Net metering application checklist for rooftop solar in India

A net metering application can come back for a small reason, such as a name spelt differently from the electricity bill or a kW figure that changes between two documents. The MNRE guidelines for residential rooftop solar say a DISCOM may send an application back for corrections or reject it with a justification. This checklist covers what to match before you file, what to have ready on inspection day, how to follow the meter, and which parts change from one DISCOM to the next.

What the central rules fix and what each state decides

Three points come from the central government.

• Under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, a consumer may set up rooftop solar either alone or through a service provider. Rule 11 requires each distribution licensee to run an online portal for these applications. It must also publish the complete list of documents it needs and offer tracking by registration number.
• In December 2022 the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy told Parliament that the Rules allow net metering up to 500 kW or the sanctioned load, whichever is lower.
• The February 2024 amendments exempt systems up to 10 kW from the technical feasibility study. Above 10 kW the study has fifteen days, after which approval is deemed given. The DISCOM bears network strengthening for systems up to 5 kW. Its commissioning timeline fell from thirty days to fifteen.

The rest is local. State electricity regulatory commissions lay down the regulations for grid-interactive rooftop solar and its metering. The MNRE guidelines give a model net metering agreement and say the actual agreement may vary. They also say that until a commission or DISCOM puts the 10 kW exemption into practice, the consumer uploads feasibility documents wherever state regulations require them. Uttarakhand's regulator, for example, decided in 2024 to write the exemption into its own regulation.

Each DISCOM runs its own portal, forms and document list, so no general checklist can replace yours. Download your DISCOM's current list for a net metering application, date it and keep it on the file. Central and state rules both change, so confirm the current text before you quote a limit or a number of days to a customer.

Match every net metering application to the electricity bill

The paperwork is built around the bill. The national portal registration asks for the consumer number, mobile number and email. The MNRE model net metering agreement names the consumer, the premises address, the consumer number and the system size in kW. Treat the bill as the master document and make every other paper in the net metering application agree with it.

The capacity row matters most on subsidised residential files. MNRE pays the central assistance on the rated DC capacity of the modules, whatever the inverter size, so quote the module capacity the same way on every paper. The guidelines also tie a residential plant to one residential connection of the local DISCOM.

On load, the ministry's 2022 reply sets the net metering limit at 500 kW or the sanctioned load, whichever is lower. For plants up to 10 kW, Uttarakhand's regulator records the 2024 amendment as removing the need for any matching increase in the sanctioned load. Ask your DISCOM whether it wants one before you file.

Ownership proof and consent are DISCOM-specific. The Rules and MNRE guidelines cited here name no single national ownership or consent document. Ask your DISCOM for its written list. If the roof is shared or the consumer is a tenant, get the owner's or society's consent signed before you order material.

Technical papers: single line diagram, datasheets and test reports

The MNRE model vendor agreement for residential systems lists what the vendor hands over for upload. The list covers technical specifications, IEC and BIS reports, serial numbers, warranty cards for the panel and inverter, the layout and electrical single line diagram, the structure design and drawing, and cable details. It is a sample drawn up for the residential subsidy, and your DISCOM's own list governs your file. It still makes a sound starting set for any net metering application.

• Multiply the module count by the datasheet wattage. That DC figure should equal the one on the single line diagram and on the application. Check the inverter model and rating the same way.
• Match the serial numbers in the panel photos to the serial number list. The consumer uploads geo-tagged photographs with the system details, so take them on site with location switched on.
• Confirm the datasheet model is the model on the roof. The DISCOM checks the minimum technical specifications at inspection.
• On subsidised residential files, MNRE calls modules made in India from Indian cells an essential condition for the central subsidy. Keep whatever proof the portal asks for.

Inspection readiness and meter replacement tracking

On the national portal route for residential subsidy files, the consumer updates the system details and uploads the documents and geo-tagged photographs once the vendor finishes. The application then moves to the DISCOM. The DISCOM inspects the plant in person, signs the agreements with the consumer and runs a checklist-based inspection. It then approves the application, returns it for corrections or rejects it with a reason.

• The vendor attends. The model vendor agreement puts the vendor at the testing and commissioning.
• The isolation devices are fitted. Before connection, the model net metering agreement has the consumer install an automatic device inside the inverter and an external manual one. The licensee gets access to them.
• Statutory approvals are in the file. The same agreement says the consumer obtains approvals such as the Electrical Inspector's or the municipal authority's where required.
• The printed set matches the uploaded set, page for page.

The meter step has its own owners and its own delays, so track it apart from the net metering application. The DISCOM installs the meter once the rooftop work is complete. The net meter comes from the DISCOM, or the consumer buys one from an enlisted meter vendor and the licensee tests and installs it.

Where smart-meter work is awarded under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, MNRE says the DISCOM must install smart meters through its AMISP. Meter supply therefore depends on your area. The commissioning certificate is generated on the portal after the net meter is installed and the DISCOM has inspected. MNRE lists portal alerts for delays in inspection and net meter installation among its planned features.

For each plant, write down the old meter number and its last reading on the day it comes out. Then write the new meter number, who supplied it, its opening reading and the installation date. Photograph both meters.

Keep one dated record per file

Rule 11 treats a net metering application as received on the date the acknowledgement with its registration number is generated. The original text counts the licensee's commissioning period from the date the consumer submits the installation certificate. The February 2024 amendment cut that period from thirty days to fifteen. The state commission sets the exact timeline within the Rules' limit. A claim of delay rests on those two dates, so capture them the day they appear.

1. Open one record per net metering application, keyed by the consumer number and the DISCOM registration number.
2. Log one line per event: date, what happened, who did it, the reference number and where the proof is saved.
3. Log the acknowledgement and each document uploaded or accepted. Log each query or return with the DISCOM's reason in its own words, and your reply. Log the inspection, the agreement, the meter change with both meter numbers, and the commissioning certificate.
4. Save the portal screen or PDF on the day it appears, and never overwrite an earlier version.
5. Before every filing, check the net metering application and its papers against your DISCOM's current document list, line by line.

If you would rather keep this in an ERP than a spreadsheet, SolarERP's Solar EPC module tracks net-metering applications through DISCOM stages, each with its own SLA days. A dashboard shows what is in progress, overdue or due for follow-up. The document management module keeps papers against the customer or project, each with a verification status that shows who verified it and when. Filing still happens on your DISCOM's portal, so you copy the acknowledgement and the dates across.