Scaling Rooftop Solar in India

Varanasi has seen a rapid increase in rooftop solar (RTS) installations, growing from 549 in February 2024 to nearly 10,000 by December 2024. This growth is attributed to a coordinated 'Varanasi model' involving state, district, and city administrations, which utilizes targeted deployment, aggressive consumer outreach, expanded vendor networks, and streamlined financial and technical processes.

• Varanasi has experienced significant growth in rooftop solar (RTS) deployment under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, with the number of installed systems increasing more than 15 times to nearly 10,000 between February 2024 and December 2024. The city's ultimate goal is to solarize 75,000 households.
• Financial incentives in Uttar Pradesh (UP) make it the highest-subsidizing Indian state for RTS systems up to 3 kW, offering a combined central and state capital subsidy of over 60%. This allows households to adopt systems with a 10% down payment, with the remaining 30% covered by bank loans.
• The 'Varanasi model' employs a structured monitoring system where the chief development officer (CDO) assigns residential RTS targets to government departments and Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PUVVNL) Discom divisions. Progress is tracked via a dedicated control room and weekly monitoring calls to resolve bottlenecks.
• Consumer outreach is conducted through multi-channel campaigns, including the 'Surya Rath' mobile information hub, door-to-door campaigns, and registration mega camps. UPNEDA field staff and Discom personnel provide in-person assistance for portal registration and application submission.
• Administrative and technical barriers have been reduced by exempting technical feasibility reports (TFR) for systems up to 10 kW, eliminating facility-based meter testing in favor of manufacturing certificates, and simplifying loan documentation for amounts up to ₹200,000 (US$2,368) to remove collateral requirements.

APA

Dubey, S. D., Gupta, A., Ningthoujam, J., Sharma, S., Singh, N., & Tripathi, U. N. (2025). Scaling Rooftop Solar in India. RMI. https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2025/02/Varanasi-solar-brief_web.pdf

Chicago

Dubey, Shyam Dhar, Arjun Gupta, Jagabanta Ningthoujam, Shilpi Sharma, Nuvodita Singh, and Upkari Nath Tripathi. Scaling Rooftop Solar in India. RMI, 2025. https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2025/02/Varanasi-solar-brief_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dubey |first1=Shyam Dhar |last2=Gupta |first2=Arjun |last3=Ningthoujam |first3=Jagabanta |last4=Sharma |first4=Shilpi |last5=Singh |first5=Nuvodita |last6=Tripathi |first6=Upkari Nath |title=Scaling Rooftop Solar in India |publisher=RMI |date=February 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2025/02/Varanasi-solar-brief_web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dubey2025scaling, author = {Dubey, Shyam Dhar and Gupta, Arjun and Ningthoujam, Jagabanta and Sharma, Shilpi and Singh, Nuvodita and Tripathi, Upkari Nath}, title = {{Scaling Rooftop Solar in India}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2025/02/Varanasi-solar-brief_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }