Delhi has recorded the highest number of rooftop solar installations in the 2025-26 financial year, as per government data. The two power distribution companies in the city –- Bombay Suburban Electric Supply (BSES) and Tata Power-DDL (TPDDL) –- logged a total of 8,596 rooftop solar connections in the past year.
According to the data provided by discoms, BSES energised 4,585 connections, up from 2,761 connections in 2024-25 and TPDDL recorded 4,011 installations this financial year, up from 1,849 in the previous year.
Discom officials have attributed the jump to a stronger solar push, aided by combined incentives of up to ₹1.08 lakh under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and the new Delhi Solar Policy. Delhi’s power minister Ashish Sood said the increase in numbers was a combination of lucrative subsidies and increased awareness.
“We know there are challenges as not every household will have a rooftop with adequate space. However, we have been trying to aggressively promote solar rooftop installations and holding camps with RWAs across the city. This serves a dual purpose as it reduces electricity bills as well as air pollution,” Sood told HT.
He said the government is analysing alternatives for unauthorised colonies and flats, such as Odisha’s Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model, where 1 kilowatt (kW) solar energy can be converted for ₹5,000 upfront cost.
“Over time, the number of installations should increase further. The previous governments did not allow the Centre to assist. We are allowing assistance under both the Central and state schemes,” Sood said.
Explaining the savings that a typical domestic user can incur, discoms said that under the CAPEX model, one can save around ₹720 per month per kW installed. While, under the RESCO model, the estimated savings can range between ₹240 to ₹350 per month per kW.
The solar CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) model involves the consumer paying the full upfront cost for solar equipment, installation, and operation while the RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) model is a zero-investment solar financing structure where a third-party developer owns, installs, operates, and maintains a solar power system on a client’s property.
“Assistance and subsidies have sharply reduced upfront costs and shortened payback periods, making rooftop solar a financially viable option for a much wider base of consumers. With a combined subsidy of up to ₹1.08 lakh from both the central government scheme and state policy, the barriers to entry have vanished,” said a TPDDL official.
Meanwhile, BSES officials said that at present, a typical 5 kW residential rooftop solar system can potentially save ₹3,500+ every month, depending on usage pattern and tariff slab.
“Every 1 kW rooftop system can generate approximately 100–120 units power per month, and the investment can typically be recovered in around 3–4 years,” said a BSES official.
According to the report, BSES energised a record 4,585 rooftop solar connections with a connected load of 53.87 megawatt (MW) in FY 2025–26 . “This is the highest-ever annual addition by BSES in both number of rooftop solar installations and connected load, underlining the rapid acceleration in solar adoption,” the official said.
The figures stood at 2,761 in 2024-25, 1,204 in FY 23-24, 941 in 2022-23 and 952 in 2021-22. Overall, around 13,600 rooftop solar net-metering connections have been provided by BSES, with a cumulative connected load of nearly 260 MW across its areas.
TPDDL data showed a similar trend. In 2025-26, it provided 4,169 solar rooftop connections. In FY 2024-25, the figure stood at 1,849; in 2023-24, it was 647, in 2022-23, it was 403 and 295 in 2021-22. TPDDL said the connections have been provided across 18,000 households.
“Consumers now see it as a smart way to reduce electricity bills, save money and support a cleaner Delhi. Through awareness campaigns, simplified digital processes and dedicated support, the shift to solar has become easier for consumers. At the same time, subsidies, incentives and easy financing have made rooftop solar more affordable and attractive,” the official said.
The Delhi Solar Energy Policy 2023 has set a target of total 4,500 MW installed solar capacity by 2026-27. This includes a specific goal of 750 MW for rooftop solar installations within Delhi and 3,750 MW of utility-scale solar from outside the city.
Experts in the past had said that Delhi has failed to meet its domestic, as well as national targets for solar rooftop energisation.
Experts said the figures point at a clear inflection point in the urban distributed renewable energy uptake. “The trend is consistent with the broader national momentum under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which has already crossed over 29 lakh installations nationwide as of early 2026. In Delhi, it appears to be policy driven. The convergence of central subsidies (up to ₹78,000) and state top-ups, bring the total support for a typical 3 kW system to around ₹1.08 lakh. However, sustaining this growth will depend on addressing second-order challenges: discom integration, net metering stability, and behind-the-meter storage and load management,” Binit Das, programme manager for the renewable energy team at Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said.
