Checked 25 Oct 2026
Home / Tamil Nadu / Blog / Rooftop solar cost
Solar panel price for home in Tamil Nadu: 1 kW to 5 kW rooftop solar cost in 2026
A 3 kW home solar system in Tamil Nadu costs ₹1,80,000 to ₹2,20,000 before subsidy, on the state solar portal's indicative prices. For homes registered from 5 August 2026, the central and state subsidy takes off ₹1,00,000, so you pay about ₹80,000 to ₹1,20,000. Registered earlier, only the central ₹78,000 applies.
Check a solar quote
Price a kW₹66,667
Subsidy₹1,00,000
You pay₹1,00,000
Within the state portal's range of ₹1,80,000 to ₹2,20,000 for 3 kW.
Subsidy for homes registered from 5 August 2026.
State portal prices: Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL), read 25 Oct 2026; subsidy: MNRE operational guidelines, PM Surya Ghar (copy hosted by JBVNL), G.O.(Ms) No. 102, Energy Department, 19 Sep 2026.
Rooftop solar cost in Tamil Nadu, in short
- The Tamil Nadu solar portal puts a home system at ₹70,000 to ₹85,000 for 1 kW, ₹1,30,000 to ₹1,55,000 for 2 kW and ₹1,80,000 to ₹2,20,000 for 3 kW, before subsidy.
- For homes registered from 5 August 2026, the central and state subsidy is ₹35,000 for 1 kW, ₹70,000 for 2 kW and ₹1,00,000 for 3 kW or more. Prices that take off only ₹78,000 leave out the state's ₹22,000.
- The price you pay is agreed between you and the vendor. Under the scheme it must include five years of free maintenance.
- On top of the quote come a ₹500 registration fee, the solar meter deposit (₹1,490 for single phase) and a network charge on every bill.
Home solar panel price in Tamil Nadu, 1 kW to 5 kW
| System | Government benchmark | State portal price | You pay after subsidy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | ₹50,000 | ₹70,000 to ₹85,000 | ₹35,000 to ₹50,000 |
| 2 kW | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,30,000 to ₹1,55,000 | ₹60,000 to ₹85,000 |
| 3 kW | ₹1,45,000 | ₹1,80,000 to ₹2,20,000 | ₹80,000 to ₹1,20,000 |
| 4 kW | Not set | Not given | Price less ₹1,00,000 |
| 5 kW | Not set | Not given | Price less ₹1,00,000 |
"You pay after subsidy" uses the central and state subsidy for homes registered from 5 August 2026: ₹35,000 for 1 kW, ₹70,000 for 2 kW and ₹1,00,000 for 3 kW or more. The portal lists one set of prices and does not split them by district, so a Chennai home reads the same table. The state portal price is its indicative market range; the portal itself works out what you pay from the middle of each range: ₹42,500 for 1 kW, ₹72,500 for 2 kW and ₹1,00,000 for 3 kW.
The government benchmark is the cost MNRE used to set the central subsidy: ₹50,000 a kW for the first 2 kW and ₹45,000 for the third. The guidelines set none above 3 kW, where no central subsidy is paid. It is not a price cap. The scheme leaves the price to you and the vendor.
These prices and the subsidy are for grid-connected rooftop systems, the kind the state portal describes: panels joined to the TNPDCL grid through a two-way meter, with extra units sent to the grid. The portal does not give a price for a system with a battery, so ask any vendor who offers one to quote it separately.
For 4 kW and 5 kW the portal gives no price. One installer, SolarSquare, listed about ₹2,63,000 for 4 kW and ₹3,40,000 for 5 kW in Chennai in July 2026, before subsidy. The Deccan Chronicle put a 5 kW system at ₹1,42,000 to ₹2,72,000 after the ₹78,000 central subsidy.
Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL), benefit calculator and FAQ 2, 8, 11 and 12; MNRE operational guidelines, PM Surya Ghar (copy hosted by JBVNL), clauses 5(e), 5(g), 5(h) and 6(c); G.O.(Ms) No. 102, Energy Department, 19 Sep 2026, registrations from 5 August 2026; installer and news prices: SolarSquare, rooftop solar in Tamil Nadu, Deccan Chronicle, 15 Aug 2026.
How the subsidy changes the price
The central subsidy under PM Surya Ghar is ₹30,000 a kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third, up to ₹78,000. Tamil Nadu adds ₹5,000, ₹10,000 or ₹22,000 for homes registered from 5 August 2026. The state top-up is for the first 1 lakh homes, so check it is still open when you register. Both are paid into your bank account after the system is installed and connected, so you pay the full price to the vendor first, unless you take a loan under the scheme.
Because the subsidy stops at 3 kW, every kW above 3 is at full price. A bigger system pays only if you use the extra units. Who qualifies, how to apply and how long the payments take: Tamil Nadu rooftop solar subsidy.
MNRE operational guidelines, PM Surya Ghar (copy hosted by JBVNL), clauses 5(e) and 5(h); G.O.(Ms) No. 102, Energy Department, 19 Sep 2026; Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL).
What the price should include
- Indian-made panels with Indian-made cells (DCR), of a model on the government's approved list (ALMM). Only these get the subsidy.
- The inverter, which turns the panels' power into the power your home uses.
- The mounting structure, wiring, earthing and installation, by a vendor registered on the national portal and empanelled with TEDA, the Tamil Nadu energy agency.
- Five years of free maintenance from the day the system is commissioned, which the scheme requires, and a five-year warranty on the whole system, which its model agreement asks for. Get both in writing.
The scheme says the price and the payment schedule are agreed between you and the vendor. Get both in writing.
MNRE operational guidelines, PM Surya Ghar (copy hosted by JBVNL), clauses 5(m), 6(c) and 7(d), Annex 2 items 9, 10 and 15, Annex 3; Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL).
Costs on top of the quote
Registration fee: ₹500
Paid to TNPDCL when you apply, for a home system up to 20 kW.
Solar meter deposit: ₹1,490 for single phase
TNPDCL fits the net meter after it inspects the system. The meter caution deposit for a single phase solar meter is ₹1,490 from 1 July 2025. For three phase, ask your section office.
Network charge on every bill
Homes with solar pay a share of the network charge on what the panels make. On a 3 kW system it comes to at most about ₹290 a bill, less if the inverter records fewer units. How it is worked out: costs most pages leave out.
Load or phase change
If your sanctioned load or phase has to go up for the system, TNPDCL's charges for that are added. See TNEB additional load.
Registration fee: TANGEDCO summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar); network charge: TANGEDCO summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar) (20% for homes up to 10 kW, 21% CUF) and TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025, page 19 (LT network charge ₹1.60 a unit); meter deposit: TNERC Suo-motu Order No. 7 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025; net meter fitting: Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL), FAQ 8.
How big a system for your bill
Each kW makes about 240 units a two-month bill. Look at the units on your last few bills: a home using about 480 units a bill needs about 2 kW, and one using about 720 needs about 3 kW. Each kW needs about 10 square metres (about 108 square feet) of roof with no shade.
Extra units do not earn money. Under net metering, which counts the units you send to the grid against the units you take from it, they carry forward from bill to bill until 31 March, then lapse. Size the system to what you use. To see what your bill would be on fewer units, try the TNEB bill calculator.
Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL), FAQ 9 and 12; TANGEDCO summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar).
How to compare two quotes
- Divide by the kW. The state portal's ranges work out to about ₹70,000 to ₹85,000 a kW for 1 kW and ₹60,000 to ₹73,333 a kW for 3 kW.
- Check the vendor is on the national portal's list of registered vendors and empanelled with TEDA.
- Check the panels are DCR and on the ALMM list, and get the panel and inverter brands and warranties in writing.
- Check what is not included: the net meter deposit, the registration fee and any load change.
Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL); MNRE operational guidelines, PM Surya Ghar (copy hosted by JBVNL), clause 5(m) and Annex 3.
Paying with a loan
The scheme asks banks to offer low-interest loans for home systems up to 3 kW, at the repo rate plus 0.5%, so the rate moves with the RBI repo rate: ask the bank for today's rate. The government's March 2025 explainer put it at about 6.75%, collateral-free up to ₹2,00,000, through 12 public sector banks. If you take a loan, the central subsidy goes to the loan account first, and any amount above what you owe comes to your bank account.
MNRE operational guidelines, PM Surya Ghar (copy hosted by JBVNL), clauses 6(r) and 6(s); PIB, PM Surya Ghar explainer, 13 Mar 2025.
How long it takes to pay back
That depends on how many units you use, because the TNEB slabs make each unit you save worth more on a bigger bill. Our worked examples for homes at 450, 600 and 700 units a bill are in what solar saves on your TNEB bill.
What installers and news reports quote
Prices above the portal's
SolarSquare's Chennai prices from July 2026, about ₹1,95,000 for 2 kW and ₹2,35,000 for 3 kW before subsidy, sit above the portal's ranges. Its own page also gives two different prices for 3 kW after subsidy.
Per kW quotes
Private companies told the Deccan Chronicle in August 2026 that a system costs ₹55,000 to ₹85,000 a kW before subsidy. The paper put panels at 45 to 50% of the cost and the inverter at 20 to 25%.
India-wide prices
Many pages that rank for solar prices give India-wide figures. Tamil Nadu's own portal ranges are the ones above.
From the pages and reports we read on 25 Oct 2026, summarised in our words.
Questions people ask
What does a 3 kW solar system cost in Tamil Nadu?
₹1,80,000 to ₹2,20,000 before subsidy, on the Tamil Nadu solar portal's indicative prices. If you registered from 5 August 2026, the ₹1,00,000 central and state subsidy brings it to about ₹80,000 to ₹1,20,000. Registered earlier, only the central ₹78,000 applies, so about ₹1,02,000 to ₹1,42,000. The final price is what you agree with the vendor.
What does a 1 kW solar system cost in Tamil Nadu?
₹70,000 to ₹85,000 before subsidy on the state portal, and about ₹35,000 to ₹50,000 after the ₹35,000 subsidy. It makes about 240 units a two-month bill.
What does a 5 kW solar system cost?
The state portal gives no price above 3 kW, and MNRE sets no benchmark above 3 kW. One installer listed about ₹3,40,000 in Chennai in July 2026. The subsidy stays at ₹1,00,000, so the extra 2 kW is at your cost.
Can a 3 kW solar system run an AC?
Yes, if the AC is a small part of what you use. A 1.5 ton 3-star inverter AC run 8 hours a night uses about 263 units a two-month bill, going by the BEE star label of one current Panasonic model (the CS/CU-SU18BKY3W), and a 3 kW system makes about 720. Your AC's own label gives its figure. That leaves about 457 for everything else. The panels make power by day and the AC runs at night on grid power, but net metering sets one against the other within the bill. See what an AC adds to your TNEB bill.
Is the net meter included in the solar price?
Possibly. The scheme's model vendor agreement puts net meter supply, testing and approvals in the vendor's scope, so get in writing what meter work the quote covers. The meter caution deposit is separate: you pay it to TNPDCL, ₹1,490 for a single phase solar meter, and TNPDCL fits the meter after its inspection.
How much roof do I need?
About 10 square metres (about 108 square feet) of roof with no shade for each kW, so about 30 square metres (about 323 square feet) for 3 kW.
Do I need permission from the corporation?
No. The state portal says no permission is needed from the municipal authority or the pollution control board. Up to 3 kW TNPDCL waives the feasibility study, and approval from the Chief Electrical Inspector (CEIG) is needed only above 10 kW.
Read next
- Tamil Nadu rooftop solar subsidy 2026Who gets the subsidy, how to apply and what solar saves on your bill.Read the post
- TNEB additional load and tariff changeRaise your sanctioned load if the system is bigger than it.Read the post
- What an AC adds to your TNEB billWhat your AC and other appliances add to the units you need.Read the post
Sources
- Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL). Steps, indicative market prices, automatic state top-up, "4 to 5 units" a kW a day; benefit calculator and FAQ read 25 Oct 2026.
- MNRE operational guidelines, PM Surya Ghar (copy hosted by JBVNL). Benchmark cost (clause 5(g)), central subsidy (5(e), 5(h)), DCR panels (5(m)), price agreed with the vendor (6(c)), loans (6(r), 6(s)), five years' maintenance (7(d)), net meter supply in the vendor's scope (Annex 2 item 10).
- G.O.(Ms) No. 102, Energy Department, 19 Sep 2026. Tamil Nadu top-up: ₹5,000, ₹10,000 or ₹22,000; registrations from 5 Aug 2026; up to 1 lakh homes.
- TANGEDCO summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar). Net metering for homes up to sanctioned load; surplus lapses on 31 March; network charge 20% for homes up to 10 kW at 21% CUF; ₹500 registration.
- TNERC Suo-motu Order No. 7 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025. Meter caution deposit from 1 Jul 2025: single phase (solar) ₹1,490 (Table 11, page 5).
- TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025. LT network charge ₹1.60 a unit from 1 July 2025 (page 19).
- PIB, PM Surya Ghar explainer, 13 Mar 2025. Collateral-free loans up to ₹2 lakh at 6.75% (March 2025).
- Panasonic CS/CU-SU18BKY3W, 1.5 ton 3 star inverter split AC (2026). ISEER 4.50, 877.74 units a year.
- Installer and news prices: SolarSquare, rooftop solar in Tamil Nadu; Deccan Chronicle, 15 Aug 2026.
Sources last checked 25 Oct 2026. Found a mistake? Tell us, and see how we correct it.