Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the 'Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana' under which one crore households will get rooftop solar across the nation. The scheme aims to equip one crore poor to middle-class households with rooftop solar panels in a bit to provide electricity from solar energy. The scheme would not only reduce the electricity bill of the poor and middle class but would also make India self-reliant in the energy sector.
Rooftop solar panels are the photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of a building which is connected to main power supply unit. Thus, it reduces the consumption of the grid-connected electricity and saves electricity cost for the consumer. In a solar rooftop system, there is only an upfront capital investment and minimal cost for maintenance.
According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s website, solar power installed capacity in India has reached around 73.31 GW as of December 2023. Meanwhile, rooftop solar installed capacity is around 11.08 GW as of December 2023. The Centre currently has a National Rooftop Scheme that provides financial assistance totalling 40% of the capital cost of a solar rooftop project