Despite National Portal Glitches, India Adds 450 MW RTS Capacity In May

Rajasthan's Struggles with the PM Surya Ghar Scheme

Notwithstanding the technical glitches in the PM Surya Ghar portal, India added a 450 MW of new rooftop solar capacities in the month of May, 2024. This data was revealed from the latest renewable capacity data of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). 

As per the latest data from the MNRE, India’s total rooftop solar capacity touched 12,463 MW by the end of May 2024. This is against the total rooftop solar capacity of 12,013 MW in the month of April. The new capacity additions come at a time when the Indian government has launched its ambitious target of adding rooftop solar in one crore households. During May 2024, India also added 2463.82 MW of new solar capacities. Thus rooftop solar segment accounted for the 18% of the total new solar capacities added by India in May 2024.

However, this new capacity addition was seen when several solar project installers in several states had been complaining about several technical glitches in the PM Surya Ghar Portal/National Rooftop Portal. A number of solar installers had been complaining of technical glitches in the portal which led to delays in the filing of rooftop solar applications or hampered the feeding of data and permissions by the local discoms and other authorities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier had announced the PM Surya Ghar scheme where the government aimed to boost the growth of rooftop solar in the country. This came at a time when the earlier rooftop solar programmes Rooftop Solar Scheme (RTS-I) and (RTS-II) failed to yield the required results. 

The new scheme has now made provisions for higher central financial assistance (CFA) for the residential rooftop solar. While the government has decided to give upto Rs 30,000 per KW subsidies for residential rooftop consumers upto 2 KW, the total central subsidies under the scheme for a 3 KW system stands at Rs 78,000. This is in addition to several other state subsidy support.

For example-a person living in Uttar Pradesh and planning to install a 3 KW of residential rooftop solar system, he will be able to get a central subsidy of Rs 78,000 and another Rs 30,000 subsidy from the state government. Thus the consumer will be eligible for Rs 1,08,000 subsidies for installing the rooftop solar system which can reduce his/her monthly power bills.