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The Solar DailySouth India Solar Intelligence

Solar Daily Brief #1 — 3 October 2026

Three developments this week affect what a Trivandrum, Kollam or Kanyakumari homeowner pays for solar. Short version below; sources linked.

2026-10-03Sources linked
1

Tamil Nadu adds a ₹22,000 state top-up — Kanyakumari homes can now get ₹1 lakh

Tamil Nadu's revised 2026–27 budget announced a state rooftop-solar subsidy that works alongside PM Surya Ghar. For a 3 kW home system the central ₹78,000 is joined by ₹22,000 from the state, a combined ₹1 lakh. ₹50 crore has been set aside for the scheme.

Industry reports say TNPDCL opened applications on its unified rooftop-solar portal from 21 September, but the budget coverage we found does not state a start date, so confirm on the portal before you pay any advance.

What it means for Kanyakumari: net cost of a 3 kW system drops to roughly ₹0.7–1.1 lakh. If you were waiting, the case for acting got stronger.

Sources: DT Next: TN Budget 2026 – Rs 1 lakh solar subsidy · Energetica India: Tamil Nadu announces residential rooftop solar subsidy of up to INR 1 lakh · Deccan Chronicle: TN's subsidy scheme to bring down rooftop solar panel cost

2

PM Surya Ghar crosses 50 lakh homes

The central scheme passed 50 lakh households in early August, with about 14.8 GW of rooftop capacity commissioned and over ₹28,000 crore paid out as direct subsidy. Installations ran at roughly 16,300 a day in July, up from about 5,000 a day in October 2025. The stated target is one crore homes by FY 2026–27.

What it means for you: faster vendor onboarding and portal processing, but also heavy demand on installers and DISCOM meters — book early and get dates in writing.

Sources: pv magazine: India's rooftop solar scheme surpasses 5 million households · ANI: Rooftop solar installations cross 16,000 a day under PM Surya Ghar

3

Kerala: new KSERC metering rules and reports of net-meter delays

KSERC's 2025 renewable-energy regulations, with billing changes from 2026, split rooftop systems into net metering for small systems (reported as 1–3 kW, or up to 5 kW with a battery) and net billing for larger ones, where exported units are credited at a low settlement rate (reported around ₹2.8–3.1 per unit) rather than at your retail tariff.

Separately, installers have been reporting delays in the supply of net meters, especially for some three-phase connections, in August and September. Treat the installer reports as indicative, and ask your KSEB section office about the current wait.

What it means for you: in Kerala, size your system to your daytime use rather than oversizing for export, and ask your installer to state in writing who is responsible if the net meter is late.

Sources: SolarQuarter: KSERC introduces new renewable energy regulations · GSL Energy (installer blog): KSEB net meter delay in Kerala

16,328residential rooftop systems installed per day across India in July 2026 (PM Surya Ghar).

From our desk

We added the Tamil Nadu top-up to the solar calculator (choose 'Kanyakumari – Tamil Nadu') and published three project case studies. Next issue: what the Kerala net-billing change does to payback for 5 kW and 10 kW homes.

Summaries are based on the linked reports; some figures come from trade or installer sources and are marked as reports. Check official portals before acting.

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