How to Apply for the PM Surya Ghar Subsidy: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

The PM Surya Ghar portal connects your domestic electricity connection, the DISCOM and the registered installer in one application. Each party has a different task. You enter and verify your details; the DISCOM checks whether the proposed capacity can connect; the vendor installs and documents the system.

For a first-time applicant, the order matters more than the number of forms. A panel order placed before feasibility approval can leave you with a system that the utility has not cleared. A name or bank mismatch can delay payment even after the roof work is finished.

Use this guide to prepare the documents and follow each approval. Ray2Volt can help with a home rooftop solar installation, but keep access to your own portal account and copies of every submission. Note each portal status change and its date.

Documents to prepare before opening the portal

Visit the official PM Surya Ghar portal with legible scans or photographs. PDF or JPEG files under 2 MB are a useful preparation target; check the portal's current upload limits when you apply. Have these records to hand:

• Latest electricity bill: Find the active domestic Service Connection or Consumer Number and the sanctioned load. Enter the number exactly as the DISCOM prints it.
• Identity and address: Keep the applicant's Aadhaar and the mobile number used for OTP verification available. Check that the name agrees with the connection record.
• Bank proof: Use a cancelled cheque or the front of a passbook showing the account holder, number and IFSC. Ask the bank to confirm Aadhaar seeding for Direct Benefit Transfer.
• Roof photograph: Take a clear daytime view that shows the usable terrace and any nearby shade. The installer will still need to measure it on site.
• Property record: Keep a tax receipt, sale deed or other ownership document available if the portal or DISCOM requests proof of your rights to the roof.

The six stages from registration to subsidy

The application has six practical stages. Save the acknowledgement or status shown after each one so you can identify where an application is waiting.

1. 1. Register: At pmsuryaghar.gov.in, choose "Apply for Rooftop Solar". Select Andhra Pradesh and your DISCOM, such as APSPDCL. Enter the electricity service number and verify your mobile by OTP.
2. 2. Apply for feasibility: In your consumer dashboard, enter the proposed capacity, for example 3 kW. Check it against your sanctioned load, upload the electricity bill and submit the technical application.
3. 3. Await DISCOM review: The local office checks the distribution transformer and proposed grid connection. A planning estimate is 5 to 10 working days for feasibility, but your actual approval may take longer. Read the portal decision before proceeding.
4. 4. Choose a registered vendor: After approval, select an empanelled installer from the portal directory. Agree in writing on the equipment models, DCR modules, price, scope, payment stages and service terms.
5. 5. Install and commission: The vendor fits the panels, inverter, earthing and surge protection, then uploads completion and DCR serial records. The DISCOM inspects the work, tests and installs the bi-directional meter, and records commissioning.
6. 6. Submit bank details: Upload the cancelled cheque and account details. After inspection and meter records are complete, the Public Financial Management System checks the payment information and releases the eligible grant, up to ₹78,000 for a qualifying 3 kW home system, by DBT. There is no guaranteed credit date.

Check feasibility and sanctioned load first

The DISCOM checks whether the local transformer and line can accept the proposed solar export. A planning check sometimes uses about 75% to 80% of transformer rating. That is only an indication, not your project's approval rule; the DISCOM decides using current capacity and regulations.

Your proposed plant must also fit the sanctioned load. If your bill shows 2 kW but your audit supports a 3 kW plant, ask for a 1 kW load enhancement. Our subsidy slab guide explains the ₹78,000 cap at 3 kW. Depending on the DISCOM process, you may be able to request the enhancement alongside the solar application. Ask about any development charge or security deposit before changing the connection.

Choose a registered vendor and define the work

For a subsidised project, use a vendor empanelled for the relevant state and DISCOM on the national portal. Ask which ALMM-approved DCR modules and inverter model will be fitted, who will submit serial numbers, and who will respond if an inspection finds a defect. Confirm the scheme's five-year comprehensive maintenance obligation alongside the written product warranties. Keep the signed agreement and itemised equipment list with your application records.

The table gives the sequence, responsible parties and indicative time bands. Local workload, equipment availability and portal status can change every interval. In particular, the DBT row is an estimate rather than a payment promise.

What happens at inspection and meter testing

After installation, the vendor submits the Work Completion Report and site photographs. The records should show the fitted panels, the inverter nameplate and the three dedicated earthing points for AC, DC and lightning protection. Keep a copy of the actual component models and serial numbers.

A DISCOM officer checks the physical work and the inverter's anti-islanding protection. That safety feature disconnects grid export during a power cut so an external line is not energised while crews work on it. The approved bi-directional meter is then tested and fitted in place of the ordinary meter. The joint commissioning report and certificate complete the portal's technical record.

Ask what is covered if a component fails after commissioning. Our solar warranty guide explains the documents to retain, and our on-grid home solar page describes the system itself.

Correct details that commonly hold up applications

Many delays are administrative rather than electrical. Compare your records before submitting the form, then ask the vendor to show you the documents uploaded after installation.

1. Different applicant names: The electricity connection, Aadhaar and bank account should identify the same applicant. If the bill remains in a former owner's or deceased parent's name, ask the DISCOM about a name transfer or the succession evidence it accepts.
2. Bank account without DBT seeding: An account number and IFSC alone may not complete the Aadhaar-enabled payment check. Ask your bank branch to verify the account's active DBT seeding before the payment stage.
3. Earthing outside the inspection requirement: Resistance above 5 ohms may cause an inspection failure. Have the installer measure and document the actual resistance and correct deficient earthing before requesting the net meter.
4. Non-DCR panels: A cheap imported-cell panel cannot be substituted into a subsidised DCR design. Check the exact delivered model and serial evidence against the portal submission before the installer fits it.

For help with a document mismatch or roof assessment, reach us through the contact page or send your bill through the free power audit form. Keep your application number available when asking the DISCOM or vendor for an update.

Frequently asked questions

Ray2Volt Solar Private Limited

We design, install, and service rooftop solar for homes and businesses across Tirupati district and Andhra Pradesh, from PM Surya Ghar residential systems to commercial and industrial plants. Every enquiry starts with a free power audit.