Does a rooftop solar plant up to ten kilowatts need the electricity distribution company's feasibility approval, and who sets the size limit for my connection?
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) guideline says rooftop applications up to 10 kilowatts (kW) are deemed accepted without technical feasibility approval, though until states put this in place consumers upload papers where state rules ask. It ties maximum size to state regulations and distribution company norms, not to sanctioned load.
The feasibility clause
This comes from the main text of MNRE's guidelines for its residential rooftop solar scheme, Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. It is written for residential connections, so treat it as a model for a factory, with your state's rules as the authority.
- Section 6, item (h): as per the provisions of the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 and subsequent amendments, applications for rooftop solar systems up to 10 kW capacity shall be deemed to have been accepted without requiring approval of technical feasibility by the distribution companies (discoms).
- The same item adds: till the operationalization of this provision by respective Regulatory Commissions or discoms, the consumer shall upload the necessary documents for seeking feasibility approval, wherever required as per extant state regulations.
- So the guideline reports deemed acceptance under the Rules, but your own discom may still ask for feasibility papers until your state has put the process in place. Ask which applies today.
Who sets the maximum size
- Annexure 3 clause 11.1, connectivity: the maximum capacity for interconnection with the grid at a specific voltage level shall be as specified in the state commission's regulation for grid connectivity and the norms of the discom, as amended from time to time.
- The text I checked has no rule that links plant size to sanctioned load; for the scheme's own limits see the subsidy page. A cap, if your state has one, sits in your state's regulation, so read it for your connection type and voltage.
- Item (h) names only systems up to 10 kW. My reading: for a larger plant, expect a feasibility study.
What the discom still does
Section 6, item (k): the discom physically inspects the system, signs the metering agreement, and runs a checklist inspection. For the scheme's subsidy, it processes payment only after it has physically verified the system. My reading: for a factory the same inspection and agreement come before your net meter goes live, and the state rules are the authority.
A sizing check you can do on your own bills
- Find the sanctioned load in kilowatts or kilovolt-amperes on your bill, and your state's cap for rooftop plants against it.
- Find your lowest daytime units in the year, because a plant larger than your daytime use exports the surplus, which your state may credit at less than your tariff.
- Take the roof area you can use and divide by what a kilowatt peak needs from the quote, not a rule of thumb.
- Choose the smallest of the three.
Taking the smallest of three limits (example numbers)
- State cap against a sanctioned load of 120 kilowatts: say 100 kilowatts (an example, check your state)
- Daytime use supports: 80 kilowatts of plant
- Usable roof area supports: 90 kilowatts
- Plant to choose: 80 kilowatts, and above 10 kW so expect a feasibility study
All three numbers are example numbers. The guideline does not state a sanctioned load rule.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads electricity bills into monthly records, including units and sanctioned load where the bill prints them. It does not file applications, check your state's size cap or approve a plant.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-06. Re-check clause numbers and figures against the current version of the guidelines before you rely on them. The 10 kW deemed acceptance is quoted from the guideline, which cites the Rules. Check the Rules and your state commission's current net metering and connectivity regulation before you rely on it.