Solar Calculator Sikkim 2026

Rooftop solar in Sikkim: the Energy and Power Department and hill-state rules

In Sikkim electricity is supplied directly by the state Energy and Power Department (EPD) rather than a private DISCOM. The department issues connections, installs meters and processes rooftop net-metering requests, including those that come through the PM Surya Ghar portal, so a solar application here runs through a single government channel.

Net metering and tariffs

Under net metering the solar units you export are netted against the units you import, and you are billed on the balance. Sikkim's domestic tariffs are gentle, running from about 1 rupee per unit on the lowest slab up to roughly 4 rupees at the top, with no electricity duty added. We use a representative figure near 3.5 rupees per unit; your effective rate depends on how many units you use each month.

• Supplier: the Sikkim Energy and Power Department, not a private DISCOM.
• Net metering credits exports against imports on your bill.
• Low domestic slabs, so size the array to your own daytime load.

Hilly, cloudy sunshine

Sikkim is a Himalayan state with deep valleys, frequent cloud and a long, wet monsoon, so it gets less usable sun than the plains. Shading from ridges and mist matters too. We use a conservative yield of about 3.2 units per kW per day as an annual average, which already reflects those cloudy stretches. Plan on the full-year figure and check your roof orientation carefully. Try different sizes on our system size calculator and the on-grid solar calculator.

PM Surya Ghar, plus a special-category note

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana pays 33,000 rupees per kW for the first 2 kW, adds ₹19,800 for the third kW, and caps at 85,800 rupees for 3 kW and above, up to 10 kW for a home, paid by bank transfer after commissioning, with collateral-free loans near 7 percent. As a special-category state under MNRE's PM Surya Ghar guidelines, Sikkim gets 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).

A quick worked example

Take a 3 kW system near Gangtok. At about 3.2 units per kW per day it makes near 10 units a day, close to 290 units a month averaged over the year. At around 3.5 rupees a unit that is roughly 1,260 rupees of value a month, near 15,000 rupees a year, before cloudy-month dips. After the 85,800 rupee subsidy the net cost is modest. Check repayments on the solar loan EMI calculator and start from the India solar calculator.

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 state Energy and Power Department supplies power directly instead of a private DISCOM. It handles your connection, meter and net-metering approval, including rooftop solar applications filed through the PM Surya Ghar portal.

It gets less than the plains because of hills, cloud and a long monsoon, so we use a conservative annual yield of about 3.2 units per kW per day. Solar still works, but plan on that full-year average and watch for ridge and tree shading on your roof.

Possibly. As a special-category state under MNRE's PM Surya Ghar guidelines, Sikkim gets 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).

The special-category amount is ₹33,000 per kW up to 2 kW, plus ₹19,800 for the third kW, capped at 85,800 rupees for 3 kW and above, up to 10 kW, paid by bank transfer after commissioning, with collateral-free loans near 7 percent available.

About 9 units a day or 3,451 units a year on average, from about 6.3 a day in July to 11.7 a day in April, according to PVGIS data for panels at the best fixed angle. Shading, dust and orientation change the result.