Solar Calculator West Bengal 2026
Work out panel size, PM Surya Ghar subsidy and monthly savings for your home under WBSEDCL or CESC.
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: ₹30,000/kW up to 2 kW, +₹18,000 for the 3rd kW, capped at ₹78,000 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:
₹30,000 per kW (1 kW = ₹30,000; 2 kW = ₹60,000)• 3rd kW:
+₹18,000 (so 3 kW = ₹78,000)• 3 kW and above: capped at
₹78,000 (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 West Bengal
Most of West Bengal is supplied by WBSEDCL, the state utility, while Kolkata and its immediate suburbs are served by the private licensee CESC. The two publish separate tariff schedules, but both operate under WBERC rooftop-solar regulations, so the broad economics are similar.
Net billing rather than classic net metering
WBERC has framed its rooftop rules around net billing and gross metering with feed-in tariffs, rather than a simple spin-backwards net meter. In practice this means the units you consume directly from your panels save the full retail rate, while surplus you export is paid at a lower notified feed-in tariff. That makes self-consumption the most valuable, so sizing the array to match daytime load matters more here than in classic net-metering states.
Tariffs and sunshine
WBSEDCL and CESC domestic slabs climb steeply, and a typical mid-to-high usage household effectively pays in the region of Rs 7.5 per unit. The state sits in the humid east, so generation averages about 4.1 units per kW per day, solid but trimmed by monsoon cloud and coastal haze. A 3 kW array makes roughly 4,500 units a year. Match a size to your bill with the system size calculator and cross-check output on the on-grid calculator.
How PM Surya Ghar applies
The central subsidy is unchanged across states: Rs 30,000 per kW to 2 kW, plus Rs 18,000 for the third kW, capped at Rs 78,000 for 3 kW and above, paid by DBT after commissioning, with a roughly 7 percent collateral-free loan up to Rs 2 lakh.
- Up to 2 kW: Rs 30,000 per kW
- 3 kW and above: Rs 78,000 total
Worked example
Picture a 3 kW rooftop in Kolkata under CESC or WBSEDCL. At about 4.1 units per kW it yields near 4,500 units a year. If most is self-consumed at roughly Rs 7.5 per unit, that is close to Rs 34,000 saved annually, with exported surplus adding a smaller feed-in credit on top. After the Rs 78,000 subsidy, payback is usually a handful of years. Estimate the finance with the loan EMI calculator and lifetime returns with the savings calculator.
WBERC feed-in tariffs and slab rates are reviewed periodically, so use these figures as a guide and confirm the current order for your DISCOM before installing.
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
WBERC has moved rooftop prosumers to net billing and gross metering with feed-in tariffs, so self-consumed units save the retail rate while exports earn a lower notified rate.
CESC serves Kolkata and its suburbs, while WBSEDCL covers the rest of the state; both apply WBERC rules and the PM Surya Ghar portal.
Not as a per-kW capital grant at present; residents claim the central PM Surya Ghar amount of up to Rs 78,000 for a 3 kW system.
Around 4.1 units a day on average, about 1,500 units a year, lower in the monsoon and higher in the dry winter months.
Sources & standards
West Bengal's net-billing structure differs from classic net metering — these are the primary sources behind the feed-in and subsidy figures used above.
- PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana — Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Source for the central subsidy slabs (capped at ₹78,000 for 3 kW+) used in this calculator's worked example. - Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Programme — Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
National eligibility and capacity rules for residential rooftop systems referenced above. - West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) — Government of West Bengal
Regulator behind the net-billing and gross-metering feed-in tariff framework described above, which both WBSEDCL and CESC follow. - Department of Power, Government of West Bengal — Government of West Bengal
State department overseeing WBSEDCL and CESC, the two utilities whose tariff schedules this page's savings figures are based on.