East Bengaluru buyer answers
Can an apartment association go solar under BESCOM net metering?
Direct answer: Yes. A solar rooftop apartment plant can run on the association's common-area connection under net metering, or share credits with residents under virtual net metering, which KERC's 2026 regulations allow for apartments. Size it to the common-area load, apply on BESCOM's portal after registering on PM Surya Ghar, and claim ₹18,000 per kW in subsidy.
Disclosure: acre&key’s advice is free to buyers.
Key takeaways
- Net metering: 1 kW up to the sanctioned load or 1,000 kW, whichever is lower (KERC DSPV Regulations 2026).
- Virtual net metering: allowed for apartments' common areas and individual residents, minimum 5 kW.
- Subsidy: ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, up to 500 kW at 3 kW per house (PM Surya Ghar).
- Size to use, not roof: exported units earn far less than what you pay. In our example, using only 60% on site stretches payback from about 2.3 to 3.2 years.
- Our PANEL check: permission, arrangement, numbers, eligibility, load and roof.
Common-area electricity (lifts, pumps, the STP, corridor lights, the clubhouse) is often one of the biggest lines in an apartment's maintenance budget. Rooftop solar can cut it. Here's what the rules allow in 2026 and how to run the numbers before the general body votes.
What do KERC's 2026 rules allow?
The KERC (Grid Interactive Distributed Solar Photovoltaic Plants) Regulations 2026%20Plants)%20Regulations,%202026.pdf), in force from 24 August 2026, set out the options:
| Arrangement | What it does | Size limits | Fits an apartment when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net metering | Solar offsets one connection; surplus exported | 1 kW to sanctioned load or 1,000 kW | Plant serves the common-area meter |
| Virtual net metering | Whole output exported; credits shared by declared % | 5 kW to combined sanctioned load | Residents want a share on their own bills |
| Group net metering | Credits spread over connections in the same name | 5 kW to combined sanctioned load | Association has several connections |
| Behind the meter | Used on site, no export credit | Up to sanctioned load | Load is steady through the day |
Under virtual net metering, each participant declares its share of generation, and shares can be changed once at the start of a financial year with two months' notice (BESCOM SOP, 12 May 2026).
What do exported units earn?
KERC's tariff order from 25 August 2026 sets ₹3.11 a unit for plants using domestically made cells and ₹2.34 for others (outside the domestic 1–10 kW slab). Virtual and group net metering get 75% of that: about ₹2.33 and ₹1.76. The PPA runs 25 years. That's well below what an association pays BESCOM per unit, so every unit used on site is worth more than one exported.
Worked example 1: cost after subsidy
Illustrative. A 200-flat complex installs a 100 kW plant at ₹45,000 per kW (quotes vary; get three).
| Step | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Plant cost | 100 × ₹45,000 | ₹45,00,000 |
| Subsidy cap | Lower of 200 × 3 kW, 500 kW, 100 kW installed | 100 kW |
| Subsidy | 100 × ₹18,000 | ₹18,00,000 |
| Net cost | ₹27,00,000 |
The subsidy comes from PM Surya Ghar, for group housing societies and RWAs, for common facilities including EV charging. The 500 kW limit includes any plants residents have already installed themselves. BESCOM's DSPV portal asks you to register on the national PM Surya Ghar portal first.
Worked example 2: payback depends on self-use
Illustrative. Assume the plant makes 4 units per kW per day, and the common-area tariff is ₹8 a unit (check your own bill).
- Yearly output: 100 × 4 × 365 = 1,46,000 units
| All used on site | 60% used, 40% exported | |
|---|---|---|
| Used on site | 1,46,000 × ₹8 = ₹11,68,000 | 87,600 × ₹8 = ₹7,00,800 |
| Exported | None | 58,400 × ₹2.34 = ₹1,36,656 |
| Yearly value | ₹11,68,000 | ₹8,37,456 |
| Payback on ₹27 lakh | about 2.3 years | about 3.2 years |
Same panels, a year longer to pay back. Before sizing, pull 12 months of common-area bills and look at daytime load.
The PANEL check (our framework)
- Permission. General body resolution under your bye-laws; the terrace is a common area.
- Arrangement. Net, virtual or group net metering, or behind the meter?
- Numbers. 12 months of bills, daytime load, payback with a realistic self-use share.
- Eligibility. Subsidy only on a connection used exclusively for common facilities.
- Load and roof. Sanctioned load, terrace waterproofing and structure, space for tanks and maintenance access.
Checklist for the association
- 12 months of common-area BESCOM bills analysed
- Sanctioned load checked against planned plant size
- General body resolution passed
- Structural and waterproofing check of the terrace
- PM Surya Ghar registration, then BESCOM DSPV application
- Three vendor quotes, with module type (domestic cells or not) stated
- Inverter and panel warranties, and an annual maintenance contract
Buying into a complex that already has solar? Ask for the PPA, the meter details and a year of bills, alongside our site visit checklist and pre-token checklist. Our guides to the first 90 days, water and STPs, the occupancy certificate and full costs cover the rest. Associations taking over can also use our answers on handover and STP checks.
Related reading on this site: STP and borewell checks, BESCOM power for a new flat, and what an association should take over.
Frequently asked questions
Can an apartment association use BESCOM net metering?
Yes. Under KERC's 2026 regulations, all consumer categories can use net metering, from 1 kW up to the sanctioned load or 1,000 kW, whichever is lower. Apartments usually connect the plant to the common-area meter.
What is virtual net metering for apartments?
The whole solar output is exported and the credits are split among participating connections by declared percentages. KERC's 2026 rules allow it for apartments' common areas and individual residents, with a 5 kW minimum.
How much subsidy can an RWA get for rooftop solar?
Under PM Surya Ghar, ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, up to 500 kW at 3 kW per house. The limit includes residents' own rooftop plants, and the connection must serve common facilities only.
How much does BESCOM pay for exported solar units?
For plants commissioned from 25 August 2026, KERC set ₹3.11 a unit with domestic cells and ₹2.34 without, outside the domestic 1–10 kW slab. Virtual and group net metering get 75% of those rates.
How do we apply?
Register on the national PM Surya Ghar portal, then apply on BESCOM's DSPV portal. Pass a general body resolution and get vendor quotes and a terrace check before you apply.
What is the PANEL check?
It's our five-step plan for apartment solar: permission from the general body, the metering arrangement, the payback numbers, subsidy eligibility, and the load and roof checks.
Talk it through with acre&key
If you're comparing complexes and want to know whether common-area costs are under control, we can go through the bills and set-up with you. Book a consultation with acre&key.
References
Checked 19 Oct 2026.
- KERC (Grid Interactive Distributed Solar Photovoltaic (DSPV) Plants) Regulations 2026, cl. 4 (BESCOM copy): https://srtpv.bescom.org/document/KERC%20(Grid%20Interactive%20Distributed%20Solar%20Photovoltaic%20(DSPV)%20Plants)%20Regulations,%202026.pdf
- KERC tariff order for DSPV plants from 25 Aug 2026 (BESCOM copy): https://srtpv.bescom.org/SRTPV/document/KERC%20Tariff%20Order%20from%2025.08.2026.pdf
- BESCOM, common SOP for virtual and group net metering, 12 May 2026: https://srtpv.bescom.org/SRTPV/document/Common%20SOP%20VNM_GNM%2012.05.2026.pdf
- BESCOM DSPV portal: https://srtpv.bescom.org/SRTPV/
- PIB, PM Surya Ghar central financial assistance: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2042620