PM Surya Ghar Rooftop Solar in Kochi: Subsidy, KSEB Steps, What to Check

Under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, a Kochi household that puts solar panels on its roof gets a central subsidy of Rs 30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and Rs 18,000 for the third, so a 3 kW system earns the maximum of Rs 78,000. You apply on the national portal, pmsuryaghar.gov.in, KSEB processes the application, inspects the system and fits the net meter, and the money lands in your bank account after the system is commissioned.

• What is the subsidy for 3kW solar panels in Kerala?
• What size should a Kochi home pick?
• How to get PM Surya Ghar subsidy?
• How much does a 3kW solar system cost in Kerala?
• Where do people get caught out?

What is the subsidy for 3kW solar panels in Kerala?

Rs 78,000, the ceiling. The subsidy is a central scheme, the same in Kochi as in Kanpur, and as of October 2026 it works out like this for a home:

System size	Central subsidy
1 kW	Rs 30,000
2 kW	Rs 60,000
3 kW or larger	Rs 78,000 (capped)

Going bigger than 3 kW does not raise the subsidy; you pay for the extra panels yourself. Apartment associations and housing societies can claim Rs 18,000 per kW for common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kW, counted at no more than 3 kW per house.

What size should a Kochi home pick?

Size it to your bill, not your roof. The scheme's own guidance maps monthly consumption to capacity:

• 0 to 150 units a month: 1 to 2 kW
• 150 to 300 units a month: 2 to 3 kW
• Above 300 units a month: above 3 kW

Most KSEB domestic bills cover two months; if yours does, halve the units for a monthly figure. Our guide to reading and paying your KSEB bill shows where to look. Size for the whole year rather than for a sunny month: solar output drops on overcast days, and Kochi has a long monsoon.

How to get PM Surya Ghar subsidy?

• Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in, choose Kerala and KSEB as your distribution company, and enter your electricity consumer number and mobile number.
• Apply for rooftop solar through the portal. KSEB either gives technical feasibility approval or waives it (small home systems are generally accepted without it), so do not start installing until the portal shows your application is cleared.
• Pick a registered vendor from the portal's list. Only vendors registered on the portal qualify for the subsidy, so a cheaper local installer outside the list can cost you Rs 78,000.
• Install, then submit the details of the installed system on the portal.
• KSEB inspects and fits the net meter. The system is commissioned after this.
• Redeem the subsidy. By this stage, submit your bank details with a cancelled cheque, passbook copy or bank statement, then click Redeem Subsidy on the portal. The money goes to your bank account, or first to your solar loan account if you financed the system with a loan, with any balance to your bank account.

How much does a 3kW solar system cost in Kerala?

There is no fixed government price. As a reference point, the benchmark cost used in the scheme's consumer manual is Rs 50,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and Rs 45,000 per kW after that, but real quotes from installers vary with panel brand, inverter and mounting. The honest answer is to get at least three quotes from registered vendors on the portal and compare them before subsidy, since the Rs 78,000 is the same whichever vendor you pick. A quote that looks dramatically cheaper usually means a lesser inverter or a flimsier mounting structure, and in a Kochi monsoon the structure matters.

Where do people get caught out?

• Whose name is on what. The application runs on your electricity consumer number and pays into a bank account that has to be verified as the consumer's. Make sure the connection is in your name and the account is yours before you start.
• Existing systems. Panels you already installed outside the scheme do not qualify for the subsidy retrospectively.
• Rented homes. Tenants should expect to need the owner's written consent, and the application may have to be in the owner's name; check with KSEB before you start.

Kochi has form here: Cochin International Airport became the world's first fully solar-powered airport in 2015, a story we tell in how CIAL's solar plant works. A 3 kW roof in Kadavanthra is a smaller version of the same bet. More household how-tos are in Guides.