Kerala leads the way in rooftop solar projects at national level

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has become a pioneer in the Rooftop Solar Project. The Rooftop Solar Project, which was launched in the state in 2019, attracted people to install solar power plants in their homes. This model eventually was adapted into the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Yojana, which facilitated solar plants for more than 1 crore homes at the national level. The project has been widely accepted in states including Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The subsidy provided for the installation of the Rooftop Solar scheme and the transferring of ten percent of the electricity generated to KSEB as rent made this project attractive in Kerala. The excess electricity after household consumption was paid for by KSEB and given to the grid, and if the money was not received for such, the consumer would get additional electricity during the night for that money. These were the ideas that were implemented into the Surya Ghar Yojana. Prior to this, at the national level, only subsidies and bank loans were provided as benefits.

Kerala has come out on top in the country in the past two years in rooftop solar installation with 99.97 percent growth. Maharashtra is in second place (75.26 percent). Gujarat is in third place (60 percent). In Kerala, 51,300 households had rooftop solar in 2022. This increased to 1.52 lakh in 2024. 22 percent of the state's daytime electricity consumption is met from rooftop solar. Currently, the state has 2.52 lakh applications for the Surya Ghar project.

Solar generation in the country - 92,120 MW

Rooftop solar generation - 12,400 MW

Houses with rooftop solar installed in the country - 6.16 lakh