PM Surya Ghar FAQ for installers and EPCs

To become a PM Surya Ghar registered vendor, register your firm on the National Portal, choose your operating states, upload your documents, and submit a Performance Bank Guarantee. The DISCOM then reviews and approves your empanelment. Portal registration is free; the cost is the PBG and trained staff. Verify the current steps.

A PM Surya Ghar EPC needs the firm PAN, GST certificate, incorporation or partnership proof, a valid electrical contractor licence, a cancelled cheque, details of at least three Suryamitra or SCGJ-trained technicians, and the Performance Bank Guarantee. Keep every document current, because expired papers are a common reason a registration is sent back.

PM Surya Ghar vendor approval commonly takes about 7 to 15 working days once your documents and PBG are in order, though this varies by DISCOM. Some DISCOMs also ask for a physical copy of the bank guarantee after online approval, which adds a few days. Treat the timeline as an estimate and confirm with your DISCOM.

Yes. PM Surya Ghar vendor registration requires a minimum number of trained technicians, commonly at least three certified through the Suryamitra programme or the Skill Council for Green Jobs. Line up your certified staff before you apply, because too few trained technicians is a common reason a registration stalls. Verify the current requirement.

The PM Surya Ghar subsidy is ₹30,000 per kW up to 2 kW plus ₹18,000 for the third kW, capped at ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above. So a 5 kW or 10 kW home still gets ₹78,000. The subsidy uses the MNRE benchmark cost, not your quote. Verify the current rate.

The PM Surya Ghar subsidy is paid to the customer, not the EPC. It goes straight into the homeowner's bank account by Direct Benefit Transfer after commissioning and the net meter are done. The EPC collects the full system price from the customer, who is then reimbursed the subsidy by the government.

PM Surya Ghar subsidy claims get rejected mostly for non-ALMM or non-DCR equipment, a name mismatch across Aadhaar, the electricity bill and the bank account, missing or wrong documents, or an incomplete net-metering step. The name mismatch is the single biggest cause, because the DBT system is strict. Check every detail before you claim.

The PM Surya Ghar subsidy DBT is meant to reach the customer within about 15 to 30 days after the commissioning certificate and net meter, but in the field it often takes 30 to 90 days or more. Set this expectation with the homeowner early. These timelines are field estimates and vary, so verify with your DISCOM.

Yes. PM Surya Ghar installs must use ALMM-listed equipment — List-I for modules and List-II for cells. Using non-ALMM products leads to subsidy rejection, so an EPC must source only listed equipment and keep the proof. List-II cells become mandatory from 1 June 2026, so verify the current list and any extension.

DCR modules use solar cells and modules made in India, meeting the Domestic Content Requirement; non-DCR modules use imported cells. PM Surya Ghar subsidised projects require DCR-compliant equipment, so non-DCR modules cause the subsidy to be rejected. An EPC must confirm DCR status with the manufacturer before buying for a subsidised job.

Under the Give It Up option, an EPC can use non-List-II cells if the customer foregoes the subsidy, for systems commissioned up to 31 March 2027. EPCs use this when List-II cell supply is tight and the customer chooses to skip the subsidy. The date and rule can change, so verify the current Give It Up terms.

To prove PM Surya Ghar module compliance, keep the ALMM listing reference, the DCR certificate from the manufacturer, the module serial numbers, and the geotagged install photos. The portal often asks for serial numbers and photos, so capture them at install. Good records turn a compliance check into a quick pass instead of a rejected claim.

The basic PM Surya Ghar flow is: the homeowner applies on the National Portal and picks a vendor, the DISCOM gives feasibility, the EPC installs, the DISCOM inspects and installs the net meter, the system is commissioned, and the subsidy is paid to the customer by DBT. Each step gates the next, so order matters.

Systems up to 10 kW have deemed feasibility under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules 2020, so they are treated as approved for the grid connection without a separate clearance. Larger systems may need a feasibility check and possibly a load enhancement. Rules vary by DISCOM, so verify the current feasibility process with your local DISCOM.

At the PM Surya Ghar joint inspection, the DISCOM checks the installed system against the standards — wiring, earthing, mounting, the inverter and safety — before installing the net meter and allowing commissioning. A failed inspection delays the meter and the subsidy, so an EPC should run a pre-inspection check to catch issues before the DISCOM visit.

PM Surya Ghar applications get stuck on the portal for many reasons — a pending DISCOM feasibility, a document sent back, an OTP or portal timeout, a serial-number upload glitch, or a wrong status that needs a DISCOM update. Most are cleared by fixing the flagged item or contacting the DISCOM. Check the exact status message first.

No. PM Surya Ghar empanelment is per-DISCOM and not portable across states. Registering in one state does not let you work in another. A multi-state EPC registers separately in each state and carries a Performance Bank Guarantee for each, or registers all-India through REC Limited with a single ₹25 lakh PBG. Plan your scope before you register.

The central PM Surya Ghar subsidy is the same nationwide — up to ₹78,000 at 3 kW and above. Some states add their own top-up on top of the central amount, but state top-ups, eligibility and amounts change often. So verify the current top-up and any state-specific rule with your state nodal agency before quoting a customer.