Bengaluru, May 20 (IANS) Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department, Gaurav Gupta, on Wednesday, flagged off a statewide LED mobile van awareness campaign at the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company corporate office to promote the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and encourage the installation of rooftop solar systems across the state.

The initiative has been launched as part of the “Month of Solar – May 2026” campaign and aims to raise awareness of rooftop solar energy systems, subsidies, registration procedures, and the long-term savings available under the Central government scheme.

Speaking on the occasion, Gaurav Gupta said the 15-day awareness campaign would be conducted in major cities, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, through LED-equipped mobile vans.

He said the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was implementing the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana nationwide to encourage domestic consumers to adopt rooftop solar power systems.

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, the nodal agency for Karnataka, has been entrusted with awareness activities, implementation, and monitoring of the scheme across all Electricity Supply Company jurisdictions in the state.

According to Gupta, Karnataka has so far installed 19,293 rooftop solar systems under the scheme, generating a total installed capacity of 77.5 MW.

Within Bangalore Electricity Supply Company limits alone, 7,992 solar systems with a combined capacity of 35.57 MW have been commissioned.

He said the scheme offers significant long-term financial and environmental benefits to consumers.

“Consumers can export surplus electricity generated from rooftop solar systems to the power grid and receive payments from Electricity Supply Companies for the additional units supplied. The awareness campaign is aimed at educating the public about these benefits,” he said.

The mobile vans will display videos, animations, beneficiary testimonials, and informational content in Kannada and English through LED screens to improve public understanding of the scheme and increase participation.

Under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, domestic consumers are eligible for subsidies of Rs 30,000 for a 1 kW rooftop solar system, Rs 60,000 for a 2 kW system, and up to Rs 78,000 for systems with a capacity above 3 kW.

Officials said the scheme can help consumers reduce electricity bills for up to 25 years while also generating additional household income by selling surplus power to Electricity Supply Companies.

Maintenance costs of rooftop solar systems are also minimal.

Consumers can apply for rooftop solar installations through the official Ministry of New and Renewable Energy portal, while Bangalore Electricity Supply Company has also set up a dedicated solar helpline for assistance.

Energy Minister K.J. George said the environmentally friendly Surya Ghar scheme would promote sustainability while reducing household electricity expenses.

“Urban residents are showing increasing interest in the scheme and availing subsidy benefits. Our objective is to ensure that more people benefit from it,” he said.

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Managing Director in-charge Vaishali M.L., Technical Director Ramesh H.J., Chief General Manager (Projects) Syed Manzoor Hussain, General Manager (Demand Side Management) Uma H.M., and other senior officials were present at the event.

–IANS

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