Free tool
Solar calculator for India
The short answer
Enter your average monthly bill and your city. The calculator converts your bill into units consumed, sizes the system that covers them, prices it at the live benchmark of ₹58,000 per kW, applies the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, and estimates your monthly saving and payback. It uses your state’s actual tariff and your city’s actual solar yield — not a national average.
What the numbers mean
The size the calculator suggests is the system that covers your annual consumption, not the largest system your roof could hold. Under net metering, units you export are credited at a lower rate than the units you buy — so a system that overshoots your consumption earns less per unit than one sized to match it.
The net cost is the gross price minus the central subsidy. You pay the installer the full contract price and the subsidy arrives in your bank account after your DISCOM commissions the system — so plan for the gross amount, not the net figure, at the point of payment.
Payback is the point where avoided bills have covered what you paid. It moves with your tariff, your self-consumption ratio and future tariff rises — which in India have historically run around 4% a year, while panels lose well under 1% of output a year.
The assumptions behind it
- ₹58,000
- cost per kW installed
- ₹78,000
- maximum central subsidy
- 0.78
- performance ratio applied
Cost benchmark, subsidy tiers and the performance ratio are read live from the site’s own data, so the calculator cannot drift away from what the rest of the site tells you. Per-city generation comes from NASA POWER irradiance for your location.
Where to go next
Questions, answered
How does this solar calculator work?
You enter your average monthly electricity bill and pick your state and city. The calculator divides your bill by your state's tariff to estimate the units you consume, sizes a system to cover them, and prices it at the live benchmark of ₹58,000 per kW installed. It then applies the PM Surya Ghar subsidy and estimates your monthly saving and payback.
Is the solar calculator free?
Yes, and there is nothing to sign up for. It runs entirely in your browser from live data — state tariffs, per-city solar yield and the current cost benchmark — and you only enter contact details if you decide to request installer quotes.
How accurate is the payback estimate?
It is a planning figure, not a quote. It assumes a realistic generation profile for your city, your state's average tariff, and the standard subsidy tier. Real payback moves with your self-consumption ratio, the panel and inverter brands you choose, and future tariff rises — which is why the calculator shows the assumptions rather than a single confident number.
How much does a rooftop solar system cost in India?
At the 2026 benchmark of about ₹58,000 per kW installed, a typical 3 kW home system lands near ₹1,74,000 before subsidy. Tier-1 metro quotes run 5–10% higher and smaller towns often come in lower, so treat the figure as a starting point for comparing itemised quotes.
What size solar system do I need?
Size to your annual consumption rather than your peak bill. The calculator sizes from units consumed, which is the figure that matters — a home using about 350 units a month typically needs a 3 kW system. Oversizing beyond your consumption rarely pays under net metering because exported units are credited at a lower rate than you pay.
Does the calculator include the subsidy?
Yes. It applies the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy — ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW plus ₹18,000 for the third, capped at ₹78,000 — and shows both the gross price and the net cost after subsidy. Some states add their own top-up, which the calculator does not assume.