A 3 kW rooftop solar system in Delhi NCR costs roughly Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 2.2 lakh before subsidy, which works out to around Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per kW installed. After the central PM Surya Ghar subsidy of Rs 78,000, most homeowners pay between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.4 lakh out of pocket. If you live in Delhi or in Noida and Ghaziabad, a state top-up can bring that down by another Rs 30,000. That is the short answer. The rest of this guide explains what sits inside that number, so you can tell a fair quote from a padded one. What you are actually paying for. Roughly half the cost is the panels themselves. Current standard modules are 550W to 590W monocrystalline PERC, so a 3 kW system is typically five or six panels. The inverter is the next big line item, usually 15 to 20 per cent of the total. The rest is mounting structure, DC and AC cabling, earthing, protection devices, labour and the paperwork your installer files with the DISCOM. Structure cost rises if your roof needs elevated mounting to clear a water tank or parapet shadow. Why quotes vary so much. Two quotes for the same 3 kW can differ by Rs 40,000 and both be honest. Panel brand and warranty terms matter. Inverter quality matters more than most buyers realise, because it is the component most likely to need replacement around year ten to twelve. Mounting height and roof access change labour cost. And some quotes quietly exclude net-metering liaison work or the DISCOM application, which you then pay for separately. The subsidy maths. The central subsidy is fixed and capacity-based, not a percentage. You get Rs 30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, plus Rs 18,000 for the third kW. That caps at Rs 78,000 for any system of 3 kW or larger. A 5 kW system receives exactly the same Rs 78,000 as a 3 kW one, which is why 3 kW is the sweet spot for most households. The subsidy is calculated on the pre-GST price, and it reaches you by direct bank transfer roughly 30 to 45 days after your DISCOM inspects and commissions the system. State top-ups by city. This is where NCR gets confusing, because your three neighbouring cities sit in three different states. Delhi adds its own subsidy of about Rs 30,000 for 3 kW systems, taking the total to around Rs 1.08 lakh. Uttar Pradesh, through UPNEDA, offers roughly Rs 15,000 per kW capped near Rs 30,000, which applies in Noida and Ghaziabad and again totals about Rs 1.08 lakh. Haryana, covering Faridabad and Gurugram, is less clear cut. Some sources list a state top-up and others say the central subsidy is all that is available. Ask your DISCOM directly, either UHBVN or DHBVN depending on your area, before you assume a Haryana top-up exists. What is not covered. Batteries are not subsidised at all. If you want backup during power cuts you are looking at a separate Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh for a 5 to 10 kWh battery, entirely out of pocket. Off-grid systems are explicitly excluded from the scheme, so the installation has to be grid-connected with net metering to qualify. And the subsidy is once per connection, so adding capacity later at the same address usually will not qualify a second time. Two conditions that catch people out. Your installer must be registered on the PM Surya Ghar national portal. Buying panels from a local shop and arranging your own installation means zero subsidy, no matter how good the workmanship. The panels also need to meet domestic content requirements, so confirm the modules your installer is quoting are DCR-compliant before you sign anything. What it saves you. A 3 kW system in Delhi NCR generates somewhere around 350 to 400 units a month across the year, which for most households on a Rs 8 per unit tariff means roughly Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,200 off the monthly bill. Payback after subsidy typically lands between three and five years. Panels carry 25-year performance warranties, so the remaining two decades are effectively free electricity, minus one inverter replacement and occasional cleaning. Before you call anyone, run our rooftop solar calculator. It sizes the system from your actual bill and tariff and shows the subsidy, net cost and payback for your own numbers. Walking into a sales conversation already knowing roughly what you need is the single best protection against being oversold.
Related reading
Last updated 24 July 2026 · Reviewed by the RenSetu team