far more to a bill than the extra units are worth, which is exactly where a modest rooftop solar system pays for itself fastest.
If your bi-monthly consumption sits just above 500 units, you are losing 100 free units and paying higher rates across the lower slabs at the same time. A 1 kW or 2 kW system is often enough to pull consumption back under the threshold, which restores the larger free-unit quota and drops you back into the cheaper tier. For households in that band, the effective saving per unit generated is considerably higher than the headline tariff suggests.
Send us your last bill and we will tell you which side of the threshold you sit on, and the smallest system that keeps you on the right side of it.
Drag to your last bi-monthly reading
Units on your last TANGEDCO bill
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What subsidy do you get for solar in Chennai?
Chennai homeowners get a central subsidy under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana of ₹30,000 for a 1 kW system, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, and ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. The amount is transferred directly to your bank account after the system is installed, inspected and commissioned by TANGEDCO, usually within 30 to 45 days.
1 kW
₹30,000
2 kW
₹60,000
3 kW and above
₹78,000
- The subsidy applies to residential rooftop systems only. Commercial and industrial installations are not eligible, though they can claim accelerated depreciation instead.
- Housing societies and resident welfare associations can claim ₹18,000 per kW for common area systems, up to 500 kW, subject to a cap of 3 kW per participating household.
- Applications go through the national portal at pmsuryaghar.gov.in, with TANGEDCO as the implementing DISCOM for Chennai.
- Claims are commonly rejected for one avoidable reason: hardware that is not on the MNRE ALMM list. Every system Blues Renewables installs uses ALMM-listed modules and approved inverters, so the claim clears.
- Blues Renewables files the application, uploads the commissioning report and follows the claim through to disbursal. You do not visit a government office.
How the subsidy works in Tamil Nadu → · Eligibility and documents →
02
Solar systems we install across Chennai
Eight system types, each specified differently. Pick the one that matches your property.
On-grid rooftop solar for homes
The default choice for Chennai homes with a reliable TANGEDCO connection. Your system feeds the house during the day and exports the surplus to the grid for bill credit. Lowest cost per kW, subsidy eligible, no batteries to replace. Best for independent houses and terraces in areas like Anna Nagar, Adyar, Velachery and Porur.
On-grid systems in detail →Hybrid solar with battery backup
On-grid economics with a battery buffer for outages. Worth it if you work from home, run medical equipment, or live in a pocket with frequent interruptions. We size the battery to your critical load rather than your whole house, which is what keeps the cost sensible.
Hybrid systems in detail →Solar for apartments and housing societies
Common area solar for lifts, pumps, corridor lighting and STP loads, which is where an association's bill actually goes. We handle the association resolution documentation, the sanctioned load check and the common area subsidy route.
Solar for apartments →Off-grid solar
For sites with no grid connection or an unreliable one, the system runs entirely on panels and battery storage with no TANGEDCO dependency at all. Off-grid systems are not eligible for the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, which is a subsidy for grid-connected residential rooftops, so we only recommend off-grid where the site genuinely calls for it.
Off-grid systems in detail →Commercial rooftop solar
For offices, showrooms, schools, hospitals, hotels and warehouses across Chennai and the OMR and GST Road corridors. Commercial tariffs are higher than domestic ones, which usually makes the payback faster than for a home, even without a subsidy. Every commercial project starts with an energy audit, so the system is sized against your actual load profile rather than a rule of thumb.
Commercial solar →Industrial and factory rooftop solar
Larger arrays for manufacturing units in Ambattur, Sriperumbudur, Oragadam and the Ambattur Industrial Estate. The financial case for a factory is built from three things that homeowners never see.
Accelerated depreciation up to 40%
On the solar asset in the first year under the Income Tax Act, which pulls a large part of the capital cost forward as a tax shield.
Green audit certification
Increasingly asked for by export buyers and large customers running supplier sustainability requirements.
Carbon credits
For verified emissions reductions, a revenue line most installers never mention to a manufacturer.
Available as CAPEX, where you own the asset and claim the depreciation, or as an OPEX or RESCO arrangement with no upfront cost and a fixed per unit tariff.
Solar street lights and solar-powered CCTV
Standalone solar street lighting and solar-powered CCTV installations for gated communities, apartment complexes, factory perimeters, schools and layouts. These run independently of the grid, so there is no wiring back to a meter and no TANGEDCO application involved.
Solar street lights →Operations, maintenance and AMC
Cleaning schedules built around Chennai's dust and monsoon cycle, inverter health checks, generation monitoring, and warranty coordination. Every installation includes one year of this free from commissioning.
See exactly what the first year covers →03
Five steps, and we do the paperwork in all of them
Blues Renewables installs rooftop solar in Chennai in five stages: site assessment and energy audit, customised system design, professional installation, testing and commissioning, then monitoring and maintenance. Typical timelines run six to ten weeks from survey to a live, net-metered system, with TANGEDCO approval and meter installation accounting for most of that. The physical installation itself takes one to three days.
Step 01 · Week 1 · free
Site assessment and energy audit
We measure usable shade-free roof area, check the structure, the existing meter and your sanctioned load, photograph shading obstructions across the day, and read your consumption pattern from your last twelve months of bills. The audit is what stops a system being oversized, undersized, or sized to whatever the installer had in stock.
Step 02 · Week 1 – 2
Customised system design
You get a system sized to your actual load, an itemised quote naming every component and brand, expected annual generation and the post-subsidy cost.
Step 03 · 1 to 3 days on site
Professional installation
Structure, modules, inverter, cabling, earthing and safety gear, installed by our own team. Typically one to three days for a residential system.
Step 04 · 4 to 8 weeks · we file it
Testing, commissioning and the subsidy claim
Government approvals, TANGEDCO inspection, the bi-directional meter, and the system switched on. We file the PM Surya Ghar claim and track it to your bank account.
Step 05 · Year 1 · included
Monitoring and maintenance
One year of free maintenance, generation monitoring and warranty coordination. Most Chennai installers hand over a system and disappear.
How does TANGEDCO net metering work for solar in Chennai?
TANGEDCO net metering replaces your existing meter with a bi-directional meter that records both the power you draw from the grid and the surplus your solar system exports. Exported units are credited against your consumption in the billing cycle, and unused credits carry forward. Your system capacity cannot exceed your sanctioned load, which is the most common reason applications get held up.
Net metering, not net billing, for homes
Under the TNERC Grid Interactive Solar PV regulations, residential systems up to 10 kW sit under net metering, where exported units are credited one for one against imported units. Net billing, where exports earn a lower feed-in rate than the retail rate you pay, applies to larger and non-domestic categories. Net metering is the more valuable of the two for a household, and the mechanism is set by regulation rather than chosen by the consumer.
Bi-monthly settlement
TANGEDCO reads domestic meters on a two-month cycle. Surplus units carry forward as credit, and any credit still unused at the annual settlement is compensated at the rate TNERC has fixed, which is lower than the retail tariff. This is why oversizing a system far beyond your own consumption rarely pays for itself.
A naming note
TANGEDCO's distribution arm was renamed Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited, or TNPDCL, in the 2024 restructuring. Billing rules and consumer service channels are unchanged, and most people still say TANGEDCO, so you will see both names on paperwork.
Capacity cannot exceed sanctioned load
If your sanctioned load is lower than the system you want, we file the load enhancement first rather than discovering the problem at inspection.
Two meters, not one
Tamil Nadu requires a separate solar generation meter alongside the bi-directional net meter. Any quote that leaves this out is incomplete.
Timelines, and who does the work
Approval and meter installation in urban Chennai commonly runs four to eight weeks. The largest variable is how complete the application is when it goes in, which is why we prepare it rather than handing you a folder. Blues Renewables coordinates with your section office and stays on the file until the meter is installed and the system is live.
04
Why solar installations in Chennai need to be specified differently
Chennai's coastal humidity, salt-laden air, cyclone season and high ambient heat put stresses on a rooftop solar system that inland installations never face. Specifying hardware for those conditions is the difference between a system that holds output for 25 years and one that degrades in five.
| Condition | Standard | What we specify, and why |
|---|---|---|
| Salt mist corrosion near the coast | IEC 61701 | Homes along ECR, Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Neelankarai and the harbour belt sit in a salt mist zone. We specify modules with IEC 61701 salt mist corrosion certification and use hot dip galvanised or aluminium mounting structures rather than painted mild steel, which begins pitting within a couple of monsoons in this air. |
| Cyclone wind loading | IS 875 Pt 3 · 50 m/s | Chennai sits in a 50 m/s basic wind speed zone under IS 875 Part 3, roughly 180 km/h, and because the city falls within 60 km of a cyclone-prone coast, a cyclone importance factor is applied on top of that in structural design. Roof-mounted arrays fail at the fasteners and the structure, not at the glass, so we design mounting to the IS 875 Part 3 requirement for the site, with anchoring and ballast sized for the terrace type. |
| Heat, and what it costs you | Temp. coefficient | Peak Chennai roof temperatures push module cell temperature well above the standard test conditions used on a datasheet, and every panel loses output as it heats. We select modules with a favourable temperature coefficient and leave adequate mounting clearance for airflow underneath, which matters more here than in most of India. |
| Dust and the northeast monsoon | Oct – Dec | Between construction dust, coastal grit and the pre-monsoon dry spell, soiling losses in Chennai are real. Generation typically peaks in the clear months and dips through the northeast monsoon from October to December. We build the cleaning schedule around that cycle rather than selling a flat quarterly plan. |
| Roof types across the city | Four methods | Independent house terraces, sloped Mangalore tile roofs in older Mylapore and Triplicane properties, metal sheet roofs on industrial sheds in Ambattur, and shared terraces in apartment blocks each need a different mounting approach and a different penetration and waterproofing method. We do not use one structure for every roof. |
05
GI structure height, from 4 ft to 9 ft
Your panels sit on a hot-dip galvanised iron structure, and its height is a decision you should make deliberately — not one that gets made for you by whoever quotes cheapest. We build from 4 ft to 9 ft. Height decides how much of your terrace you keep, how the array clears parapets and stair rooms, and how much steel goes into the job.
4 ft
Standard clearance
The lowest structure we build. Airflow under the panels keeps cell temperature down, and the slab stays reachable for cleaning. You cannot walk under it — the terrace becomes the array’s.
6 ft
Walk-under height
The common choice on independent houses. Drying lines, water tanks and the sump inlet all stay usable, and cleaning access is easy. Most Chennai terraces end up here.
8 ft
Terrace stays a terrace
Full standing height with room for storage, seating or a shaded work area underneath. Also the height that clears most stair-room and lift-machine-room shadows.
9 ft
Parking and tall obstructions
Used where the array has to sit over a car port, a courtyard or a shed roof, or where a tall parapet or a neighbouring building would otherwise shade the lower rows through the morning.
Height costs money, and we show you where. Taller structures need heavier sections, deeper foundations and more steel, so the structure line moves with the height you choose. It appears as its own line in your quotation with the section sizes named. Chennai sits in a cyclone wind zone, so we design the structure to the wind loading — not to a catalogue drawing.
Ask for a height recommendation06
Why choose Blues Renewables
Blues Renewables has been installing rooftop solar in Chennai since 2020, across homes, schools, businesses and factories. We handle design through delivery in-house, quote transparently, and include one year of free maintenance with every installation rather than selling it back to you afterwards.
What you get with every installation
- An itemised quotation naming every component, brand, wattage and specification, so you can compare us line by line against any other quote.
- Government approvals, TANGEDCO net metering and the PM Surya Ghar subsidy claim, all filed and followed up by us.
- One year of free maintenance from commissioning.
- 25 year manufacturer performance warranties on panels, passed through in full, plus our own workmanship warranty on structure, wiring and waterproofing, stated in writing on every quotation.
- An energy audit before design, so the system is sized to your actual consumption.
Included, not sold back to you
One year of maintenance, included
Every Blues Renewables installation includes one year of free maintenance from commissioning. A rooftop solar system in Chennai needs periodic cleaning, an annual electrical and inverter check, and generation monitoring to catch underperformance early, and for the first year all of that is ours to do, not yours to arrange.
- Generation monitoring through the inverter app, with a benchmark for what your system should produce each month in Chennai, so a drop is obvious rather than invisible.
- Cleaning scheduled around the dry season and the post-monsoon period, when Chennai soiling losses peak.
- Annual inspection of connections, earthing, structure fasteners and inverter health.
- Warranty claims coordinated by us with the manufacturer. You never chase a panel brand's service centre yourself.
- After the first year, an optional annual maintenance contract continues the same schedule, priced on system size and quoted before it starts.
Hardware from brands you already know
We install and service equipment from Vikram Solar, Waaree, Adani Solar, Jinko Solar, Loom Solar, UTL Solar, Polycab and Havells. Every panel we quote is ALMM-listed, so your PM Surya Ghar subsidy claim is never put at risk by the hardware, and you can check any model number against the MNRE list yourself before signing.
Built for Chennai
We are a Chennai company installing on Chennai roofs. That means salt mist certified panels for coastal properties, structures designed for a 50 m/s wind zone, and cleaning schedules built around the northeast monsoon, not a generic national template.
Credentials
- MSME registered business, installing rooftop solar in Chennai since 2020. Udyam registration UDYAM-TN-02-0495778, verifiable on the Government of India Udyam portal.
- An itemised invoice on every project, raised under the registered entity.
- Installation carried out by our own team, not subcontracted.
Standards we build to
- ALMM-listed modules and MNRE-approved inverters, which is what the PM Surya Ghar subsidy claim requires.
- IEC 61701 salt mist certification on coastal installations, with galvanised or aluminium structures.
- Mounting designed to IS 875 Part 3 for Chennai's 50 m/s wind zone.
How to choose among solar companies in Chennai
The top solar companies in Chennai are separated by five checkable things: ALMM-listed hardware, an itemised quote that names component brands, in-house installation crews rather than subcontractors, documented handling of the TANGEDCO net metering file, and a written AMC with response times. Ask every company on your shortlist for evidence of all five before comparing prices.
We are happy to be compared on all six. Ask us for a reference site in your neighbourhood and we will arrange it.
07
Commercial solar, where the arithmetic works differently
A business roof is not a bigger house roof. Commercial consumers pay higher tariffs than households, consume most of their electricity in daylight hours, and can claim tax benefits a homeowner cannot — but they receive no residential subsidy and are treated differently on export. Those four facts change the sizing, the paperwork and the case itself.
Commercial solar EPC in Chennai sets out the full scope, and CAPEX vs OPEX vs RESCO covers how to fund it.
Three things every commercial proposal should state plainly
No PM Surya Ghar subsidy
The central residential subsidy does not extend to commercial connections. Anyone quoting it on a business roof is quoting a number you will not receive.
Accelerated depreciation instead
Up to 40% of the asset value can be claimed in year one, plus GST input credit where you are registered. Whether you can use it depends on your tax position — your accountant decides that, not us.
Net feed-in, not net metering
Non-domestic consumers in Tamil Nadu are generally on net feed-in, so exported units earn well below the tariff you pay on imports. That is the whole argument for sizing to self-consumption.
Segments we work with across Chennai
Showrooms and retail
Jewellery, apparel, furniture and automobile showrooms. Trading hours run late, so the honest coverage figure is lower than a generic proposal suggests — and a carport often does more than a roof.
Retail showrooms →Hospitals and clinics
Cooling load peaks exactly when the array peaks. The design question is the tie-in with DG and UPS switchgear, and phasing work around clinical areas.
Hospitals →Schools and colleges
A timetable is a load profile. Teaching hours sit almost exactly inside generating hours, and the vacation is the installation window worth planning for.
Schools and colleges →Offices and IT premises
OMR, Perungudi, Guindy and Nungambakkam. Consumption sits squarely in office hours, which is close to an ideal match for rooftop generation.
Commercial EPC →08
Industrial solar, and why a factory is not just a larger commercial site
Industrial consumers in Tamil Nadu are typically on HT connections with contract demand measured in kVA, where the bill combines an energy charge with a demand charge, power factor incentives and time-of-day variation. Rooftop solar reaches the energy charge. It does not reliably reach the rest — and being straight about that at the survey is the difference between a proposal that holds up and one that does not.
Industrial solar in Chennai covers HT metering, sheet-roof structure and phased installation around production.
Demand charges are not displaced
An HT bill combines an energy charge per unit with a demand charge on contract or recorded maximum demand. Solar reduces what you pay per unit, not what you pay for the right to draw power.
Multi-shift plants consume outside generating hours
A single-shift day operation is close to an ideal solar match. A two or three shift plant draws heavily at night, when the array produces nothing. Both facts belong in the model.
The roof is finite, the load is not
A factory drawing several hundred kVA cannot be served from its own roof, however large the shed. The right response is to size rooftop to what it genuinely offsets.
Sheet roofs are a structural question
Most Chennai industrial roofs are profiled metal sheet over steel purlins. Purlin spacing, load capacity and the remaining life of the sheeting decide the design before anything else does.
Where we work
Metal sheet roofs over large spans, daytime shift patterns and high connected loads make the industrial belt among the best solar sites in the region.
Commercial and industrial systems are quoted after an energy audit, never from a bill figure. Roof type, structure, tie-in point and tariff category move the answer too much to price any other way. Send twelve months of bills and we will tell you what your site can actually carry.
Request an audit09
Solar installation across Chennai and the metropolitan area
Blues Renewables installs rooftop solar across Chennai city and the wider metropolitan area, including the following areas.
Free roof assessment
Find out what your roof can do
Send us your area and your bi-monthly EB bill. We will tell you the system size your roof needs, what it costs after subsidy, and what your bill looks like afterwards. No charge, no obligation, and a real engineer on the site visit rather than a salesperson.
Common questions
Solar installation in Chennai, common questions
Residential rooftop solar in Chennai generally costs ₹55,000 to ₹85,000 per kW installed before subsidy, so a 3 kW system typically lands in the ₹1.65 lakh to ₹2.25 lakh range. After the ₹78,000 PM Surya Ghar subsidy, the net cost falls to roughly ₹87,000 to ₹1.47 lakh. A turnkey installation carries an effective GST of about 8.9% under the 70:30 composite supply rule. The final figure depends on panel technology, inverter brand, mounting height and roof condition, which is why we quote only after a site survey.
Chennai homeowners can claim ₹30,000 for a 1 kW system, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, and a maximum of ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The subsidy is credited directly to your bank account after TANGEDCO inspects and commissions the system, usually within 30 to 45 days. It applies to residential systems only, and the hardware must be on the MNRE ALMM list for the claim to be approved.
Most Chennai homes recover the post-subsidy cost of a rooftop solar system in four to six years, on panels warranted to perform for 25. Payback is fastest for households consuming above 500 units per bi-monthly cycle, because those households lose half their free-unit quota and pay higher telescopic slab rates. It is slowest for low-consumption homes that already fall inside Tamil Nadu's free unit allowance. Commercial installations usually pay back faster still, since commercial tariffs are higher than domestic ones.
Plan on roughly 50 square feet of shade-free roof per kW, so a 3 kW system needs about 150 square feet and a 5 kW system about 250 square feet. That is the panel footprint on an elevated GI structure, so the terrace underneath stays usable. What matters more than raw area is that the space is genuinely shade-free between 9am and 4pm — a water tank, a stair room or a neighbour’s wall can cost you more output than a smaller roof would.
Net metering approval and bi-directional meter installation in urban Chennai commonly takes four to eight weeks from application, and your system capacity must not exceed your sanctioned load. Residential systems up to 10 kW fall under net metering, so exported units are credited one for one against your consumption on a bi-monthly settlement cycle. Delays usually come from incomplete applications or a mismatch between the proposed system size and the sanctioned load. Blues Renewables files the application and follows it through the section office so the file does not stall.
For Chennai, choose ALMM-listed monocrystalline modules with a favourable temperature coefficient, and if the property is within a few kilometres of the coast, insist on IEC 61701 salt mist corrosion certification. High ambient heat reduces output from any panel, so the temperature coefficient matters more here than in cooler regions. The mounting structure should be hot dip galvanised or aluminium, since painted mild steel corrodes quickly in coastal Chennai air.
Yes, though an individual flat owner usually cannot install on a shared terrace without an association resolution, because the roof is common property. The more practical route for apartments is a common area system that offsets lift, pump, corridor lighting and STP consumption, which is where most of an association's bill sits. Housing societies can also claim a separate central subsidy for common area installations.
Yes, though output drops. Panels generate from diffuse daylight even under cloud cover, so a system continues producing through the northeast monsoon from October to December, just at a reduced rate. Systems in Chennai are sized against annual consumption, so the surplus generated in the clear months carries forward as net metering credit and covers the monsoon dip.
A Chennai rooftop system needs periodic panel cleaning, an annual check of connections, earthing and structure fasteners, and ongoing generation monitoring. Dust and coastal grit make cleaning frequency higher here than in less dusty regions, particularly through the dry months before the monsoon. Panels themselves have no moving parts, so the inverter is the component most likely to need attention over the system's life.
No. For residential rooftop solar in 2026, the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy of up to ₹78,000 is the only cash subsidy available in Tamil Nadu. The earlier Chief Minister's Solar Rooftop Capital Incentive was superseded when PM Surya Ghar launched in February 2024, and the state nodal agency TEDA has since been folded into the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation. Several websites still quote a state top-up of around ₹20,000 per kW, so treat any quotation that depends on one with caution.
Yes. Every Blues Renewables installation includes one year of free maintenance from commissioning, covering panel cleaning, annual electrical and inverter checks, generation monitoring and warranty coordination with the manufacturer. After the first year, an optional annual maintenance contract continues the same schedule. Most Chennai installers charge for maintenance from day one, so check what is included when comparing quotes.
Commercial and industrial solar assets qualify for accelerated depreciation of up to 40% in the first year under the Income Tax Act, which offsets a significant share of the capital cost against taxable profit. Businesses can also claim GST input credit, obtain green audit certification increasingly required by export buyers, and in some cases earn carbon credits for verified emissions reductions. These benefits replace the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, which is available to residential consumers only.
GST on solar panels and solar power generating systems is 5%, reduced from 12% with effect from 22 September 2025. For a complete turnkey installation the 70:30 composite supply rule applies, with 70% of the contract value taxed at 5% as goods and 30% at 18% as services, giving an effective rate of about 8.9%. Components bought separately can attract 18%, This is one reason a turnkey installation from a single vendor is usually cheaper overall than sourcing parts individually.