Solar Calculator Andaman & Nicobar 2026
Estimate cost, PM Surya Ghar subsidy and savings for an island home, with net metering and diesel-displacing solar-plus-storage in view.
1 Your electricity
Enter your 6-digit PIN to auto-fill your district's average daily generation from NASA satellite data. You can always edit it below.
Indian residential tariffs typically run ₹6–₹9 per unit and rise every year. Check a recent bill for your exact slab rate.
2 Cost & generation
A complete on-grid setup (panels, inverter, structure, wiring, installation) runs about ₹50,000–₹60,000 per kW in 2026. Tier-1 brands (Tata, Adani, Waaree) cost a little more.
Most of India gets about 4 units (kWh) per kW per day on average; sunnier states (Rajasthan, Gujarat) can reach 4.5–5.
3 Subsidy & state top-up
Central subsidy (special-category rate): ₹33,000/kW up to 2 kW, +₹19,800 for the 3rd kW, capped at ₹85,800 for any system 3 kW and above (residential, up to 10 kW). As of May 2026 (per MNRE). Always confirm current rates at pmsuryaghar.gov.in before applying.
Some states add their own subsidy on top of the central one (e.g. Gujarat has offered ₹10,000/kW). Enter your state's per-kW top-up if any — leave 0 if unsure. Verify with your DISCOM.
4 How you'll pay
Indicative estimates only. Subsidy rules and tariffs change by government notification and vary by state/DISCOM. Assumes a gradual annual tariff rise and panel degradation. Confirm current PM Surya Ghar rates and get installer quotes before purchasing.
How PM Surya Ghar subsidy is calculated
• Up to 2 kW:
₹33,000 per kW (1 kW = ₹33,000; 2 kW = ₹66,000)• 3rd kW:
+₹19,800 (so 3 kW = ₹85,800)• 3 kW and above: capped at
₹85,800 (no extra above 3 kW; residential eligibility up to 10 kW)Net cost =
system cost − central subsidy − state top-up. Annual savings = annual units generated × tariff (capped at your usage). Payback = net cost ÷ annual savings; the free-electricity date is today plus the payback period. Source: Ministry of New & Renewable Energy / pmsuryaghar.gov.in — verify current values before applying.
Rooftop solar in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands: department, net metering and diesel
Electricity across the Andaman & Nicobar Islands is supplied by the A&N Electricity Department, with tariffs set by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for the union territories. The islands are a special-category UT and lean heavily on imported diesel for generation, which makes the real cost of supply far higher than mainland grids, a key reason rooftop solar, and increasingly solar-plus-storage, is so valuable here. As a special-category UT under MNRE's PM Surya Ghar guidelines, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands get the higher central rate: ₹33,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹19,800 for the third kW, so ₹85,800 for 3 kW and above (the general rate elsewhere is ₹85,800).
Net metering and solar incentives
The department supports net metering for grid-connected rooftop systems, and JERC has actively rewarded solar adoption. In one order, residential rooftop-solar consumers in a defined consumption band saw their energy charge cut sharply, reported as roughly ₹2.05 per unit against about ₹5 without solar, provided the install met a minimum size relative to connected load or roof area. Because such incentives change with each tariff order, confirm the current terms with the department first. Start with the on-grid solar calculator or the wider India solar calculator.
Tariffs, sunshine and savings
Domestic tariffs are telescopic: heavily subsidised at low consumption but climbing toward ₹6 to ₹7 per unit for larger households above 200 to 500 units a month. We use about ₹6 per unit as a representative marginal rate. The humid, cloud-prone island climate gives roughly 4.0 to 4.4 peak sun hours a day, so we assume about 4.1 units per kW daily, near 1,490 units a year per kW. Check your numbers with the solar savings calculator.
Why storage matters here
Because grid power leans on diesel and outages are more common than on the mainland, pairing panels with a battery can displace costly generator running and improve reliability. Compare options with the battery bank calculator and the generator vs battery calculator.
How PM Surya Ghar applies
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana still applies here: ₹33,000 per kW up to 2 kW, an added ₹19,800 for the third kW, and a cap of ₹85,800 for 3 kW and larger, for residential capacity up to 10 kW, paid by Direct Benefit Transfer after commissioning, with roughly 7 percent collateral-free loans available. We keep the state top-up at zero, since no confirmed per-kW island capital grant sits above the central scheme.
Worked example
A 3 kW system might generate about 4,500 units a year. For an upper-slab household at ₹6 per unit, that offsets close to ₹27,000 annually, and with up to ₹85,800 of central subsidy the upfront cost falls sharply. Actual savings depend on which slab you sit in and the live solar tariff. Treat all figures as indicative and confirm with the A&N Electricity Department.
Solar generation in Andaman & Nicobar, month by month
From PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre), ERA5 solar data 2005-2023: a 1 kW grid-tied system at the best fixed angle with 14% system losses. Figures are the average of Port Blair, Car Nicobar, Diglipur. The calculator above uses 4.1 units per kW per day as its default.
| Month | units per kW per day | 3 kW system, units in the month |
|---|---|---|
| January | 4.5 | 420 |
| February | 5.0 | 427 |
| March | 5.1 | 470 |
| April | 4.6 | 418 |
| May | 3.7 | 344 |
| June | 3.3 | 300 |
| July | 3.4 | 317 |
| August | 3.6 | 339 |
| September | 3.5 | 317 |
| October | 3.9 | 366 |
| November | 4.0 | 363 |
| December | 4.1 | 384 |
Solar output by city
| City | units/kW/day | units/kW/year | 3 kW, units/year | Best tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car Nicobar | 4.1 | 1,500 | 4,501 | 10° |
| Port Blair | 4.1 | 1,484 | 4,453 | 15° |
| Diglipur | 4.1 | 1,480 | 4,441 | 18° |
What each system size produces in Andaman & Nicobar
| System | units per day | units per month | units per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | 4.1 | 124 | 1,488 |
| 2 kW | 8.2 | 248 | 2,977 |
| 3 kW | 12.2 | 372 | 4,465 |
| 5 kW | 20.4 | 620 | 7,442 |
| 10 kW | 40.8 | 1,240 | 14,883 |
How Andaman & Nicobar compares
Andaman & Nicobar ranks #21 of 36 states and union territories for output per kW: 1,488 units a year, 0% below the middle state (1,495). The range runs from 1,150 in Sikkim to 1,939 in Ladakh — see the full state ranking.
Solar calculators for nearby states & UTs
Compare subsidy, tariff and net-metering figures with the neighbouring states, or see all 36 in the India states directory and the national India solar calculator.
Frequently asked questions
The A&N Electricity Department supplies electricity across the islands and supports net metering for rooftop solar, with tariffs regulated by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC). Confirm the current metering and settlement rules with the department before you install.
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a special-category UT that relies heavily on imported diesel for generation, so the real cost of supply is high. Rooftop solar, and increasingly solar with battery storage, directly displaces diesel and can improve reliability. As a special-category UT under MNRE's PM Surya Ghar guidelines, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands get the higher central rate: ₹33,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹19,800 for the third kW, so ₹85,800 for 3 kW and above (the general rate elsewhere is ₹85,800).
JERC has rewarded solar consumers in the past, with one order cutting the energy charge to roughly ₹2.05 per unit for qualifying rooftop-solar homes in a defined slab against about ₹5 without solar. These terms change with each tariff order, so confirm the live rate before sizing your system.
The special-category rate applies: ₹33,000 per kW up to 2 kW, an added ₹19,800 for the third kW, capped at ₹85,800 for 3 kW and above, up to 10 kW residential, paid by Direct Benefit Transfer after commissioning. We keep the state top-up at zero as no confirmed per-kW island capital grant sits on top.
About 12 units a day or 4,465 units a year on average, from about 10.0 a day in June to 15.2 a day in March, according to PVGIS data for panels at the best fixed angle. Shading, dust and orientation change the result.
Learn more
Sources & standards
Subsidy, tariff and net-metering figures for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands come from the national rooftop scheme and the union territory’s own power department and regulator — confirm current terms with them before you commit.
- PVGIS 5.3 — Photovoltaic Geographical Information System — European Commission, Joint Research Centre
Monthly and annual output per kW for Port Blair, Car Nicobar, Diglipur (ERA5, 2005-2023; 14% losses, optimal fixed angle). Retrieved 2026-11-09. - PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana — Government of India
Source for the ₹33,000–₹85,800/kW residential subsidy this calculator applies. - Ministry of New and Renewable Energy — MNRE
The national ministry overseeing rooftop solar policy and special-category UT provisions referenced in this article. - Net metering — A&N Electricity Department — Andaman & Nicobar Administration
The local utility page for how rooftop exports are metered and credited on the islands. - Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for Goa and Union Territories (JERC) — JERC
The regulator that sets net-metering and tariff orders for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, including the energy-charge concessions this article describes.