PM SURYA GHAR: Well Begun, Much To Be Done

To anyone travelling by road or even train across cities in India, especially in North, South, or West India, the appearance of solar panels on rooftops is an unmistakable sign that solar has made deeper inroads across the country. Credit for that goes to the PM Surya ghar scheme, which has made a real impact already. But if you are an expert, you would also have noted the wide divergence in basics like structures used, or even the panels, if you are really sharp-eyed. There is a lot more to a solar system, however, from inverters to the wires used, to even the quality of earthing for each system. All of these are areas where shortcuts can prove detrimental to system performance and safety, and that is making many observers nervous. After all, the scheme envisages a total of 10 million solar connections, with current numbers at approximately 1.5 million. With such a long way to go, fixing issues is key to ensuring a sustainable, positive impact for years, as it should be.

While a statement from Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (MoS) for New and Renewable Energy, before the Parliament confirms that since its launch in February 2024, as of 14.07.2025, a total of 15.45 lakh households have used the scheme to add solar, numbers from MNRE indicate that the cumulative capacity under the grid-connected rooftop solar in India stands at 18.84 GW, which is 16 percent of India’s total solar capacity. Over 50% of this growth has come in the past 18 months since the scheme was launched, underlining its role in providing much-needed momentum for rooftop solar.

And it doesn’t stop there. The scheme’s success is crucial to many other critical changes in India’s vast power sector, some considered absolutely urgent. Cheap solar power is meant to sweeten the deal, and reduce resistance in many cases, to impending changes across many states, running from installation of smart meters, to TOD (Time of Day Billing), to supporting addition of storage for grid stability, and of course, support the country’s transition goals  for 2030 and beyond.  A 280 GW solar target for 2030 will fast turn into a 600 GW target for 2040 possibly. So just what are the issues that have tuned up until now?

Awareness & Understanding

A scheme announced, and bearing the Prime Minister’s stamp would take the issue of awareness out of the picture, and you would be right to say that. However, between awareness and actual understanding, there have been key gaps.

Unlike utility-scale customers, residential rooftop solar consumers are quite different in terms of their exposure to solar products. Lack of awareness, a tendency to seek the lowest price for such systems in this competitive market, a steep jump in the number of installers, and even shortages of DCR modules that created a scarcity mindset have all combined to cause customers to depend heavily on the inputs and judgment of their installers. Add to that the paperwork required to coordinate with the local discom and for the government subsidy, and most are willing to just sit back and let the installer handle everything. Understanding of details like various product warranties, maintenance requirements, and other key dos and don’ts remains limited, by all accounts.

It must be mentioned here that a significant chunk of ‘demand’, as seen in registrations for the scheme, versus actual conversions, has been influenced by a misunderstanding in many cases. The most widespread misconception is that the PM Suryaghar scheme is completely free. As we saw in states like Karnataka and Punjab, where many registrants assumed it was a free scheme all the way, till they ran up against the cost of installation. These states, which offer between 200 and 300 units free every month, found a lot of interest evaporating once prospects discovered the cost involved in installation. Add to that other states, including Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, with their free power schemes, and the issue assumes growing proportions. Bihar seems likely to join the bandwagon post elections there by November. However, the good news is that there remains enough genuine interest to make a sharper effort worthwhile, as we have seen from the daily queries we get at SaurEnergy.

The Jobs Potential, Still Unrealised

As per a study conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), rooftop solar alone could generate around 9.89 lakh or almost 1 million jobs in India. This is thanks to the retail nature of residential rooftop solar, where solarising even 30% of the potential available will require these people to install, maintain, repair, and eventually replace these systems. Unlike utility-scale solar, residential solar remains a much more manpower intensive segment that will not change anytime soon. According to MNRE data, since 2019, the sector has created 6.6 lakh additional jobs over the 1 lakh jobs in 2019, with most of these in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. No surprise then that these are the states that lead in rooftop installations as well. However, this job creation could be severely impacted if the feedback loop from the new customers signing up turns negative. Skilled, quality manpower is also essential to ensure quality installations.

There have already been cases of some solar systems being blown away in windy conditions well below the rated 100kmph speeds for which most systems are rated. Suspended operations due to a lack of adequate earthing arrangements, faulty connections, damaged modules, besides the most common issue, delay in installation, have all contributed to their share of aggrieved customers so far. This is despite the arrangement of the governments, empowering the local discoms to pre-check all these systems before commissioning these systems.

Solar Rooftops Set To Expand Deeper

As per a report from IEEFA, the average residential rooftop solar system is a 3kw system, especially confined to Tier-I cities, but expected to expand. That would imply a potential scope for 30 GW of rooftop solar additions from PM Suryaghar itself. But it is simply not possible for large cities or metros to get there.

“As evident from the distribution of rooftop solar in Gujarat, most residential rooftop solar systems in India are in tier-1 urban cities. However, with improved awareness arising from PMSGY, higher rooftop space availability in non-metropolitan areas, and enhanced access to viable financing options, market demand will be evenly spread across tier-1 urban areas and tier-2,3/rural regions. The average project size is likely to drop below 3kWp since homes in rural areas have lower power requirements, leading to smaller rooftop solar plant capacity,” the report said.

Where Do the Problems Lie?

Shreya Mishra, Co-Founder of SolarSquare, is clear that the issue is mostly in the residential rooftop market, which is marked by a high number of solar vendors, aggressive competing pricing, and low consumer awareness. She said that for many of these consumers, their choice is often limited to only the brand of solar panels, with little consideration for safety, as they are often ignorant about the threats these mini-power houses pose to the roof, colony, or the areas where they are hosted.

"When EVs started creating ripples, people went for them, only to be reminded of the duality of quality and safety issues when some cases of EVs catching fire came forth. Similarly, many are not aware of the potential hazards of unsafe rooftop solar systems until it is too late.  Be it strong winds that cause destruction of their systems and cause potential harm to lives nearby, or malfunctions caused by improper setup. Not everything could be enforced by the governments; the industries also need to follow robust technical standards to deliver robust and safe products,"she told Saur Energy. Coastal states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu require even better standards and adherence, as they are exposed to higher wind speeds, including cyclonic storms. Even small steps like pre-monsoon checks of the systems by vendors could be a good preventive measure.

Radhika Choudary, Co-founder of Freyr Energy, said that before each monsoon season, a solar system needs a comprehensive health check – just like one inspects his/her home’s roof for leaks.

“A critical pre-monsoon inspection is something every solar owner should understand and demand. Technicians should check all mounting bolts for looseness (which can lead to panel displacement during storms), inspect waterproofing seals around roof penetrations (to prevent water damage), examine electrical connections for corrosion, and verify that drainage systems around panels are clear. It’s also important to test the structural integrity of mounting rails and ensure panels are properly grounded against lightning strikes. These inspections aren’t optional maintenance – they’re your family’s safety net against monsoon-related accidents, electrical hazards, and costly water damage,” she told Saur Energy.

Pay Heed to Solar Structures

Although hardly drawing attention to themselves, solar structures deserve much more attention from customers who tend to look primarily at the modules (if at all) and inverter brands. Interestingly, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also issued technical norms to ensure quality installations. However, they are suggestive in nature.

These norms talk about using hot-dip galvanized solar structures for mounting the modules. It also talks about a minimum thickness of 120 microns in these structures, while it says that the vendors can use steel or aluminium for these structures. The norms also said, “The Mounting structure shall be so designed to withstand the speed of the wind zone of the location where a PV system is proposed to be installed (wind speed of 150 km/hour).”

However, there are high degrees of non-uniformity in its compliance, despite the critical role of structures in elevated rooftop solar systems that most residents go for. Cost-cutting is probably the key reason most vendors try and manage with less.

“There are different ways in which some vendors manipulate this. For example, some vendors use structures made up of recycled steel instead of virgin steel. Some cut the structures on-site to adjust the height. This leads to exposing the steel and Zinc, making it prone to corrosion and making it vulnerable. Some even camouflage hot-dip galvanised structures by spraying silver colour,” a solar vendor told Saur Energy, requesting anonymity.

Experts claim that compared to solar panels, the scrutiny of solar structures is far less, leading to more gaps of manipulation at the vendor and manufacturer’s level. “Solar panels in a rooftop solar system undergo more scrutiny and testing for performance and safety, unlike other components like solar structures. Moreover, from a policy perspective, some of the norms for solar structures are suggestive and not mandatory for the vendors to comply with. Unlike panels and batteries, there are no mandatory BIS certifications yet for rooftop mounting structures. Until these are made compulsory, there is space for substandard work,”Maitreyi Karthik, a researcher on rooftop solar, told Saur Energy.

The Maintenance Conundrum

Another key aspect not covered under government policies or company responsibilities is the upkeep of these solar assets beyond the initial ‘five-year’ golden period, under which the onus is on the vendor to take care of the comprehensive maintenance of their installed assets. After this five-year period, the onus of maintenance shifts to the solar prosumers. However, due to a lack of training, exposure, and knowledge, several rooftop solar projects use some of the most unscientific methods. Maintenance and pre-monsoon checks become redundant for many due to a lack of knowledge and expertise.

“Many a times we see people using abrasive items to clean their panels, including hard water or high-pressure water guns to clean them. This is not confined to the consumers alone; even some solar vendors can be seen walking on the solar panels, using harsh chemicals, and using high-pressure water to clean the solar panels. There is a need for proper training to first ensure vendors know how to clean solar panels,”Jaideep Saraswat, Associate Director (Clean Power, Electric Mobility & Emerging Technologies) at Vasudha Foundation, told Saur Energy.

If unchecked, this can cause damage to the solar panels or decrease their power to pass on the sunlight to the solar cells, resulting in reduced performance of the solar panels.

Consumer disconnect

Another key aspect of the market is the consumer disconnect with the latest technology for rooftop solar. While polycrystalline panels have slowly been phased out for rooftop solar and are being replaced by mono-PERC-based or topcon-based solar panels, the use of the internet by solar consumers can also baffle solar vendors and manufacturers when it comes to illogical demands. 

“Before adopting rooftop solar, a number of consumers now look for the best technologies that can give maximum generation, but sometimes the demands are strange and not compatible with smaller solar systems like rooftop solar. The latest technology we have now is n-type, but these are mainly crafted for the utility-scale market as they are often heavier and large-sized, unfit for many solar rooftop spaces. Even their transport up to the rooftop poses the threat of being damaged during transit,” Abhinav Mahajan, Director of IB Solar, said. IB Solar is a Greater Noida-based solar module manufacturer.

Conclusion

While challenges abound, the market has one critical aspect going for it still. The government has played its role by ensuring minimal complaints related to subsidy disbursals, for instance. And then there is the small matter of the rising tide of domestic manufacturing for both modules and by the year-end, solar cells, which will ensure more than adequate supply in the market. With biggies like Reliance set to join the scrum, expect a lot more marketing muscle behind pushing rooftop solar to more and more houses. 

The PM Surya Ghar scheme has undoubtedly infused fresh momentum into the sector, opening doors for millions of households to become clean energy producers. However, the rapid growth has also exposed systemic cracks—ranging from quality control and structural integrity to vendor accountability and consumer awareness.

Bridging these gaps will require more than just policy push and subsidies. It demands stronger regulatory enforcement, mandatory quality certifications for all components—not just panels—and widespread training of vendors and consumers alike. Only then can India ensure that its rooftop revolution is not just widespread, but also safe, sustainable, and future-ready.