Apartments · group housing
If you searched “solar for flats” or “apartment rooftop solar”, start here. Individual terrace plants can still claim up to ₹78,000; society common-area plants usually get ₹18,000/kW. Roof rights and NOC decide which path — before you chase a vendor quote.
Two paths
Both can go solar. The subsidy band, paperwork owner, and timeline often differ sharply.
| Factor | Independent house / villa | Flat / apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Roof control | Usually yours — fewer gatekeepers | Often common property; top-floor terrace may still need RWA sign-off |
| Typical CFA path | Individual residential: ₹30k / ₹60k / up to ₹78k | Individual terrace plant or RWA common-area GHS plant at ₹18k/kW |
| Net metering | On your domestic consumer number | Individual meter, or society common meter with internal billing split |
| Timeline | DISCOM queue + install (weeks to months) | Same, plus society NOC / AGM if required — often the longest step |
| Structural concern | Your engineer call | RWA may demand load certificate, waterproofing warranty, insurance |
Last reviewed
Fast triage: Own terrace + own meter? Apply as a normal home (up to ₹78,000). Shared roof? Society common-facility plant at ₹18,000/kW — capped at 3 kW/house and 500 kW total. Cap + examples · NOC format · multi-meter credits: virtual net metering · bill check.
You may qualify for the same individual residential CFA bands as a bungalow if:
Many mid-rise societies allow a per-flat plant on the owner’s allotted terrace slab (common on penthouse units). CFA then follows the normal individual structure described in our PM Surya Ghar guide — commonly up to ₹78,000 for eligible 3 kW+ systems.
Reality check: even when rules allow it, managing committees sometimes block individual installs until a society-wide policy exists. Budget 4–12 weeks for NOC politics, not just DISCOM paperwork. Full walkthrough: how society NOC for solar works.
When the RWA installs solar on the shared roof (clubhouse, lift backup, common lighting, or pooled benefit to flats), the published PM Surya Ghar residential group-housing route commonly pays ₹18,000 per kW — not the ₹30,000-per-kW rate for the first 2 kW on individual homes.
Example framing (confirm on portal): a 50 kW society plant might see roughly ₹9,00,000 central CFA at ₹18k/kW, credited to the society’s designated account after commissioning — then internally allocated via maintenance credits, fixed rupee per flat, or proportional to unit share as the AGM decides.
Why societies choose this path:
Under the published PM Surya Ghar guidelines, the society CFA is paid on the lowest of three numbers: the capacity actually installed, 3 kW × the number of houses, or 500 kW. The 500 kW ceiling includes any plants residents have already installed on their own, and the society connection must be dedicated to common facilities — common lighting, lifts, pumps, EV charging — not used to supply individual flats.
| Society plant | Houses | Eligible kW | Central CFA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 kW | 20 | 60 kW (20 × 3) | ₹10,80,000 |
| 100 kW | 50 | 100 kW | ₹18,00,000 |
| 600 kW | 300 | 500 kW (cap) | ₹90,00,000 |
The first two rows are MNRE’s own worked examples. Before an AGM votes, size the plant to the common-area load and to the eligible kW — capacity above the cap is paid in full by the society.
Trade-off: per-flat “subsidy in my pocket” is lower per kW than an individual ₹78k cap. Run both models in the AGM — do not let a vendor compare a 3 kW individual quote to a 100 kW society quote without showing the CFA math side by side.
These are the objections we see most often in Indian RWAs:
Honest advice: bring a one-page FAQ to the committee before the vendor’s sales deck. Include load certificate sample, insurance clause, and a draft NOC template. Sealix is advisory — we are not your RWA’s lawyer. For step-by-step NOC framing see society NOC for solar.
Some states publish virtual or group net-metering pathways that let one rooftop credit multiple meters. That is not automatic under PM Surya Ghar, and it is not the same as ordinary net metering on a single consumer number. Confirm SERC / DISCOM notices before a vendor sells “one plant, every flat saves.” Framing: virtual net metering in India.
Whether individual or RWA, CFA requires eligible ALMM-listed panels and DCR rules as published for your application date. Non-compliant modules void subsidy — not a society issue, a procurement issue. Plain-English explainer: ALMM & DCR for PM Surya Ghar.
PM Surya Ghar subsidy · Society NOC steps · 10 kW for common areas · Net metering basics · City & state guides · Mumbai · Pune · Bengaluru.
₹18,000 per kW for a common-facility plant (common lighting, lifts, pumps, EV charging), on the lower of installed capacity, 3 kW per house, or 500 kW in total. The 500 kW ceiling includes plants residents have installed on their own. MNRE's own examples: a 100 kW plant in a 20-house society is eligible on 60 kW (₹10,80,000); the same plant in a 50-house society is eligible on 100 kW (₹18,00,000). The society connection must serve common facilities only, not individual flats.
Yes, if you have roof rights on your own terrace or a society-approved individual plant on your allotted area. Shared RWA common-area plants follow group housing CFA rules — commonly ₹18,000 per kW — not the individual ₹30,000/₹60,000/₹78,000 bands.
Individual residential homes typically qualify for ₹30,000 (1 kW), ₹60,000 (2 kW), and up to ₹78,000 (3 kW+). Group housing society / RWA common-area plants on shared roofs commonly receive ₹18,000 per kW under published PM Surya Ghar residential GHS rules. Confirm live amounts on pmsuryaghar.gov.in.
Almost always yes when the roof is common property or structural load affects the building. Even top-floor owners with exclusive terrace use often need RWA or management committee approval. See our society NOC guide for practical steps.
FAQ
No. Unauthorized installs risk removal orders, loss of subsidy, and society litigation. Always get written approval where the roof is shared — even if you are the top-floor owner.
Per-watt hardware cost often drops on a large RWA plant, but CFA per kW is lower (₹18k/kW GHS vs up to ₹78k individual). Net economics depend on common load offset and how savings are shared — not headline kW alone.
Individual terrace plants: typically the flat owner with the domestic consumer number. Common-area GHS plants: the registered society / RWA entity as the portal specifies. Mismatch between applicant and roof rights is a common commissioning rejection.
