TIRUCHY: Applications for rooftop solar installations have surged in Tiruchy district following the introduction of an additional state government subsidy. A total of 1,020 applications have been received in the past two months alone, against the average of 200 being received earlier every month under the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, officials of Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) said.
TNPDCL’s Tiruchy metro division has set a target of installing 3,563 rooftop solar connections by the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) under the state government’s subsidy scheme by March 31, 2027.
A total of 183 connections have been installed in the past two months against the target, while 1,020 applications are being processed. The state has set an overall target of one lakh connections under the scheme. Separately, Tiruchy has a target of installing 15,000 rooftop solar connections under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana by March 31, 2027. Around 4,600 connections have already been installed under the scheme since April 1, 2024.
KA Muthuraman, executive engineer of TNPDCL’s Tiruchy metro division, said a lack of awareness and misconceptions about rooftop solar systems continued to discourage potential beneficiaries despite the subsidies and long-term savings. “People still think solar power is a failure. We need to publicise the experiences of consumers who have successfully installed rooftop solar systems and benefited. The main concern is the initial investment. A 3 kW system costs around `2 lakh, but banks are offering loans. The investment will pay off in the long run,” he said.
TNPDCL is conducting awareness camps under PM Seva Setu initiative to encourage domestic consumers to switch to rooftop solar power, he added. A senior TNPDCL official said some vendors had increased installation prices following the enhancement of the state subsidy, thereby offsetting part of the financial benefit intended for consumers. This issue needs to be addressed, the official added.
S Chandrasekar, a solar vendor in Tiruchy, said enquiries and installations had picked up following the introduction of the state subsidy. “The number of enquiries has increased from around 20-30 a day to nearly 60 a day. Installations have also increased, but the conversion is still less,” he said.
More than 10 vendors participated in an awareness camp held at the TNPDCL office in Tennur on Friday. The camp was inaugurated by S Senthamarai, superintending engineer of TNPDCL’s Tiruchy metro division.