Solar Calculator Karnataka 2026

Rooftop solar in Karnataka: DSPV, net metering and DISCOM billing

Karnataka pairs high solar irradiance with one of the country's more progressive rooftop frameworks. Its Distributed Solar Photovoltaic (DSPV) policy was overhauled to add flexible metering, and the state is served by five distribution companies. Model your own case with our India solar calculator and the Karnataka defaults built into this page.

Karnataka DISCOMs and how they bill solar

Five utilities cover the state: BESCOM (Bengaluru), MESCOM (Mangaluru), HESCOM (Hubli), GESCOM (Kalaburagi) and CESC (Mysuru). For domestic rooftop systems the standard route is net metering, where a bidirectional meter nets exports against imports at your retail slab rate. The DSPV reforms also introduced Virtual Net Metering and Group Net Metering, letting housing societies or a single owner share one plant across connections, and they removed the power purchase agreement requirement for low-tension domestic consumers. Surplus beyond your consumption is typically settled at a KERC-set rate rather than the full retail tariff.

• DISCOMs: BESCOM, MESCOM, HESCOM, GESCOM, CESC
• Typical domestic tariff: roughly ₹7 to ₹8.35 per unit on mid and upper slabs
• Generation: about 4.4 to 4.8 units per kW per day

PM Surya Ghar subsidy in Karnataka

The central PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the main incentive, with no confirmed additional Karnataka cash top-up right now. It provides ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, a further ₹18,000 for the 3rd kW, and caps at ₹78,000 for 3 kW and larger. Residential systems up to 10 kW are eligible, the money arrives by direct benefit transfer after your DISCOM commissions the plant, and a collateral-free loan near 7 percent is on offer. Note that the state's free-units schemes can lower the bill you are offsetting, which affects payback, so run realistic numbers.

A quick Karnataka example

A 3 kW system at about 4.6 units per kW per day makes close to 14 units daily, or roughly 410 units a month. At an effective ₹8 per unit on the upper slabs that is around ₹3,200 of monthly value where solar displaces grid use, though households on heavily subsidised or free units will save less in cash terms. After the ₹78,000 subsidy, many Bengaluru installs land in a three to four year payback range. Fine-tune the array on the system size calculator, test savings on the savings calculator, plan an EMI with the solar loan EMI calculator, or add storage using the battery bank calculator.

Solar calculators for other Indian states & UTs

Pick your state or union territory for localized subsidy, tariff and net-metering figures — or open the full India states directory or the national India solar calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Five utilities cover the state: BESCOM for Bengaluru, MESCOM for the coastal Mangaluru zone, HESCOM in the northwest, GESCOM in the northeast, and CESC for Mysuru. You apply through the DISCOM serving your address, usually via the online SRTPV or DSPV portal.

No separate state cash subsidy is confirmed at present. Homeowners rely on the central PM Surya Ghar scheme of up to ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. Always verify current terms with your DISCOM and the national portal before ordering.

Domestic systems generally use net metering. The DSPV reforms added Virtual Net Metering and Group Net Metering so societies or a single owner can share one plant across connections, and they scrapped the PPA requirement for low-tension domestic consumers up to the notified limit.

They can. If a large share of your consumption is already free or heavily subsidised, solar displaces fewer paid units, so the cash savings and payback stretch out. Model your actual billed units rather than gross consumption for a realistic result.