UP installs 52k rooftop solar units, max in country in Mar

Lucknow: UP recorded the highest rooftop solar installations in the country in March under the ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojna', with 52,729 installations in a single month, according to official data. This marks the highest in a month by any state since the scheme's launch.The state has remained among the top two performers since July 2025. With over 4.48 lakh cumulative installations, it ranks third nationally and may move to second place if current trends continue.On March 31, a record 3,188 installations were completed in a single day. The total installed capacity has reached 1,524.61 MW. Subsidies of around Rs4,000 crore, including Rs2,985 crore from the Centre, have been disbursed to beneficiaries. Officials said the installed capacity generates around 68-70 lakh units of electricity daily. Based on an average tariff of Rs6-6.5 per unit, this translates into estimated savings of Rs4-4.5 crore per day through reduced grid consumption.Households consuming up to 300 units per month are reported to be getting near-zero electricity bills, while others are seeing reductions of 30-70%. The initiative has generated around 65,000 direct and over one lakh indirect jobs. More than 5,000 companies have been empanelled with UPNEDA (UP new and renewable energy development agency).UPNEDA director Inderjit Singh said the state's performance reflects "strong coordination between policy, technology and field execution. The focus remains on expanding access while maintaining quality and transparency."Asserting that the initiative demonstrates how "distributed solar can deliver both economic savings and energy access at scale," he said that UP's model could be replicated in other states.The rooftop solar expansion is estimated to save over 6,000 acres of land and reduce carbon emissions by 2.3 million tonnes of oil equivalent annually.The scheme was also highlighted in ‘Mann Ki Baat', where a farmer from Meerut shared his experience of reduced electricity bills and additional income through surplus power sales. Singh said the state aims to expand the programme further by targeting over 10 lakh households, achieving 4.5 GW rooftop solar capacity, and moving to the top position nationally in the coming years.