MSEDCL Has Early Win in 2025 With 100 Day Solar Rooftop target Achieved

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), the key Maharashtra discom outside Mumbai, enjoyed a rare renewable win with the achievement of its 100 day target for solar rooftops in Nagpur met in 82 days. The gains were largely the result of the PM Suryaghar rooftop scheme, with more than 1.5 lakh beneficiaries opting for the same in Nagpur.  The target for 100 days was set up with the new state government of Devendra Fadnavis, on December 5, 2024, to take the total number of beneficiaries in Maharashtra from 71.437 to 1.25 lacs. With a total capacity of 283 MW. The spike to 1.25 lakhs in the next 82 days has meant that total capacity from these beneficiaries has crossed the 500 MW mark as well. These numbers do not include the Mumbai metropolitan region which falls under other discoms.

MSEDCL claims to have fulfilled the 100 day target for solar pumps as well in just 60 days.

Nagpur’s enthusiasm for solar rooftops has placed it in 1st place in Maharashtra for solar plants under PMSMBY. The number of beneficiary households in Nagpur has reached 21,027. Nagpur is followed by districts such as Pune (9,875 houses), Jalgaon (9,489 houses), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (8,814 houses), Nashik (8,558 houses), Amravati (7,119 houses), Kolhapur (6,291 houses), Dhule (4,187 houses), and Solapur (4,007 houses). Nagpur is also Maharashtra’s winter capital and the third largest city in the state after Mumbai and Pune.

PMSMBY has a target of reaching ,  10 million households or 1 crore houses, with the central govt providing a subsidy of Rs30,000 for one kilowatt, Rs 60,000 for two kilowatts, and Rs78,000 for a three-kilowatt project, depending on the capacity of the rooftop solar project. The maximum subsidy is Rs78,000. MSEDCL provides free net meters to beneficiaries. Since the rooftop solar power project generates more electricity than the household requirement, the electricity bill eventually becomes zero. The excess electricity generated is sold to
MSEDCL. In fact, MSEDCL’s recent draft proposal to buy this electricity at a fixed rate rather than set it off against overall consumption, including during non solar peak hours, has drawn heavy criticism for the hit it will have on future solar demand.

SaurEnergy is organising the next edition of its Solar Trailblazers event in Pune, Maharashtra on March 28. Keep watching this space for more details or our social media handles!