Rooftop Solar for Housing Societies (RWA/GHS) in 2026

Short answer: a housing society or RWA can put solar on its common roof to cut the common-area bill (lifts, pumps, lighting, STP, EV chargers). Under PM Surya Ghar, societies get ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, up to 500 kW, capped at 3 kW per house (check current notification). Size to the common meter's yearly use, get a general body resolution and a roof structural check, and confirm your state's net-metering rules for larger systems.

Why societies are a good fit

• Common-area bills are big and steady: lifts and pumps run every day.
• Much of the load (pumps, lighting in basements, STP) runs during the day.
• Flat roofs on apartment blocks are often unused.
• Maintenance charges fall for every member, which makes the decision easy to explain.

Subsidy for societies

Example: a society of 40 flats can claim on up to 120 kW (40 × 3). If it installs 50 kW, the subsidy is 50 × ₹18,000 = ₹9,00,000 (check current notification). Applications go through the national portal with a registered vendor, and DCR modules are required.

Step 1: understand the common meter

Collect 12 months of bills for each common connection. Note:

• Units per month and the season pattern (pumping rises in summer)
• Tariff category and rate (some DISCOMs bill common facilities differently from flats)
• Sanctioned load or contract demand, which usually caps solar size
• Whether the bill has ToD (time-of-day) charges

Step 2: size the system

Yearly common units ÷ local yield (about 1,400–1,650 units per kW per year in most of India) gives the size.

Example: a common meter using 4,000 units a month in Pune - 48,000 units a year ÷ 1,513 ≈ 32 kW

Then check roof space. A rough guide on flat roofs is about 8–10 m² (85–110 sq ft) of shadow-free area per kW including walkways, depending on tilt and row gaps. Water tanks, lift machine rooms and telecom towers cast shadows, so a site survey is essential.

Step 3: check state rules that matter for societies

• Maharashtra: systems above 10 kW pay a grid support charge on gross generation (₹1.96 per unit for LT in FY27, check current order). It lowers savings for larger society systems. A generation meter may be needed to bill it.
• Kerala: domestic systems above 10 kW need storage under the 2025 regulations.
• Gujarat: draft 2026 regulations propose group and virtual net metering; check whether they are notified.
• Monthly vs annual settlement changes how much surplus you lose (see net metering explained).

Step 4: approvals inside the society

1. Managing committee gathers bills, roof plan and quotes.
2. Structural check of the roof slab and parapets by an engineer, especially for older buildings. Solar adds roughly 15–25 kg per m² for modules and structure (more with ballast).
3. General body resolution approving the project, budget, and who owns and maintains it.
4. Waterproofing plan: chemical anchors and sealant, or a ballasted (non-penetrating) structure where the slab is weak or freshly waterproofed.
5. Access and safety: lockable roof door, walkways, cleaning water point, and signage.

Step 5: choose the vendor and design

Ask for: - An itemised quote with DCR modules, three-phase inverter(s), structure design for your wind zone, earthing and lightning protection, and CT-operated net meter if required. - Generation estimate and assumptions. - Monitoring access for the committee. - A clear 5-year maintenance scope and cleaning schedule.

Our installer checklist applies here too, with extra weight on structure and lightning protection for tall buildings.

Can flats benefit individually?

• Individual net metering needs each flat's own system and roof space, which rarely works in apartments.
• Group or virtual net metering lets one system's output be credited to several meters. Availability depends on your state's regulations; ask the DISCOM.
• Separate EV connections: the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules allow separate connections for EV charging; a society can put chargers on a common EV connection fed partly by solar. See EV + solar.

Money: typical outcomes

Society systems are larger, so the price per kW is lower than a 3 kW home system. Savings depend heavily on the common-meter tariff. Run a payback with the actual rate:

Common pitfalls

• Sizing to the roof instead of the common meter's use, then exporting at a low rate
• Ignoring shadows from water tanks and lift rooms
• Drilling into a freshly waterproofed slab without a plan
• No clear owner for cleaning and inverter alarms
• Forgetting the grid support charge or storage rules in some states

Who looks after it?

Decide this in the general body resolution: who checks the inverter app weekly, who arranges cleaning, who calls the vendor for faults, and how the maintenance cost after the free period is shared. Systems with a named owner perform better.

Talk to Sunlectric

Managing committee planning solar? WhatsApp +91 89567 89307 (wa.me/918956789307) with the common-meter bills and a roof photo. Our Solar Desk will suggest a size and connect you with an experienced installer, and our Pune hub can supply the full material, including three-phase inverters, ballast structures and CT meters, on one truck.

Sources

• PM Surya Ghar RWA/GHS CFA (₹18,000/kW, 500 kW, 3 kW per house): pmsuryaghar.gov.in; PIB, Aug 2024 (accessed Oct 2026)
• Maharashtra grid support charge: Saur Energy on MERC FY27 rooftop tariff; pwrnxt on MERC MYT order
• Kerala storage rule: SolarQuarter, 7 Jul 2025
• Gujarat draft DRES regulations: Saur Energy
• Rights of Consumers rules (housing society connections, EV connections): SolarQuarter, 23 Feb 2024