PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana – A Revolutionary Step Towards Solar Empowerment

New Delhi: In a groundbreaking move towards sustainable energy and empowering households, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the nod to PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, an ambitious scheme with a total outlay of Rs. 75,021 crore. Launched by the Prime Minister on February 13, 2024, this initiative focuses on installing rooftop solar panels and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for one crore households.

Major Highlights of PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana:

Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for Residential Rooftop Solar:

The scheme provides a CFA of 60% of the system cost for 2 kW systems and 40% of the additional system cost for systems between 2 to 3 kW capacity, capped at 3 kW.
Subsidies include Rs 30,000 for a 1 kW system, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW systems, and Rs 78,000 for 3 kW systems or higher.
Households can apply for subsidies through the National Portal and select a suitable vendor for installation.

Collateral-Free Low-Interest Loans:

Households can access collateral-free low-interest loans of approximately 7% for installing residential rooftop solar (RTS) systems up to 3 kW.

Model Solar Village and Local Body Incentives:

A Model Solar Village will be developed in each district to act as a role model for RTS adoption in rural areas. Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions will receive incentives for promoting RTS installations in their respective areas.

Payment Security for Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) Models:

The scheme includes a component for payment security for RESCO-based models and a fund for innovative RTS projects.

Outcome and Impact:

Households can save on electricity bills and earn additional income by selling surplus power to DISCOMs. A 3 kW system can generate over 300 units a month on average for a household.
The scheme aims to add 30 GW of solar capacity through rooftop solar, generating 1000 BUs of electricity and reducing 720 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions over the 25-year lifetime of rooftop systems.

Approximately 17 lakh direct jobs are expected to be created across manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, sales, installation, O&M, and other services.

Availing Benefits of PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana:

The government has launched a massive awareness campaign, encouraging interested households to register on https://pmsuryaghar.gov.in to avail benefits under the scheme.