10 kW · Price & feasibility
At 10 kW the price question is the easy part. The harder facts are that seven of those kilowatts carry no central subsidy, you almost certainly need three-phase supply and sanctioned load to match, and in several states the metering arrangement itself changes at this scale.
Indicative 2026 bands
| Stage | Typical band | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gross turnkey quote | ≈ ₹5–7.5 lakh | Varies with roof height, access, structure and inverter; GST as billed and category-dependent |
| Central assistance (residential, eligible) | ≈ ₹78,000 | Same ceiling as 3 kW — it does not scale with size |
| Unsubsidised capacity | ≈ 7 of 10 kW | Bought at full price; must pay back on savings alone |
| Roof needed | ≈ 80–100 m² shadow-free | Plus walkways to reach every module |
| Connection | Normally three-phase | Conversion from single-phase is a separate DISCOM process and charge |
| Typical generation | ≈ 1,200–1,500 units/month | Lower in wet states; soiling matters more in absolute terms at this size |
Last reviewed
Central assistance under the residential scheme is commonly ₹30,000 per kilowatt for the first two kilowatts and a smaller amount for the third, reaching a ceiling around ₹78,000 at 3 kW. It does not rise after that.
So a 10 kW residential plant typically receives exactly the same central assistance as a 3 kW one. Put plainly: seven kilowatts are bought at full retail price and have to justify themselves purely on savings. If a quote suggests a larger system attracts proportionally more central money, that is simply wrong about this scheme, and it is worth treating as a signal about the rest of the quotation.
There is one genuine cost advantage at this scale, and it is the mirror image of what makes 1 kW poor value. Fixed costs — paperwork, mobilisation, metering, earthing — are spread across ten kilowatts instead of three, so rupees per watt is usually lower than on a small plant. That helps, but it does not replace a subsidy on seven kilowatts. The marginal-cost arithmetic is worked through in 3 kW vs 5 kW, and the small-system end in 1 kW price.
This is the detail most 10 kW enquiries have not considered, and it matters more than any price negotiation.
Net metering — where exported units are credited against imported units — is not universally available at every capacity. Many states limit the plant capacity you may connect, commonly in relation to your sanctioned load rather than to your roof or your ambition. Several also apply different settlement arrangements above defined capacity thresholds, where your exported energy is purchased at a specified rate instead of being credited unit against unit.
The difference is significant. Under credit-based settlement, an exported unit offsets a unit you would have bought at retail. Under a purchase arrangement, it earns a set tariff that is typically well below retail. A plant sized on the assumption of the first and then settled under the second will miss its projected payback by a wide margin.
So before sizing at this level, get two things in writing: the capacity your DISCOM will sanction against your connection, and the settlement arrangement that will apply. Rules differ by state and are revised, so confirm the current regulator position rather than relying on a vendor's summary. Background in net metering in India.
A 10 kW plant is normally installed on a three-phase connection. Many homes are single-phase, and converting is a separate application to your distribution company with its own charges and timeline — entirely outside the installer's quotation and frequently omitted from the conversation.
Sanctioned load is the companion check. It is printed on your bill, and if the capacity you apply for exceeds it you will generally need an enhancement, again with its own charge and queue. Both of these should be verified before you accept a quote, because either can add cost and months, or rule out the size entirely.
At roughly 8–10 m² of genuinely shadow-free area per kilowatt, 10 kW needs broadly 80–100 m² — plus walkways, because an array you cannot reach is an array that stops getting cleaned, and at this scale soiling losses are large in absolute terms.
Most urban plots do not offer that on a single terrace once water tanks, stair rooms, parapet shadows and setbacks are deducted. Elevated structures over an existing terrace can recover usable area and are common on larger properties, but they add structural cost and wind loading considerations that belong in the design rather than being improvised.
Three groups, and they have one thing in common:
What all three share is genuine daytime consumption. That is the whole test. A large plant on a property empty through working hours exports most of its output at the weaker rate — the poorest possible return on seven kilowatts bought without any subsidy. Before committing at this scale, look hard at your load curve, not just your annual total.
Send us twelve months of units and your sanctioned load through the free home check and we will tell you whether 10 kW is justified or whether a smaller plant captures most of the benefit. Related: 5 kW price · 3 kW price · costs & payback · financing.
Gross turnkey quotes for a 10 kW rooftop plant commonly land somewhere around 5 to 7.5 lakh rupees depending on city, roof height and access, structure specification, inverter choice and whether the connection is residential or commercial. Larger systems benefit from better economies of scale on the fixed costs, so rupees per watt is usually lower than on a 3 kW plant. Note that GST treatment and applicable rates can differ by consumer category, so confirm what is included before comparing quotes.
For an eligible residential consumer, the central assistance ceiling is commonly around 78,000 rupees and it is reached at 3 kW. A 10 kW plant therefore typically receives the same 78,000 as a 3 kW plant, which means seven of the ten kilowatts are bought at full price with no central support at all. Any vendor implying that a larger system attracts proportionally more central assistance is wrong about the residential scheme. Verify current terms on pmsuryaghar.gov.in.
In practice yes. A 10 kW plant is normally installed on a three-phase supply, and many homes on single-phase would need a connection conversion first. That conversion has its own application, charges and timeline with your distribution company, entirely outside the installer's quotation. Check whether your connection is single or three-phase, and what the sanctioned load is, before taking a 10 kW quote seriously.
Roughly 8 to 10 square metres of genuinely shadow-free area per kilowatt, so broadly 80 to 100 square metres, plus walkways to reach every module for cleaning and service. That is a substantial clear terrace, and on most urban plots it is the constraint that decides the answer before the budget does. Elevated structures over an existing terrace can recover area but add cost and wind loading considerations.
It depends on your state and your consumer category, and this is the detail most likely to change your economics. Many states limit the sanctioned capacity you may connect, commonly in relation to your sanctioned load, and several apply different settlement arrangements above defined capacity thresholds, where exported energy is purchased at a specified rate rather than credited unit against unit. Confirm your regulator's current rules and your DISCOM's position in writing before sizing at this level, because a change from net metering to a purchase arrangement can materially alter the payback.
Planning conservatively at four to five units per kilowatt per day averaged across the year, expect roughly 40 to 50 units a day or about 1,200 to 1,500 units a month. High-irradiance dry regions sit at the upper end, long-monsoon regions at the lower end, and shade, heat derating and soiling reduce it further. At this scale soiling losses matter more in absolute terms, so a realistic cleaning regime is part of the investment rather than an optional extra.
Large houses with sustained heavy consumption, often several air conditioners plus pumping or vehicle charging; housing societies covering common-area load such as lifts, pumps and lighting; and small commercial or institutional premises where daytime consumption matches generation closely. What these share is genuine daytime load. A large plant on a property that is empty during working hours exports most of its output at the weaker rate, which is the poorest possible return on capacity bought without subsidy.
