- The DISCOM inspection is the gate between install and subsidy. Pass it and you get the commissioning certificate, net meter and the DBT path. Fail it and the whole job waits.
- It happens after install, before net metering. The DISCOM sends a junior engineer to check the physical system against the approved application.
- Almost every failure is a preparation gap — earthing, a make mismatch, non-ALMM modules, missing safety devices or documents. Not a technical limit.
- A stage-wise photo trail plus a readiness checklist is what gets you through in one visit. Prepare before you book.
- A re-inspection is not just a second visit — it is weeks of subsidy delay and a customer losing confidence. One-visit passes protect cash and reputation.
The PM Surya Ghar DISCOM inspection is a physical check the distribution company runs after your rooftop system is installed and before it is commissioned and net-metered. An inspector verifies safety, earthing, wiring, the module and inverter make against the approved application, ALMM compliance and meter readiness. It is the single approval that turns a finished install into a commissioned, subsidy-eligible plant.
For an EPC, this visit is where a smooth job stays smooth or quietly stalls. This guide walks the process in order — when it happens, who attends, exactly what the inspector checks, why installs fail, and what a pass unlocks. You will also get a readiness checklist and a top-reasons-fail table you can use on your next site. The aim is simple: pass in one visit, every time.
What is the DISCOM inspection?
The DISCOM inspection is the distribution company’s physical sign-off that your installed rooftop system is safe, compliant and matches what was approved. Under PM Surya Ghar, no rooftop plant can be commissioned or net-metered until the DISCOM has seen it and passed it. It is not paperwork — it is a person on the roof and at the meter board.
Think of it as the exam at the end of the build. Everything you did — the structure, the wiring, the earthing, the module make you ordered — gets checked against the sanctioned application in one go. The inspector is asking one question: is this system safe to connect to the grid, and is it the system that was approved? Get a yes, and the job moves forward. Get a deferral, and it stops until you fix and re-book.
When does it happen, and who attends?
The inspection happens after the installation is complete and you request it on the National Portal, but before net metering and commissioning. In the project lifecycle it sits squarely between install and meter commissioning. You do not book it early; you book it when the system is genuinely ready to be checked.
System built & self-checked
Physical check on site
Certificate → subsidy DBT
On the day, two sides show up. From the DISCOM, a junior engineer or inspector. From your side, the electrical supervisor or a licensed technician who actually knows the site, plus all documents and serial records. The customer or their representative should also be present for access and to sign off. The single biggest mistake EPCs make is sending someone who cannot answer a question or make a small fix on the spot — that turns a five-minute query into a re-inspection.
What does the inspector actually check?
The inspector runs through a fixed set of safety, compliance and application-match checks — and every one of them is something you can verify before they arrive. Below is a readiness checklist built from the areas DISCOM engineers focus on. Run it as a pre-inspection pass and most deferrals disappear.
- Earthing & lightning protection — separate earth pits done, values within norm, lightning arrestor fitted.
- AC & DC wiring — correct cable sizing, proper routing, no loose or exposed conductors.
- Safety devices — DC and AC isolators, MCBs/MCCB, SPD, and clear labelling in place.
- Module & inverter make — installed make and model match the approved application exactly; serial numbers recorded.
- ALMM compliance — modules are ALMM-listed; DCR records kept where the subsidised job requires them.
- Mounting structure — sturdy, correctly grounded, tilt and clearances as designed.
- Meter readiness — meter board space, wiring and provision ready for the bi-directional net meter.
- Sanctioned load & capacity — installed system size matches the approved kW and the sanctioned load.
- Documents on site — approved application, invoices, warranty, structure & earthing test records, and the stage-wise photo trail.
Notice the pattern: roughly half the list is safety and half is match. The safety items keep the grid and the household safe. The match items — make, model, ALMM, capacity, load — confirm you built the exact system the DISCOM sanctioned. A perfectly safe system can still be deferred if the inverter make on the roof does not match the make on the application. Both halves have to be right. For the compliance backbone behind these checks, see our PM Surya Ghar guide for EPC contractors.
Why do inspections fail — and how to fix it?
Almost every DISCOM inspection failure is a preparation gap, not a technical limit — which means almost every one is preventable. Here are the failures we see most, paired with the fix that stops them.
| Reason it fails | What the inspector sees | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Poor / missing earthing | Earth pits incomplete or values out of norm | Complete and test earthing before booking; keep the test record on site |
| Make mismatch | Module or inverter make differs from the approved application | Install exactly what was sanctioned; if it changed, update the application first |
| Non-ALMM modules | Modules not on the ALMM list for a subsidised job | Order ALMM-listed modules only; confirm current ALMM/DCR rules with MNRE |
| Missing safety devices | No isolator, SPD or MCB where required | Fit and label all AC/DC protection during install, not after |
| Wrong cable sizing / wiring | Undersized cable, poor routing, exposed conductors | Size to design; tidy and secure all runs before the visit |
| Incomplete documents | No serial records, invoices or photo trail on site | Keep one evidence file — documents plus stage photos — ready on a phone |
The lesson is uncomfortable but freeing: you are not at the mercy of the DISCOM. You are at the mercy of your own preparation. An EPC that runs the readiness checklist and matches the application will pass the same inspector who defers a rushed, undocumented job next door. Get the ALMM and DCR side right up front — the PM Surya Ghar hub covers the scheme rules that feed straight into what the inspector matches.
How does a photo trail get you through in one visit?
A stage-wise photo trail turns the inspection from a debate into a verification — the evidence is already there. When you capture proof at each construction stage, the inspector is not taking your word for anything. They are confirming what the photos and records already show, which is faster and far less likely to end in a deferral.
The practical move is to photograph earthing pits before they are covered, serial-number labels on modules and the inverter, cable routing, safety devices and the meter board — each tagged to the job. When the inspector asks a question, the answer is a photo, not a phone call to a technician who left the site last week. A mobile field app that captures this proof on an Android phone, even offline, keeps the roof and the record in sync so the file is complete by the time you book the visit.
What happens after a pass — or a fail?
A pass opens the whole downstream path; a fail costs you weeks and customer confidence. The two outcomes could not be more different, which is exactly why the one-visit pass is worth preparing for.
After a pass, the DISCOM issues the commissioning certificate and installs or configures the bi-directional net meter. You upload the commissioning details on the National Portal, and the customer submits bank details. The subsidy is then paid directly to the customer by DBT — never to the EPC — targeted around 30 working days after the commissioning upload, though real-world timing varies by state. The subsidy is capped at ₹78,000 for a 3 kW-plus residential system. Net-meter approval itself commonly lands in a 7–45 working-day window depending on the DISCOM.
The DISCOM inspection is one thread in a wider set of government workflows — feasibility, registration, net metering and the subsidy claim — that sit on top of every subsidised job. Keeping them as tracked stages, not loose paperwork, is what our government workflows are built to do.
Tracking the inspection as a stage with SuryaHub
SuryaHub treats the DISCOM inspection as a real, tracked stage on the job record — with the evidence file already attached — so nothing waits in a separate folder. The inspection does not sit in someone’s head or a WhatsApp chat. It is a step with an owner, a date, and the photo trail from every construction stage right beside it.
On a live job, that means:
- The five construction stages — structure, install, meter, commission, handover — each carry photo and GPS proof, so the evidence file builds itself.
- Inspection is a stage, not a note — “inspection requested” and “inspection passed” are tracked with follow-up dates, like any other step.
- Documents and serials stay on the same record, ready on a phone when the inspector arrives.
- What passes, unlocks — a pass moves the job forward to commissioning and the subsidy path without re-keying.
Here is the honest part. SuryaHub is pre-revenue and building alongside two pilot EPCs, Suryantra Energy and RGESPL. We are not going to quote you a “first-visit pass rate” figure we cannot stand behind, or show invented case studies. What we can say plainly: an inspection you prepared for, with the evidence already captured, is far more likely to pass in one visit than one you scramble for on the day — and keeping that evidence on one tracked record is exactly what this operating system does.
- The DISCOM inspection is the gate between a finished install and the commissioning certificate, net meter and subsidy.
- It happens after install and before net metering; a DISCOM engineer, your supervisor and the customer should all be present.
- Inspectors check safety and application match — earthing, wiring, devices, ALMM, make, capacity and meter readiness.
- Almost every failure is a preparation gap; a readiness checklist and a make-match prevent the repeat visit.
- A stage-wise photo trail on one tracked record is what gets most jobs through in a single visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the PM Surya Ghar DISCOM inspection?
The PM Surya Ghar DISCOM inspection is a physical check the distribution company does after a rooftop solar system is installed and before it is commissioned and net-metered. An inspector verifies safety, earthing, wiring, the module and inverter make against the approved application, ALMM compliance and meter readiness. Passing it unlocks the commissioning certificate and the subsidy claim.
When does the DISCOM inspection happen in the PM Surya Ghar process?
The DISCOM inspection happens after the installation is complete and the installer requests inspection on the National Portal, but before net metering and commissioning. In sequence it sits between install and meter commissioning. Only after a pass does the DISCOM issue the commissioning certificate, install or configure the net meter, and open the path to the subsidy DBT.
Who attends the DISCOM inspection?
A DISCOM inspector or junior engineer attends on the distribution company side. From the installer side, the electrical supervisor or a licensed technician who knows the site should be present with all documents. The customer or their representative should also be available for access and to sign off. Having the person who built the system on site speeds up any on-the-spot fixes.
What does the DISCOM inspector check during the inspection?
The inspector checks earthing and lightning protection, AC and DC wiring and cable sizing, safety devices like isolators and MCBs, the module and inverter make and serial numbers against the approved application, ALMM listing, the mounting structure, and meter readiness. They also match the sanctioned load and system capacity to what is actually installed. Any mismatch can stall the pass.
Why do PM Surya Ghar DISCOM inspections fail?
Most DISCOM inspections fail on avoidable things: poor or missing earthing, a module or inverter make that does not match the approved application, non-ALMM modules on a subsidised job, missing safety devices, wrong cable sizing, or incomplete documents and serial records. Almost every failure is a preparation gap, not a technical limit. A pre-inspection checklist prevents the repeat visit.
What happens after the DISCOM inspection passes?
After a pass, the DISCOM issues the commissioning certificate and installs or configures the bi-directional net meter. The installer uploads commissioning details on the National Portal, and the customer submits bank details for the subsidy. The subsidy is then paid straight to the customer by DBT, targeted around 30 working days after the commissioning upload, though real-world timing varies by state.
How can EPCs pass the DISCOM inspection in one visit?
Pass in one visit by preparing before you book: run a pre-inspection checklist, confirm the installed modules and inverter match the approved application, verify ALMM listing and serial numbers, complete earthing and safety devices, and keep a stage-wise photo trail plus documents ready on site. A single tracked evidence file, available on a phone, removes most reasons an inspector defers a pass.
Written by SuryaHub Team. The team works with Indian rooftop EPCs on DISCOM and subsidy operations, commissioning workflows and AMC. Reviewed for scheme and process accuracy against MNRE and PM Surya Ghar National Portal sources.
Methodology: the readiness checklist, top-reasons-fail table and inspection-as-a-stage model are SuryaHub’s own operating frameworks, developed with pilot EPCs Suryantra Energy and RGESPL; scheme figures and timelines are from MNRE and the PM Surya Ghar National Portal and are labelled as targeted, with actuals varying by state. Always verify current ALMM/DCR rules, subsidy slabs and DISCOM timelines with MNRE or the DISCOM for each job.
Sources: PM Surya Ghar National Portal · MNRE. Last updated July 2026.
Change log: July 2026 — first published; subsidy cap (₹78,000 at 3 kW+), net-meter and DBT timelines, and ALMM guidance current as of mid-2026. Confirm the latest position with MNRE and your DISCOM before quoting.
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