Gujarat Schools Push for Rooftop Solar Subsidy Inclusion Amid Rising Power Bills

Despite Gujarat’s leadership in solar energy with about 20 GW installed capacity—over 5.3 GW of it from rooftop solar—school campuses remain excluded from state subsidy benefits. This policy gap came into sharp focus during a high-level meeting between school associations and the state education department on Wednesday.

Held at the Control and Command Centre in Gandhinagar, the meeting saw participation from representatives of various school management bodies who raised concerns over multiple administrative hurdles, including teacher recruitment delays and fire safety clearances. However, the core discussion revolved around the exclusion of schools from Gujarat’s rooftop solar subsidy scheme.

School-Managements’ Call for Policy Inclusion

Bhaskar Patel, chairman of the State Schools Management Association, Gujarat Pradesh, highlighted the financial burden schools face due to high electricity bills.

“A small school in a village pays between INR 10,000 and 12,000 per month on electricity. Larger institutions are shelling out over INR 1 lakh monthly,” Patel said. “If schools receive subsidies similar to residential units, not only will it help them save costs, but it will also position Gujarat as a trailblazer in clean energy adoption in education.”

Currently, nearly 7,500 government and grant-in-aid (GIA) schools across the state could benefit from such inclusion.

Education Department Promises to Take It Forward

Officials from the education department, including Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar and Minister Kuber Dindor, gave a positive response to the proposal.

“There is already a proposal for installing rooftop solar on government buildings, including schools. The tariff structure still needs to be worked out, but we are committed to taking this forward,” Kumar said.

Department representatives also assured school associations that they would coordinate with the energy and petrochemical department and advocate for extending the subsidy benefits to educational institutions. They also expressed readiness to escalate the issue to central authorities if needed.

Way Ahead

Inclusion of schools in the subsidy framework could catalyse significant rooftop solar uptake while easing operational costs for cash-strapped institutions. As Gujarat eyes continued dominance in India’s renewable energy sector, addressing this policy loophole may be essential for a more inclusive and far-reaching energy transition.

As it stands, Gujarat is among the top ranks in overall installed solar capacity, which roughly tripled since early 2022. The state also leads in rooftop solar with over 5.1 GW installed, driven by the Surya Gujarat scheme. Notably, Gujarat is aiming to install 100 GW of cumulative solar capacity by 2030.