Solar panels in Delhi

Modelled output of a 6 kWp system at 35° facing south (towards the equator), from PVGIS climate data (PVGIS-ERA5, 2005 to 2023).

• Best month: March (909 kWh). Weakest: July (564 kWh), a 1.6x difference.
• March, October, December produce 28.3% of the year; June, July, August produce 19.6%.
• Year-to-year variation: about 167 kWh (1.8%, one standard deviation).
• Sunlight reaching the panels: 2,161 kWh per m² a year.

Rules set by the city or its region, on top of the national scheme. Each one was checked against the official source on the date shown.

• Government of NCT of Delhi

  Delhi state capital subsidy for rooftop solar

  After the second amendment to the Delhi Solar Energy Policy, the Delhi government lists a state capital subsidy for residential rooftop solar of up to Rs 26,000 per kW for systems up to 3 kW, capped at Rs 78,000, with no additional state subsidy for 3 to 10 kW. It is paid on top of the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy.

  Source: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management Centre, Department of Power, GNCTD, State Subsidy | Delhi Solar Portal (checked 2026-09-25)

• Government of NCT of Delhi

  Free rooftop solar for low-consumption homes

  The Delhi government states that homes using under 400 units per month on average can have a solar plant installed free of cost, through empanelled vendors under a DISCOM trusteeship model for systems up to 3 kW.

  Source: Department of Power, GNCTD (Delhi Solar Portal), Overview of Delhi Solar Scheme (checked 2026-09-25)

• Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission

  DERC net metering rules

  Under DERC net metering rules, surplus exported units carry forward to the next bill, and credits still unadjusted at the end of each financial year are paid out by the DISCOM at rates notified by DERC. A 2024 amendment exempts systems up to 10 kW from technical feasibility studies.

  Source: Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (via Delhi Solar Portal), DERC (Net Metering for Renewable Energy) Regulations, 2014 (and First Amendment 2024) (checked 2026-09-25)

Delhi ranks 1 of 3 for yield among the cities we model in India, and 7 of 41 across every country on Solar Figures. Within one country the prices are the same, so a payback gap between these cities comes from sunshine alone.

Closest yield abroad: Madrid (1,548 kWh per kWp), Marseille (1,563 kWh per kWp), Valencia (1,563 kWh per kWp).

Power you use yourself is worth the retail price (₹7.00 per kWh); power you export earns ₹7.00. So the share you use at home, by running appliances in daylight or adding a battery, changes the payback. The system cost stays the same in every row (a battery would add to it).

• Net system cost after incentives: ₹282,000 for 6 kWp.
• Incentive modelled: ₹78,000 (PM Surya Ghar (Rs 30,000/kW first 2 kW + Rs 18,000 for 3rd kW, cap Rs 78,000 at >=3 kW)).
• 25-year net savings at our default: ₹1,532,418.

At latitude 28.61°N, PVGIS finds the fixed tilt and direction that maximise yearly output. Our figures use a common 35° roof; the table shows what the optimum adds.

The optimum adds 0.1% a year over the standard roof in Delhi. Most of a roof's value comes from its direction: a roof facing away from the equator loses far more than a few degrees of tilt.