LUCKNOW: Lucknow has emerged as one of India’s leading cities for rooftop solar, but the scale of the city’s electricity demand and the number of households still without solar suggest that the next phase of growth will be just as important as the first. Recent figures reported by reputed Lucknow-based news publications show both the remarkable progress made so far and the challenges that remain.
According to The Times of India, Lucknow retained the No. 1 position nationally for rooftop solar installations under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, with 1,24,167 rooftop solar installations reported in August 2026. Earlier, Hindustan Times reported that Lucknow had already crossed the one-lakh installation mark, substantially ahead of other Uttar Pradesh districts.
The impact on the city’s power equation is significant. Amar Ujala reported in April that Lucknow had approximately 92,049 rooftop solar plants generating 328.276 MW, equivalent to around 20% of the city’s roughly 1,500 MW electricity demand. This demonstrates that rooftop solar is no longer a marginal source of electricity; it has become an important component of Lucknow’s energy infrastructure.
Yet there is considerable room for further expansion.
A large untapped household market
The same Amar Ujala report noted that more than 1.29 lakh applications had been submitted in Lucknow, while 92,049 installations had been completed at the time. That gap between applications and completed systems shows that demand exists, but conversion from application to installation can still be improved.
More recently, Amar Ujala reported that Lucknow had crossed 1.40 lakh installations, while applications had exceeded 1.83 lakh. However, more than 3,000 applications remained pending, with consumers reporting delays and problems involving vendors. The report said approximately 1,260 vendors were working in Lucknow.
This suggests that the challenge is no longer simply convincing people to consider solar. The priority increasingly needs to be faster execution, reliable vendors and smoother financing and approval processes.
Financing and consumer awareness remain important
The economics of rooftop solar have become considerably more attractive because of government subsidies. Amar Ujala reported that the PM Surya Ghar scheme provides subsidies of up to ₹1.08 lakh for eligible systems, while loans for a 3-kW installation can be available at around 7% interest.
However, many potential consumers may still hesitate because of the initial investment, uncertainty about installation quality, maintenance and the process of receiving subsidies. Greater public awareness about actual electricity-bill savings, financing options and system life could therefore encourage more households to make the transition.
The next challenge: quality and speed
Uttar Pradesh’s broader experience also highlights the need for efficient implementation. The Times of India reported in June that the state had crossed 6.2 lakh rooftop installations, with installation rates rising from around 500 per day in June 2025 to nearly 2,100 per day in May 2026. The state had also added more than 2,000 MW of rooftop solar capacity.
At the same time, the report identified loan processing, loan disbursement, inactive vendors and the need for additional vendors as areas requiring attention.
For Lucknow, therefore, the next boost should focus not merely on increasing installation numbers but on reducing waiting periods, strengthening vendor accountability, expanding financing options and reaching households that have not yet applied.
Lucknow has already demonstrated that rooftop solar can supply a meaningful share of the city’s electricity. The opportunity now is to build on that momentum. Faster implementation, stronger consumer awareness and wider access to affordable financing could help transform more rooftops into small power-generating units—reducing household electricity costs while contributing to a cleaner and more decentralised energy system.