Nagpur: Further consolidating its lead in the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, Nagpur has become the first district in Maharashtra with one lakh rooftop solar installations with 390MW capacity on households.The district has 1.01 lakh rooftop solar installations, more than double in Pune which stands second in the state with 49,883 installations with a capacity of 227.54 MW.The milestone has also translated into significant financial benefits for Nagpur residents, with the central govt releasing Rs722.45 crore subsidy to 92,698 beneficiaries in the district. As per the latest data, 99,628 consumers in Nagpur are eligible for Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of Rs776.28 crore, making the district the largest beneficiary of the rooftop solar subsidy programme in Maharashtra.The district’s 1.01 lakh installations account for 14.34% of the state’s total installations, while its installed capacity of 389.67 MW contributes 14.56% of Maharashtra’s total rooftop solar capacity under the scheme.The scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, aims to promote rooftop solar adoption among one crore households across the country. The scheme provides financial support to residential consumers installing solar systems and encourages generation of clean energy at the household level.Under the scheme, the central govt provides subsidies of Rs30,000 for a 1 kW rooftop solar installation, Rs60,000 for a 2 kW system and Rs78,000 for a 3 kW or higher installation. The subsidy amount is transferred to eligible consumers after completion of installation and verification.Maharashtra has recorded 7,06,662 rooftop solar installations with a combined renewable energy capacity of 2,677.05 MW under the scheme. Across the state, 6.73 lakh beneficiaries are eligible for subsidy amounting to Rs5,346.32 crore, while subsidy worth Rs4,967.66 crore has already been released to 6.26 lakh consumers.Besides Nagpur and Pune, Jalgaon, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nashik have also recorded high numbers of installations. Jalgaon has 49,666 installations, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar 46,431 installations, and Nashik 43,689 installations.The nearly 390 MW rooftop solar capacity created in Nagpur district is expected to help consumers reduce electricity expenses, increase clean energy generation and contribute towards the state’s renewable energy targets.
