Thu Jan 02 12:36:49 UTC 2025: ## Mangaluru: Solar Rooftop Scheme Promises Free Power, Economic Growth

**Mangaluru, January 2, 2025** – Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, lauded the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar scheme during a workshop in Mangaluru on Thursday. The scheme provides subsidies for installing solar rooftops, enabling households to generate their own electricity and potentially sell excess power back to the grid.

Joshi emphasized the scheme’s potential to provide households with free power for 40 years, the lifespan of a solar panel. He stated that an average household could comfortably consume 200 units of power monthly, and a 3KW solar rooftop system could produce 300 units per month, with excess power sold to the Electricity Supply Company (Escom), resulting in zero electricity bills. Subsidies range from ₹30,000 for a 1KW system to ₹78,000 for 3KW and above.

While acknowledging the government’s Gruha Jyothi scheme offering free power, Joshi highlighted the long-term benefits and sustainability of solar rooftops. He addressed concerns about the cost of free power, explaining that increased levies on industrial and bulk consumers would offset the subsidy.

The Minister also underscored the scheme’s role in India’s ambition to become the world’s third-largest economy, emphasizing the increasing demand for power and the government’s plan to generate 70 gigawatts of solar power, with 30 gigawatts targeted through PM Surya Ghar. The scheme has already seen 7.5 lakh installations in the past six months.

Beneficiaries shared positive experiences, with one reporting earning ₹50,000 annually from his 3KW system. Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta urged officials to promote the scheme’s benefits to villagers, highlighting its contribution to both economic growth and environmental protection.

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