Solar subsidy in Tamil Nadu
A home rooftop system of 3 kW or more qualifies for up to ₹78,000 from the central PM Surya Ghar scheme. Tamil Nadu announced a further top-up in September 2026 which would take the total to ₹1,00,000. Below is what each one pays, who can claim it, when the money actually arrives — and which of these figures we can point at a document for. Checked 9 October 2026.
The central amounts are the scheme’s published slabs: ₹30,000 a kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third, which is why it stops at ₹78,000 however large the system. The state amounts are what was reported when the Tamil Nadu scheme launched — see below for how firm that is.
The central subsidy: PM Surya Ghar
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy pays ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW of a residential rooftop system and ₹18,000 for the third. Nothing is paid above that, so ₹78,000 is the ceiling whether you install 3 kW or 10 kW. It is paid to the householder, by direct bank transfer, after the system has been installed, metered and commissioned — not at the point of sale.
Two conditions trip people up. The system must be installed by a vendor registered under the scheme, using modules from the approved list; and the feasibility approval has to come through before installation. A system bought in a hurry from an unregistered installer is not retrospectively eligible, and no amount of paperwork afterwards fixes it.
The Tamil Nadu top-up, and how sure we are about it
The state announced a rooftop solar subsidy scheme in the 2026-27 budget and issued G.O. (Ms) No. 102 through the Energy Department, Government of Tamil Nadu on 19 September 2026. That order is real and is listed publicly — we have linked it above so you can see it for yourself.
The amounts reported at launch were ₹5,000 at 1 kW, ₹10,000 at 2 kW and ₹22,000 at 3 kW and above, stacking on top of the central subsidy for a combined ₹1,00,000. Those figures come from news reporting rather than from the text of the order, which is published as a scan. State schemes also commonly cap the number of households they cover, and that kind of condition does not always make it into the reporting.
Our advice: budget against the central ₹78,000, which is settled, and treat the state top-up as a reduction you confirm with TNPDCL or TEDA before you rely on it. Any installer quoting you a flat ₹1,00,000 as a certainty is telling you something they cannot know.
What a business gets instead
Neither scheme covers a commercial, industrial or agricultural service connection. That sounds worse than it is. Businesses can claim accelerated depreciation on the asset, and they pay a higher daytime tariff than households do — so the same roof usually pays for itself faster on a commercial connection than on a domestic one, subsidy or no subsidy. Our commercial solar page sets out how that works.
How to apply, in order
1. Register on the national portal
pmsuryaghar.gov.in, with your mobile number and your TANGEDCO consumer number from the electricity bill. The consumer number ties the application to the service connection the panels will feed.
2. Wait for feasibility approval
TNPDCL checks that the connection can take the proposed capacity. Nothing should be installed before this comes through — work done in advance is the commonest reason a claim is rejected.
3. Have it installed by a registered vendor
The subsidy is only payable on systems installed by a vendor registered under the scheme, using modules on the approved list. Ask any installer for their registration before signing, ours included.
4. Apply for the net meter
A separate application to TNPDCL, filed once the system is in. Sanction typically takes 60 to 120 days, and the subsidy claim cannot complete until the meter is fitted.
5. Inspection and commissioning
TNPDCL inspects the installation and commissions it. This is the step that starts the subsidy clock, so it is worth having the paperwork complete before the inspector arrives.
6. Subsidy credited to your bank account
Paid by direct transfer against the bank details in the application. Keep the commissioning certificate — it is the document every later query turns on.
How long the whole thing takes
Installation is the quick part. The schedule is set by the two approvals: feasibility before the work, and net metering after it. Net-metering sanction through TNPDCL typically runs 60 to 120 days from submission, and the subsidy is credited after commissioning. Plan on months rather than weeks from first application to money in the account.
We file both applications as part of the installation, from our base in Sankagiri. What we cannot do is make the sanction come faster, and anyone who promises you otherwise is guessing.
Common questions
How much subsidy do I actually get on a 3 kW home system?
Up to ₹78,000 from the central PM Surya Ghar scheme. Tamil Nadu announced a top-up of a further ₹22,000 at 3 kW and above in September 2026, which would take it to ₹1,00,000 in total. Treat the central figure as the one to budget against and the state figure as a bonus until your application is approved.
Is the Tamil Nadu top-up definitely available?
The government order exists — G.O. (Ms) No. 102 of 19 September 2026, listed by the Energy Department. The per-kW amounts circulating are from news reporting at launch rather than from the order text, and state schemes often cap the number of households they cover. Ask TNPDCL or TEDA to confirm the current position before you count on it.
Do I get more subsidy if I install a bigger system?
No. The central subsidy stops at ₹78,000 whatever the size, so a 5 kW or 10 kW system attracts the same amount as a 3 kW one. Bigger systems still make sense when your consumption justifies them — just not for subsidy reasons.
Can a shop, factory or farm connection claim it?
No. PM Surya Ghar is residential only, and the Tamil Nadu scheme follows it. Commercial and industrial sites have a different route to the same end: accelerated depreciation on the asset, plus the fact that daytime grid tariffs are higher, which usually makes the payback shorter than a home system rather than longer.
When is the money actually paid?
After the system is installed, the net meter is fitted and TNPDCL has inspected and commissioned it — not at the time of purchase. It is paid directly into your bank account. You pay the full cost up front and the subsidy follows, which is the part most people are not told before they sign.
Does VENAARC handle the paperwork?
Yes. Portal registration, the feasibility application, the net-metering application to TNPDCL and the commissioning paperwork are part of the installation, not an extra. What we cannot do is speed up the sanction, which usually takes 60 to 120 days from submission.
Where these figures come from
- PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana - national rooftop solar portal
- G.O. (Ms) No. 102, Energy Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, 19 September 2026
- TNPDCL unified solar rooftop portal (applications and net metering)
Scheme terms change by government order. This page was last checked on 9 October 2026; if you are reading it long after that, confirm the current amounts before you commit to anything. Ring us on +91 7871631474 and we will tell you what the position is this week.
Find out what your roof qualifies for
A survey tells you the system size your consumption justifies, which subsidy slab that lands in, and what you would actually pay after it. No charge, and no obligation to buy anything.
Surveys run Mon - Sat, 08:30 - 18:00 IST. We file the subsidy and net-metering paperwork as part of the job.