How do I verify if a solar installer is genuine in India?

Confirm they are empanelled with your DISCOM for PM Surya Ghar and net metering, check GST registration and a physical office, and ask to see the exact ALMM-listed panel model with DCR cells. Call two recent local customers. A genuine installer files your subsidy and net-metering paperwork and gives a written workmanship warranty.

What is a fair price per watt for rooftop solar in 2026?

Installed cost is roughly ₹55,000–₹75,000 per kW before subsidy, or about ₹55–₹75 per watt, depending on brand, panel type and city (indicative 2026 — verify current). Always compare quotes on ₹/watt rather than lump sums, and get at least three quotes before deciding.

Why should I avoid paying the full amount upfront for solar?

No reputable installer needs 100% before work begins. Full upfront payment removes their incentive to finish installation, file your subsidy and complete net metering. Use a milestone schedule: small advance, larger payment on delivery, and a final portion only after commissioning and net-meter inspection.

Do I still get the PM Surya Ghar subsidy in 2026?

New PM Surya Ghar registrations closed on 6 June 2026 (indicative — verify current with your DISCOM). If you registered before that, an approved application continues to the ₹78,000 cap for 3 kW+. Do not sign a contract on the promise of subsidy without confirming your application status first.

What is the difference between manufacturer warranty and workmanship warranty?

Manufacturer warranties cover the panels (around 25-year performance, 10–12-year product) and inverter (5–10 years). A workmanship warranty is the installer's own guarantee on the structure, wiring, earthing and labour — typically 5+ years. Insist on the workmanship warranty in writing; it is what protects you from bad installation.

How to Choose a Solar Installer in India (Avoid Fraud)

Q: Who files the net-metering application, me or the installer?

A full-service installer files it with your DISCOM after installation. Net metering is deemed feasible up to 10 kW for homes under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, with approval usually taking 15–45 days (indicative 2026 — verify current). Get this responsibility written into your contract.

Buying rooftop solar is a 25-year decision, but most buyers spend more time choosing a phone. The panels on the roof matter less than the person who installs, wires, and stands behind them. A cheap system fitted badly by a fly-by-night vendor will cost you more in leaks, dead inverters and rejected subsidy claims than a fairly priced job done right. This guide shows you exactly how to separate a genuine solar installer from a smooth-talking reseller.

Why the installer matters more than the brand

Two homes in Pune can buy the identical 3 kW system with the same panels and inverter, yet one generates 12+ units a day for 25 years while the other underperforms and voids its warranty. The difference is workmanship: panel tilt and orientation, cable sizing, earthing, mounting structure quality, and whether the DCR/ALMM paperwork was filed correctly so the subsidy actually lands.

Under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the central subsidy is ₹30,000/kW for the first 2 kW plus ₹18,000 for the 3rd kW, capped at ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above (indicative 2026 — verify current). That subsidy only comes through if your installer uses ALMM-listed panels with DCR (Domestic Content Requirement) cells and files the claim properly. Note that new PM Surya Ghar registrations closed on 6 June 2026 — if you registered earlier, your approved application still proceeds; if not, confirm the current status with your DISCOM before signing anything on the promise of subsidy.

What a registered, legitimate installer looks like

Empanelled with your DISCOM (state power distribution company) as an approved vendor for net metering and PM Surya Ghar.
GST registered with a proper company name, office address and a few years of trading history.
Uses ALMM-listed modules and can show you the model number on the ALMM list, plus DCR cells for subsidy eligibility.
Does the install with its own trained crew, not an anonymous sub-contracted team it has never met.
Gives a written workmanship warranty (typically 5 years or more) covering the structure, wiring and labour — separate from the manufacturer’s panel and inverter warranties.

Ask directly: “Do your own employees install, or do you sub-contract?” In-house crews are accountable to the brand and easier to call back for service. Sub-contracted teams often disappear after the money clears, and warranty claims turn into a blame game between vendor and installer.

The red flags of solar fraud in India

Inflated MRP, then a “huge discount.” A vendor quotes ₹1.6 lakh and “generously” drops it to ₹1.1 lakh. The discount is theatre; compare the final number on ₹/watt instead.
Demanding full payment upfront. No reputable installer needs 100% before a single panel is on the roof.
Non-ALMM or vague panels. “Imported premium panels” with no ALMM model number means no subsidy and no accountability.
No help with paperwork. If they won’t file your subsidy and net-metering application, you are buying hardware, not a service.
No physical office, only a WhatsApp number. Warranty over 25 years needs a business that still exists in year 10.
Pressure to sign “today only.” Genuine offers survive a week of comparison.

Comparing quotes: always use ₹ per watt

Never compare lump sums — compare ₹/watt. Divide the total pre-subsidy price by the system size in watts. A 3 kW (3,000 W) system quoted at ₹1,95,000 works out to ₹65/watt.

Typical installed cost runs ₹55,000–₹75,000 per kW before subsidy (indicative 2026 — verify current), varying by brand, DCR vs non-DCR, panel type (mono PERC vs TOPCon) and city. Here is a realistic pre-subsidy comparison for a 3 kW residential on-grid system:

Item	Budget quote	Mid-range quote	Premium quote
Panel type	Mono PERC (DCR)	Mono PERC (DCR)	TOPCon (DCR)
₹/watt (indicative)	~₹55/W	~₹65/W	~₹75/W
System price (3 kW)	~₹1,65,000	~₹1,95,000	~₹2,25,000
Less PM Surya Ghar subsidy	₹78,000	₹78,000	₹78,000
Net cost (indicative)	~₹87,000	~₹1,17,000	~₹1,47,000
Workmanship warranty	Often thin	5 yr	5–10 yr + AMC

All figures indicative 2026 — verify current. The cheapest quote is rarely the best value once you factor in structure quality and service. Get 3 free quotes and lay them side by side on ₹/watt, warranty, and what is included (structure, cabling, net-meter liaison, AMC) before deciding. The payback calculator will tell you the payback — usually 3–4 years on a subsidised system generating roughly 4 units/day per kW.

The exact questions to ask before signing

Are you empanelled with my DISCOM for net metering and PM Surya Ghar?
Which exact ALMM model and DCR cells will you install — can I see the datasheet?
Do your own staff install, or is it sub-contracted?
What does your written workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?
Who files the subsidy claim and the net-metering application — you or me?
What are the mounting structure specs (galvanised iron vs aluminium, wind rating)?
What is the payment schedule tied to milestones?
What does the AMC cost after year one, and what does it include?

Payment and milestone terms

Structure payment against delivery, never all upfront. A fair schedule looks like: 10–20% advance on order, 40–50% on material delivery to site, 20–30% after installation and commissioning, and a final 10% after net-meter installation and inspection. This keeps the installer motivated to finish the paperwork, not just dump hardware and vanish.

Who files subsidy and net metering

Clarify this in writing. A full-service installer files your PM Surya Ghar subsidy claim and your net-metering application with the DISCOM after installation. Net metering is deemed feasible up to 10 kW for homes under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 (indicative 2026 — verify current), with approval typically taking 15–45 days. If the installer expects you to chase the DISCOM alone, factor that effort — and the fraud risk — into your decision.

References, reviews and AMC

Once you’ve shortlisted a few vetted installers, ask for two or three recent local customers and actually call them: did generation match the promise, did service calls get answered, was the roof left watertight? Cross-check Google reviews and local solar groups. Finally, pin down the Annual Maintenance Contract: panel cleaning, inverter health checks, and generation monitoring keep output high. Lithium (LFP) batteries outlast tubular ones if you are adding storage; on-grid systems without batteries are simplest and the only ones eligible for net metering and subsidy.