Over 93,000 rooftop solar systems installed across Marathwada under PM scheme, Sambhajinagar leads installations in region

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Eight districts in the Marathwada region have together installed 93,251 rooftop solar systems under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, adding a capacity of 341 megawatts, with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar leading the tally with 37,487 installations.After received a strong response across all eight districts, MSEDCL joint managing director for Marathwada Aditya Jiwane has urged more consumers to take advantage of the scheme, offering subsidies of up to Rs 78,000. "Switching to renewable energy through this scheme is highly beneficial for consumers. The attractive subsidies and simplified online services provided by MSEDCL have made the process easy and accessible," Jiwane said.Among the other districts, Latur has recorded 14,313 rooftop solar installations, followed by Nanded (9,657), Jalna (9,458), Beed (7,774), Parbhani (7,554), Dharashiv (3,815) and Hingoli (3,193), official data showed.Centre launched the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in Feb 2024 to provide free electricity to households consuming up to 300 units per month. The scheme also allows consumers to earn income by selling surplus electricity generated from rooftop solar systems.Under the scheme, residential users can generate about 120 to 360 units of electricity per month using solar systems with capacities ranging from 1-3kW. "To further promote its adoption, concessional loans are being offered by banks, with a simplified application process. Additionally, incentive funds will be provided to gram panchayats that actively encourage rural households to participate in the scheme," Jiwane said.Centre provides direct subsidies for rooftop solar installations, offering Rs 30,000 for a 1kW system, Rs 60,000 for a 2kW system and up to Rs 78,000 for systems of 3kW or higher capacity. Further information about the scheme is available https://www.pmsuryaghar.gov.in.