Nagpur district has achieved the highest number of rooftop solar systems installed within Maharashtra as part of the Government of India’s Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, making Nagpur the second highest nationally in the implementation of this programme. The event was attended by local government and elected representatives, as well as local business representatives.

Officials indicated that rooftop solar systems have been installed in both residential and commercial settings in Nagpur under the subsidy programme, and that there has been a significant increase in both types of installations since the programme began. There has been widespread national growth in rooftop solar installations across the country, with an estimated daily installation rate of over 6,500 systems.

During the event, representatives of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company, and renewable energy trade associations reviewed the current status of the implementation of the programme. Some utility operators (power distribution companies) were recognised for their efforts to facilitate the installations in the Nagpur district.

Data show that Vidarbha, which comprises the city of Nagpur, has a higher share of rooftop solar energy in Maharashtra. Other districts in the same region, such as Amravati and Buldhana, have also seen an increase in the number of installations, and the trend indicates further expansion of this type of renewable energy.

To facilitate distributed solar energy generation at the home level, the government introduced the Pradhan Mantri (Prime Minister) Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (Free Electricity Programme for Solar Rooftop Systems) to provide financial assistance to households installing solar power systems. Under this programme, eligible recipients are provided with subsidies to install a solar panel system to generate electricity on their own property.

Rooftop solar energy generation can help consumers save money on electricity bills while contributing additional renewable energy locally and reducing the cost of transmitting electricity because it is generated near where it is consumed, thereby increasing grid reliability due to decentralised generation.

The capacity to generate renewable energy through rooftop solar in India is part of the Government of India’s overall renewable energy strategy, which includes increasing the total solar energy output in the country and reducing electricity generation from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.

According to officials, there are several factors that still need to be addressed in order to ensure continued growth in the adoption of rooftop solar energy generation systems across the state, including financing, access to capital, and active public engagement in the development of rooftop solar generation systems.