Solar for shops and small businesses
The short answer
Shops and small businesses are solar's best customers: commercial tariffs of ₹8–12 per unit are 1.5–2× domestic rates, so the same system saves twice as much. The catch — the PM Surya Ghar subsidy is residential-only, so businesses install at full price with paybacks of 3–4 years anyway.
- recommended size
- 5 kW
- recommended size
- net cost after subsidy
- ₹2,12,000
- net cost after subsidy
- generated per month
- 590 units
- generated per month
- typical payback
- 5 yrs
- typical payback
Why 5 kW: because shop loads (cooling, lighting, refrigeration, billing systems) run 8–12 hours daily, consuming 600+ units a month where every unit saved is worth ₹8–12.
What it runs: cooling, display and shopfloor lighting, refrigeration, billing/computer systems and signage — running through business hours exactly when solar peaks.
Roof needed: roughly 450–500 sq ft of shadow-free space.
Worth knowing: No residential subsidy for commercial connections — but faster payback offsets it. Business solar also gets depreciation benefits (accelerated depreciation under the Income Tax Act) that homes don't. Get a CA's read before filing.
Subsidy: ₹78,000 under PM Surya Ghar (₹30,000/kW up to 2 kW, capped at ₹78,000 for 3 kW+, residential connections only) — credited after your DISCOM commissions the system.
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Open the calculatorFAQ
Why is solar better for shops than homes if there's no subsidy?
Tariff. A shop saving a unit earns ₹8–12; a home saves ₹5–8. Double the value per unit, running 8–12 hours a day exactly when panels peak — payback is faster than residential despite the missing subsidy.
Can a shop with a residential-style connection get the subsidy?
Only if the connection is genuinely domestic (CI category). Shops on commercial tariffs don't qualify for PM Surya Ghar — the scheme is residential by definition.
What are the exact numbers for MY bill and MY state?
These figures use the national-average tariff. Your state's tariff and generation numbers — and your exact bill — are on the calculator and your state's page. The maths is identical; only the local rates change.
City-level numbers
Tariffs vary by state — these pages carry your local DISCOM rates and exact cost tables: