Andhra Pradesh · state solar support
Andhra Pradesh adds to the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy for two groups. SC and ST homes on up to 200 units can get a 2 kW plant free, and BC homes get ₹20,000 extra. The two routes work very differently, and the details matter before you sign anything.
Last reviewed
Fast triage: SC/ST home on up to 200 units a month? The DISCOM installs up to 2 kW free, but it owns the plant and pays you roof rent, so wait for the DISCOM route rather than paying a vendor. BC home? You get ₹20,000 extra: ₹80,000 for 2 kW or ₹98,000 for 3 kW (details). Everyone else gets the central subsidy, up to ₹78,000. If you are BC or general category and paying for the plant yourself, check your bill first.
| Household | Support | Who owns the plant | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC / ST, up to 200 units a month | Free plant up to 2 kW (₹60,000 central + state pays the rest) | The DISCOM; you get ₹1 per sq ft a month roof rent | DISCOM survey and consent; DISCOM-appointed contractor |
| SC / ST, above 200 units | Central subsidy only, as far as the published order goes | You | Standard PM Surya Ghar application |
| BC, 2 kW | ₹60,000 central + ₹20,000 state = ₹80,000 | You | DISCOM registration / survey (2026), bank loan offered for the balance |
| BC, 3 kW | ₹78,000 central + ₹20,000 state = ₹98,000 | You | Confirm the state amount shows on your application |
| OC / general | Central only: ₹30,000 (1 kW), ₹60,000 (2 kW), ₹78,000 (3 kW+) | You | Apply yourself on pmsuryaghar.gov.in |
Which DISCOM serves you (APSPDCL, APCPDCL or APEPDCL) depends on the name printed on your bill. Vijayawada, Guntur and Ongole are APCPDCL (APCPDCL guide); Visakhapatnam, Godavari and Eluru are APEPDCL (APEPDCL guide). See the Andhra Pradesh hub for the map.
Before the solar plan, there is the free power itself. Under Jagjeevan Jyothi, SC and ST domestic consumers who use up to 200 units a month get that electricity free; the state pays the DISCOM. The limit for SC households was raised from 100 to 200 units in 2019 (G.O. 91), and the 2025 solar order puts the scheme at around 20 lakh SC and ST domestic consumers.
The same 200-unit line decides the free solar route below: the government is replacing the monthly subsidy it already pays for these homes with rooftop plants. For how other states handle free units, see free electricity vs rooftop solar, state by state.
SC and ST domestic consumers using up to 200 units a month already get that power free under the state's Jagjeevan Jyothi scheme, which costs the government a subsidy every month. The Energy Department's order (G.O. RT No. 16) replaces part of that cost with rooftop solar. The DISCOMs install plants on these homes under MNRE's utility-owned, utility-led aggregation model, funded by the central ₹60,000 per home plus the state.
Scale and progress: NREDCAP tendered about 1,198 MW of plants. The state's target is 5,99,105 SC/ST systems, and 2,27,549 were installed by 4 August 2026, with APSPDCL furthest ahead. In April 2026 the Energy Minister said about 6 lakh SC and ST families would get plants worth about ₹1.25 lakh each, free.
What to do: if you are SC or ST, on up to 200 units, and nobody has surveyed your house, go to your DISCOM section office (AE) with your service connection number and ask whether you are on the list. Do not pay a private vendor for a "free government solar" plant. On this route, a legitimate installer is appointed by the DISCOM and charges the family nothing. Outside Andhra Pradesh, see SC/ST solar subsidy in other states (West Bengal and Maharashtra add ₹15,000).
For most eligible families, yes. Your power was already free up to 200 units, so the plant does not cut your bill much. What you gain is the roof rent, a maintained plant on your roof, and a more secure free-power arrangement. What you give up is the use of that roof space for the lease period, and the option to own a plant there yourself. If you use well over 200 units, or expect to soon, ask the section office how a future own plant would work before you consent.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the BC top-up in the Assembly on 13 March 2025: ₹20,000 from the state on top of the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy. The state later approved it for 3 kW plants too, and in April 2026 the Energy Minister put the figures at ₹98,000 for a BC family installing 3 kW against ₹78,000 for OC families. Unlike the SC/ST route, BC families own their plant and pay the balance.
| BC home | Typical price (reported) | Central + state | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW, up to 200 units a month | about ₹1,20,000–1,30,000 | ₹60,000 + ₹20,000 = ₹80,000 | about ₹40,000–50,000 (bank loan offered) |
| 3 kW | your quote | ₹78,000 + ₹20,000 = ₹98,000 | Quote minus ₹98,000 |
2026 status: Telugu press reports in 2026 say DISCOMs have started surveying and registering BC households using up to 200 units for 2 kW plants, with a bank loan arranged for the roughly ₹50,000 balance. In December 2025 the Chief Secretary said about 21 lakh BC households are expected to benefit statewide. The subsidy is paid after commissioning, like the central amount, so you finance the full price first unless the loan covers it.
Before you sign a BC quote: ask the vendor (or your DISCOM) whether the ₹20,000 will appear on your own application, keep your BC caste certificate, Aadhaar, latest bill and bank details ready, and make sure the contract says what happens to the price if the state amount is not sanctioned. A BC home on a ₹1,500+ monthly bill gets the best payback from 3 kW. A home on a low bill should check the arithmetic first, because ₹40,000–50,000 of your own money is still real money.
| Your monthly bill | Size that usually fits | Typical quote | Central + state (BC) | You pay (about) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under ₹800 | Often none yet: savings are small | – | – | Check before you borrow |
| ₹1,000–1,800 | 2 kW | ₹1.2–1.6 lakh | ₹80,000 | ₹40,000–80,000 |
| ₹1,500–3,000 | 3 kW | ₹1.6–2.4 lakh | ₹98,000 | ₹62,000–1.42 lakh |
| ₹3,500 and above | 4–5 kW | ₹2.2–3.6 lakh | ₹98,000 at most (subsidy stops at 3 kW) | ₹1.2–2.6 lakh |
Quotes vary by district, brand and roof; the bands overlap because usage and tariff slab matter as much as the rupee total. Our free check reads your actual bill and tells you whether 2 kW or 3 kW pays back for a BC family, before you sign or take a loan.
There is no state top-up for OC or general households. You apply on the national portal with an empanelled vendor, own the plant, and receive the central subsidy (₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above) after commissioning. Whether that pays back depends on your bill: below about ₹1,000 a month it rarely does, and from about ₹1,500 it usually does. Steps: how to apply · documents · APSPDCL guide.
If you are SC or ST on up to 200 units, you do not need us. Wait for the DISCOM route and refuse any vendor who asks for money. If you are BC or general category and paying for the plant yourself, a free bill check tells you whether 2 or 3 kW pays back on your bill, before you commit. Sealix is an independent advisory: not a DISCOM, not NREDCAP, not an installer, and we add no subsidy of our own.
Yes. Under the Jagjeevan Jyothi scheme, SC and ST domestic consumers using up to 200 units a month get that power free, paid for by the state. Your DISCOM must have your Aadhaar, mobile number and caste certificate linked to the service connection; if you are under 200 units and still billed, take these to your section office.
Yes, for SC and ST domestic consumers using up to 200 units a month, who already get that power free under the state's Jagjeevan Jyothi scheme. The state and the DISCOM install a rooftop plant of up to 2 kW at no cost to the family, funded by the central ₹60,000 plus the state. The catch is ownership: under the utility-owned model in the government order, the DISCOM owns the plant, and the government pays the family roof rent of ₹1 per square foot a month. Homes without a usable roof are served from plants elsewhere through virtual net metering.
There is no PM Surya Ghar portal application for this route. The DISCOMs surveyed SC and ST consumers on up to 200 units across all 27 circles, checking roof ownership and space. The DISCOM and NREDCAP then take each family's consent, lease the roof and send a DISCOM-appointed contractor to install. If your home has not been surveyed or you have heard nothing, contact your DISCOM section office (AE) with your service connection number.
₹20,000 from the state on top of the central subsidy. That makes ₹80,000 for a 2 kW plant (₹60,000 central plus ₹20,000 state) and ₹98,000 for 3 kW (₹78,000 plus ₹20,000), as stated by the Energy Minister in April 2026. Reports in 2026 say DISCOMs have started surveying and registering BC households using up to 200 units for 2 kW plants, with a bank loan offered for the balance of about ₹50,000. Confirm with your DISCOM that the state amount will show on your application before you sign a quote.
The free-plant route in the government order covers SC and ST consumers using 200 units or less. Above that, you are outside it and would normally install through the standard PM Surya Ghar route with the central subsidy (₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above), owning the plant yourself. Ask your DISCOM section office whether any category support applies to your connection before buying.
Related: Andhra Pradesh hub · APSPDCL · Vijayawada · Nellore · Visakhapatnam · State top-ups · SC/ST subsidy by state · 2 kW price · "Free solar" myth
