Mumbai, Oct. 27 -- More than 100,000 power consumers in Delhi have registered for rooftop solar connections within a month of a dedicated portal being launched, with the latest figures recording 102,461 registrations up to October 21. The drive is part of the Delhi government's plan to provide 230,000 free rooftop solar installations by March 2027.

Power Minister Ashish Sood described the registrations as a milestone in the city's clean-energy efforts and credited Delhi's residents for the response. He said the initiative was being supported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar initiative, with the government seeking to make the city cleaner and more energy independent.

BSES Rajdhani Power, or BRPL, recorded the highest number of registrations at 37,168 across South and West Delhi. BSES Yamuna Power, or BYPL, reported 32,718 registrations in East and Central Delhi, while Tata Power Delhi Distribution, or TPDDL, recorded 32,575 in North and Northwest Delhi. Officials said the response was particularly strong in outer areas and industrial hubs such as Bawana and Narela, where larger rooftops and open spaces support higher-capacity installations.

The scheme, announced last month by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, covers 230,000 free rooftop solar plants with a capacity of 3 kW each in its first phase. The Central government will provide a subsidy of Rs. 78,000, while the Delhi government will provide Rs. 30,000, with the state support set to rise to Rs. 78,000 through a one-time advance generation-based incentive.

Officials attributed the uptake to the combined subsidies, timely incentive payments and faster net-metering approvals. Group net-metering policies also enable residents of multi-storey apartments to share solar benefits, and Sood urged Resident Welfare Associations and housing societies to use the provisions. He said the government was streamlining digital processing and subsidy disbursal, while encouraging households, businesses and community leaders to adopt rooftop solar to reduce electricity costs and carbon emissions.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.