The Indian government’s flagship initiative to promote rooftop solar adoption and drive innovation in renewable energy, structured as follows:
Core Scheme Overview
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
- Duration: Until FY 2026-27.
- Primary Objective: Install rooftop solar panels in 1 crore households to provide free electricity up to 300 units monthly.
- Key Features:
- Subsidy Structure:
- 60% subsidy for systems up to 2 kW capacity.
- 40% subsidy for additional capacity between 2–3 kW (e.g., a 3 kW system receives 60% subsidy on the first 2 kW and 40% on the remaining 1 kW).
- Target Beneficiaries: Residential households across India.
- Implementation: Likely via net metering, where excess solar power is fed into the grid to offset electricity bills.
- Subsidy Structure:
Innovative Projects Component
- Objective: Pilot cutting-edge solutions to enhance rooftop solar adoption and grid integration.
- Budget: ₹500 crore allocated.
- Eligibility:
- Startups, industries, institutions, individuals, and international collaborations (joint R&D).
- Funding:
- Up to 60% of project cost or ₹30 crore (whichever is lower).
- Example: A ₹50 crore project receives ₹30 crore; a ₹40 crore project receives ₹24 crore.
- Focus Areas:
- Blockchain-based peer-to-peer (P2P) solar energy trading.
- Advanced solar technologies, smart grids, and energy storage solutions.
- Tenure: 18 months for pilot projects.
- Implementation Agency:Â National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE).
Strategic Integration
- Synergy:
- Main Scheme drives mass adoption through subsidies.
- Innovative Projects develop scalable solutions (e.g., blockchain for transparent energy trading) to enhance the main scheme’s efficiency.
- Alignment with National Goals: Supports India’s target of 500 GW renewable energy by 2030 and reduces reliance on fossil fuels.
Challenges & Considerations
- Main Scheme:
- Awareness & Accessibility: Ensuring rural/urban households can access subsidies and trusted vendors.
- Grid Infrastructure: Managing bidirectional power flow from decentralized solar systems.
- Innovative Projects:
- Scalability: Translating pilots into nationwide solutions.
- Coordination: Balancing diverse stakeholders (states, startups, international partners).
Expected Impact
- Households: Reduced electricity bills, energy independence, and passive income via surplus power sales.
- Environment: Cuts COâ‚‚ emissions and air pollution.
- Economy: Boosts solar manufacturing, creates jobs, and positions India as a green tech leader.
Unanswered Questions
- Application Process: How households apply, vendor empanelment, and maintenance support.
- Tech Transfer: Intellectual property rights for innovations from international collaborations.
- Monitoring: Metrics for evaluating project success and subsidy utilization.
Conclusion
The PM-Surya Ghar scheme combines immediate solar adoption incentives with long-term innovation, offering a dual pathway to achieve India’s renewable energy targets. Its success hinges on seamless execution, public engagement, and integration of emerging technologies.
