The subsidy, by system size
This is the central government's PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana subsidy, paid directly to your bank account after your system is commissioned. Kerala's nodal agency, ANERT, may add a state top-up from time to time — check anert.gov.in for anything currently active.
Check these two things first
You're eligible if…
- ✓You're an Indian citizen with an active KSEB domestic electricity connection
- ✓You own the property (or have the owner's written consent, if you're a tenant)
- ✓This address hasn't already received a central rooftop solar subsidy
- ✓Your roof has clear, shadow-free space to work with
Your roof needs…
- ✓Roughly 80–100 sq ft of shadow-free area per kW (≈300 sq ft for a 3kW system)
- ✓Structure that can bear the weight of mounted panels
- ✓A nearby distribution transformer with spare capacity — this is exactly what KSEB's feasibility check confirms
- ✓No tall trees, water tanks, or neighbouring buildings casting shade midday
From rooftop to running on solar — 11 steps
This is the path almost every Kerala homeowner follows, combining the national PM Surya Ghar portal with KSEB's own net metering process.
Measure your shadow-free roof area and rough out a system size — about 80–100 sq ft per kW. Older roofs may need a quick structural check.
Sign up at pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your mobile number, OTP, and the consumer number from a recent KSEB bill. Select Kerala and KSEB as your distribution licensee.
KSEB checks whether the local transformer (DTR) has spare capacity to absorb your export. This is the same check behind KSEB's public feasibility lookup tool.
Choose only from the empanelled vendor list shown on the portal (or ANERT's list). Installing through an unlisted vendor forfeits the subsidy entirely — there's no exception for this.
Your chosen vendor inspects the roof in person, finalises panel layout and system size, and gives you a written, itemised quote.
Mounting structure, panels, inverter, and wiring go up. Once materials are on site, the physical install usually takes 1–3 days.
Submit the Annexure-A form with the prescribed fee to your local KSEB section office. This is separate from — and in addition to — your subsidy application.
The Electrical Inspectorate signs off on the installation first; KSEB then inspects it and signs the formal Net Metering Agreement with you as "prosumer".
A bi-directional meter replaces your old one, recording both what you draw and what you export. Your system is now officially live.
Upload the commissioning certificate and a cancelled cheque or bank passbook page on the portal.
The Direct Benefit Transfer lands in your account — most homeowners see it within 30–45 days of commissioning.
What to keep ready
Documents
- Aadhaar card, for identity verification
- Latest KSEB electricity bill, showing your consumer number
- Proof of property ownership (or owner's NOC, if you're a tenant)
- Bank passbook front page or a cancelled cheque, for the subsidy transfer
- A recent photograph of the roof site, if your vendor requests one
Typical cost — 3kW system
Illustrative only — Kerala's lower solar irradiance and monsoon cloud cover affect actual output. Get a site-specific quote and generation estimate from your vendor before committing.
How the billing actually works
Month to month
- →You're billed only for "net" units — what you drew from the grid, minus what you exported
- →If you export more than you use, that surplus is banked, not paid out in cash, monthly
- →Fixed charges (like meter rent) still apply regardless of export
Once a year
- →Banked summer surplus typically offsets lower generation during the monsoon months
- →On the annual settlement date, any credits still unused are paid out or adjusted against arrears, at the rate KSERC sets
- →Existing net-metering customers are protected by a grandfather clause when regulations are updated
Before you call a vendor
Yes, but the property owner needs to give written consent (an NOC), since the system is physically fixed to their building. Ownership-related documents are still part of the file.
Yes. Common-area or shared installations are allowed under current rules, at higher capacity limits than a single home. It's typically arranged through the residents' association rather than one individual flat owner.
This is exactly what the feasibility check in Step 3 is for. If capacity is tight, KSEB may ask you to wait, suggest a smaller system size, or flag the constraint upfront — better to know before you buy equipment than after.
Output drops on heavily overcast days, yes. In practice, the credits banked from stronger summer generation usually carry households through the lower-output monsoon months.
The two most common ways: installing through a vendor not on the empanelled list, or applying for an address that's already received a subsidy before. Both disqualify the claim, so it's worth double-checking your vendor's status on the portal first.
Ready to find out if your roof qualifies?
Start with the official feasibility check — it's free, and it's the same check KSEB uses internally before approving any installation.