Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) organised an event titled ‘Multi-stakeholder Discussion on Rooftop Solar PV Systems in the Retail Market’ on August 14th, 2025. The aim of the event was to make rooftop solar accessible and attractive to a wide range of consumers, with a focus on influencing the retail sector — a critical part of the economy where rooftop solar adoption could have a positive impact.
The event began with the registration of 35 participants, including representatives from the retail sectors, solar installers, and consumers. Mr. K. Vishnu Mohan Rao, Programme Lead of the Electricity Governance Team, welcomed the gathering and introduced the CAG team to the participants.
Mrs. S. Saroja, Executive Director of CAG, introduced the organization and gave an overview of the activities carried out by the CAG team under various verticals such as consumer protection, environment and climate change, solid waste management, sustainable transportation, and electricity governance.
Mr. K. Vishnu Mohan Rao briefed the audience about the rooftop solar project. Under this initiative, CAG had conducted 25 rooftop solar awareness programs across Chennai. Over 1,000 people had attended, including retired government staff, IT employees, local body representatives, working women, resident welfare associations, clubs, self-help groups, and church gatherings. Based on the experience from these awareness programs, CAG understood that stakeholders who are interested in installing rooftop solar faced significant challenges. First, there was a lack of awareness on rooftop solar products as consumers were unable to find the information they needed. These are not available by visiting a supermarket or electronic showroom. Recommendations and referrals (often through developers) appear to be how households make decisions on installing rooftop solar panels. However, developers generally offered limited choices in terms of quality and cost, which restricted options for consumers. This is a more inaccessible system, compared to seeing products side by side in a showroom where consumers can compare products side by side, touch and feel them, or get detailed information from a salesperson. The workshop therefore sought to brainstorm ways in which rooftop solar solutions could be made widely available through retail outlets, and to discuss the challenges involved. The meeting also aimed to encourage a multi-stakeholder discussion on rooftop solar PV systems in the retail market.
Prof. R. Sethumathavan, Consultant at CAG, gave a presentation highlighting the status of rooftop solar uptake across different states in India. He emphasised the importance of retailers in promoting rooftop solar adoption. He listed the benefits such as easier marketing similar to electrical gadgets, financial payback, and reduction in CO2 emissions. He clarified that solar requires sunshine rather than direct sunlight for effective operation. He further explained the details of the PM Surya Ghar scheme, subsidy guidelines, financial benefits, and the corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions. He advised that the financial benefits are significant for households paying at least ₹2,000 bi-monthly electricity bills. He also pointed out that states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam lagged behind Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra in rooftop solar uptake due to differences in government policy support. He urged the role of retailers in enabling faster adoption. Although solar loans were available, the disbursement remains low due to various reasons, and he called on bankers to address this positively. He urged retailers to recognize the gap and potential for scaling up rooftop solar. He also highlighted the solar potential across various districts of Tamil Nadu, citing Tirupathur as the district with the highest solar potential. Finally, he also suggested retailers consider rooftop solar accessibility and display RTS systems in showrooms like other electrical products.
Prof. R. Sethumathavan, Consultant, spoke about the rooftop solar system
Mr. Geoffry Meredith, Regional Head of Redington Solar, stressed the importance of retailers reaching out to low-capacity domestic consumers, in addition to large-scale solar systems, to maximise environmental benefits and subsidy utilization. He pointed out challenges such as the availability of specific solar PV components and transportation costs for balance of system components. He shared that Redington Solar planned to implement an all-in-one box concept to enhance consumer accessibility. Presently, Welsol solar kits were available in the market for 3 kW and 5 kW grid-connected systems, including panels, inverters, and balance of system components. However, for 1 kW to 3 kW systems, Redington Solar provides microinverters for plug-and-play use, eliminating the need for additional wiring components. The rooftop solar system was expandable according to future requirements. He also explained that microinverters contain separate maximum power tracking units to handle shading effects and faults in individual panels connected in series. Further, Mr. Meredith shared a case study demonstrating electricity bill savings for customers and underscored the success of rooftop solar systems.
Mr. Geoffry Meredith, Regional Head of Redington Solar, explained about microinverter
Ms. Susmita Vasta, Senior Manager at Canara Bank, TNPDCL office, explained the loan scheme available for rooftop solar systems up to 3 kW with a maximum loan of ₹2 lakh. She stated that the eligibility required a salary slip, electricity bill, vendor quotation, and a CIBIL score of 680 or above. She also mentioned that Canara Bank offers a 6% flat interest rate for loans up to ₹2 lakh, with a repayment tenure of 10 years. She added that applications could be made through the Jansamarth portal or directly at the bank. For loans up to ₹6 lakh, the interest rate is 9%, with a required minimum annual income criterion of ₹3 lakh. She also mentioned that although Canara Bank did not have a commercial tie-up with retailers for loans, it would be considered for applications from bulk retailers.
Ms. Susmita Vasta, Senior Manager at Canara Bank, briefed about financial loan
Mr. R.B. Senthil Kumar, Business Head – Solar at Darling Digital World, briefed about their solar business. He shared that their organization employees were encouraged to install rooftop solar in their homes to experience the financial and environmental benefits. Then, they were equipped in a position to help other customers make informed decisions. Further, he explained the difference between off-grid, on-grid, and hybrid systems and noted that the payback period would be about 4 to 5 years, after which it would result in pure savings. He encouraged all participants to consider adopting rooftop solar in their premises.
Mr. R.B. Senthil Kumar, Business Head – Solar at Darling Digital World
Question & Answer
Further information regarding showroom models was shared during the meeting, in response to questions from the audience. Even though no showroom models were available for rooftop solar, some businesses, for example, Redington Solar had a barcode-based system that allowed interested consumers to scan and submit the required details. After that, the concerned team members from Redington Solar would contact the customers. They also informed the audience that for low-capacity solar systems, such as 1 kW to 3 kW, microinverters were available, which could be expanded to higher capacity. The key advantage of microinverters was that they did not require any additional wiring. In addition, they mentioned that Redington Solar used online calculators to help consumers estimate the required capacity for their premises. Further, they noted that the sales staff at Redington Solar were regularly trained internally to stay updated on the technical information of rooftop solar systems.
Question & Answer Session
Conclusion
The multi-stakeholder discussion on rooftop solar PV systems, organised by CAG, highlighted the opportunities and challenges in promoting rooftop solar adoption in the retail sector. Key participants from vendor, finance and consumer groups emphasised the role of retailers in making rooftop solar more accessible. They also highlighted how retailers can make rooftop solar more attractive to diverse consumers. The presentations focused on the financial and environmental benefits. Innovative product offerings, such as expandable microinverter systems and tailored loan schemes,were presented as practical solutions. Overall, the event pointed out the importance of retailers in driving rooftop solar adoption.