PM Surya Ghar Application Process

The PM Surya Ghar portal has nine steps across two user roles, the consumer and the installer. Most installers know the customer-side flow vaguely but trip up on the installer-side submission: wrong photo format, missing serial numbers, or submitting before the DISCOM inspection is scheduled. One error at any step delays the project by 2–4 weeks.

This guide walks through every step in order, from the customer's first portal registration to the installer's commissioning report upload, with the exact documents and common errors to avoid.

The entire process runs through the PM Surya Ghar national portal, both consumer-facing and vendor-facing modules. The MNRE provides the technical guidelines, but the DISCOM (Distribution Company) is the operational gatekeeper at every approval step.

Before You Start, The Prerequisite Checklist

Before the customer registers on the portal, confirm these prerequisites are in place:

Steps 1–4, The Consumer Side

Your job during Steps 1–4 is to guide the customer through the portal, not do it for them. The customer must complete registration with their own Aadhaar OTP. You can sit beside them or share your screen to walk through.

Step 1, Consumer registration on the portal

The customer visits pmsuryaghar.gov.in and clicks "Apply for rooftop solar."

• Enter mobile number → receive OTP → create account
• Fill in: name, state, DISCOM name, electricity consumer number from the bill
• The portal validates the consumer number against the DISCOM's database, if the number is wrong, registration fails

Common errors:

• Consumer number entered with extra spaces or dashes, enter exactly as it appears on the bill
• Wrong DISCOM selected, in areas served by multiple DISCOMs (like Delhi or UP), check the bill header carefully

Step 2, Apply for net metering / feasibility

After registration, the customer submits an application for net metering feasibility approval.

• Select: rooftop solar application type
• Enter desired system capacity (kW)
• Upload: recent electricity bill (PDF or photo), ID proof (Aadhaar), property ownership proof

The DISCOM receives this application through the portal and assigns it to a technical officer. The officer checks whether the local feeder (transformer) has capacity for solar injection.

Step 3, DISCOM feasibility approval

This is the first wait period: 7–15 working days in most DISCOMs, up to 25 days in slower ones.

The DISCOM either:

• Grants a feasibility letter with the sanctioned capacity (e.g., "3 kW approved"), proceed to Step 4
• Requests additional documents (wiring diagram, site photo), customer submits and waits again
• Rejects (feeder overloaded), customer is notified; your project is blocked until feeder is upgraded

Step 4, Consumer selects installer

Once feasibility is approved, the consumer's portal dashboard shows a list of DISCOM-empanelled installers in their area. The customer selects you (or is advised by you to select your company).

This is why empanelment is critical: if you're not on this list, the customer cannot link you to their application.

Steps 5–7, The Installer Side

Once the customer selects you, the project appears in your vendor dashboard. Steps 5–7 are your responsibility.

Step 5, Complete the installation

Install the ALMM-listed system within the DISCOM-sanctioned capacity. Key rules:

• Do not exceed the sanctioned capacity from the feasibility letter
• Use exactly the modules and inverter models listed in your BOM submission, no mid-project substitutions
• Record each module's serial number and the inverter's serial number before mounting
• Take GPS-tagged photos: panels on roof (before wiring), complete system (after wiring), inverter installation, meter location

Step 6, Submit the installation report on the portal

Log into the vendor dashboard and submit:

• Module serial numbers (every panel)
• Inverter serial number
• GPS-tagged installation photos (4–8 photos minimum)
• Commissioning certificate (issued by your company)
• Single-line diagram of the system
• Customer's confirmation of installation completion (digital signature or OTP)

After submission, the portal notifies the DISCOM for inspection scheduling.

Common errors that cause rejection:

• Module serial numbers don't match the ALMM listing for that brand/model
• Photos without GPS coordinates (taken with location services off)
• Capacity installed exceeds the sanctioned capacity
• Missing single-line diagram
• Non-ALMM model installed (instant rejection)

Step 7, DISCOM inspection and net meter installation

The DISCOM schedules a technical officer visit. The officer:

• Physically verifies the installation matches the commissioning report
• Checks module model numbers against ALMM list
• Approves the connection for bi-directional flow
• Replaces the existing meter with a net meter

This inspection takes 15–30 days from commissioning report submission, depending on the DISCOM.

Step 8, Subsidy Disbursement (Consumer Action Required)

After DISCOM commissioning approval, the portal prompts the customer to submit bank account details for DBT. The customer must:

• Log into their portal account
• Confirm bank account number and IFSC linked to Aadhaar
• Submit the DBT request

The central subsidy (and any state top-up) arrives in the customer's Aadhaar-linked account within 30 days of this submission in most states.

The Full Timeline, By DISCOM Type

The Application Tracker, What Installers Should Monitor

Track these six status checkpoints in your project management system for every active PM Surya Ghar project:

1. M0

   Consumer registered + feasibility submitted

   Confirm portal registration is complete and feasibility application is submitted to DISCOM.

2. M1

   Feasibility approved, capacity confirmed

   Note the sanctioned kW. Do not procure or install more than this capacity.

3. M2

   Installation completed

   GPS photos taken, serial numbers recorded. Commissioning report ready to submit.

4. M3

   Commissioning report submitted on portal

   All documents uploaded. DISCOM notified. Inspection scheduled.

5. M4

   DISCOM inspection passed + net meter installed

   System is live on the grid. Customer can start generating and exporting power.

6. M5

   Subsidy DBT received by customer

   Follow up with customer to confirm receipt. Ask for referrals at peak satisfaction.

How QuickEstimate Tracks Every Active Application

Managing 10–20 active PM Surya Ghar applications simultaneously, each at a different milestone, with different DISCOM timelines, is where manual tracking breaks down completely.

• Pipeline Management, Create a PM Surya Ghar pipeline with stages mapped to M0–M5 above. See every project's current stage at a glance. Move projects between stages with one tap as milestones complete.
• WhatsApp Follow-up, Send automated status updates to customers at each milestone: "Your feasibility is approved, we're starting installation next week." Keeps customers informed without manual messages.
• Sales Reports, Track how many projects are stuck at each milestone. If 8 out of 15 active projects are stuck at M3 (commissioning report submitted), you have a DISCOM inspection bottleneck, and data to escalate it.

The complete PM Surya Ghar guide covers the full scheme context if you need a refresher on eligibility and subsidy slabs before walking customers through the application.

What to Do This Week, For Your EPC

1. Map your active PM Surya Ghar projects to the M0–M5 milestones. Identify which projects are stuck at which milestone and why. Unstick one stuck project per day this week.

2. Create a commissioning report checklist. List every required document for a clean portal submission: GPS photos, serial numbers, single-line diagram, commissioning certificate. Laminate it and put it in every installation kit.

3. Set a weekly reminder to check DISCOM inspection scheduling. The portal shows when inspections are scheduled. If a project has been at M3 for more than 20 days, follow up with the DISCOM officer, delayed inspections are the top cause of customer dissatisfaction.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the PM Surya Ghar portal application take?

The full process from consumer registration to subsidy disbursement takes 45–120 days depending on the DISCOM. Gujarat DISCOMs (DGVCL, UGVCL) typically complete in 35–52 days. Maharashtra (MSEDCL) averages 55–85 days. UP-based DISCOMs average 75–120 days. Delays usually occur at the feasibility approval step or the DISCOM inspection step.

Can I submit the PM Surya Ghar commissioning report on behalf of the customer?

No. The consumer must log into their portal account and complete the DBT bank account submission themselves. However, as the installer, you submit the commissioning report from your vendor account. The two submissions are linked to the same application, the consumer side and vendor side are separate portal modules.

What documents does the installer upload on the portal?

The installer uploads: GPS-tagged installation photos (minimum 4–8, with location metadata), individual module serial numbers, inverter serial number, a commissioning certificate, and a single-line system diagram. Some DISCOMs also require the BOM invoice showing ALMM-listed materials purchased.

What happens if the DISCOM inspection fails?

If the DISCOM inspector finds a discrepancy, wrong module model, wrong capacity, non-ALMM equipment, or missing wiring standard, the inspection is marked failed. You receive a rejection notice via the portal. You must correct the issue and resubmit for a new inspection. This restarts the 15–30 day inspection timeline.

Can the customer track the application status themselves?

Yes. The consumer's portal dashboard shows the current status of their application at every step, feasibility approval, installer assignment, installation verification, inspection, and subsidy disbursement. Train your customer to check this dashboard regularly and WhatsApp you when a new notification appears.