Solar Calculator Tamil Nadu 2026

Rooftop solar in Tamil Nadu: TANGEDCO metering and savings

Tamil Nadu is one of India's sunniest and most solar-mature states, and its distribution utility TANGEDCO (now operating through TNPDCL) has run a residential rooftop programme for years. Households in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tirunelveli typically see strong year-round generation, which makes a well-sized system pay back quickly. Use our India solar calculator or the state default here to model your own numbers.

How TANGEDCO bills your solar

Residential prosumers in Tamil Nadu can choose between two arrangements. Under net metering, a bidirectional meter nets your exports against your imports at the same retail slab rate, so exported units directly cut your bill. Under the alternative net feed-in mechanism, imports are billed at the normal domestic tariff while exported surplus is paid a separate, lower feed-in rate (older cohorts were fixed near ₹2.28 per unit for the plant life). Net metering is generally the more consumer-friendly option, and domestic consumers on net feed-in have had the option to migrate. TANGEDCO also usually installs a separate solar generation meter alongside the net meter.

• DISCOM: TANGEDCO / TNPDCL, statewide
• Typical domestic tariff: roughly ₹6 to ₹8 per unit on higher slabs
• Generation: about 4.2 to 4.5 units per kW per day across most districts

PM Surya Ghar subsidy in Tamil Nadu

The national PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana applies here with no confirmed extra state top-up at present, so budget on the central figures alone. It pays ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, an extra ₹18,000 for the 3rd kW, and is capped at ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above. Residential systems up to 10 kW qualify, the subsidy is paid by direct benefit transfer to your bank account after commissioning and inspection, and a collateral-free loan near 7 percent is available. Confirm current terms on the national portal and with TEDA before ordering.

A quick Tamil Nadu example

A 3 kW rooftop system generating about 4.3 units per kW per day yields roughly 13 units a day, or around 390 units a month. At about ₹7 per unit that is close to ₹2,700 of monthly value where generation offsets consumption. After the ₹78,000 subsidy a typical 3 kW install often nets down to a payback in the region of three to four years, though your slab, exports and quotes will move the figure. Refine it with our on-grid solar calculator, size the array using the system size calculator, check monthly value on the savings calculator, and plan financing with the solar loan EMI 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

Both. Residential consumers can opt for net metering, where exports offset imports at the retail rate, or a net feed-in arrangement that pays a separate lower rate for exported units. Net metering is usually cheaper for households, and net feed-in consumers have had the option to migrate.

No additional state cash subsidy is confirmed at present. You get the central PM Surya Ghar benefit of up to ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. Check TEDA and the national portal for any newer incentive before you buy.

Expect roughly 4.2 to 4.5 units per kW per day, so a 3 kW system produces about 12 to 14 units daily, or around 370 to 430 units a month depending on district, season, shading and orientation.

It is paid by direct benefit transfer into your bank account after the system is installed, inspected and commissioned by TANGEDCO. A collateral-free loan at around 7 percent is also available to cover the balance cost.