JVVNL net-meter process for rooftop solar in Rajasthan

If the customer's bill says JVVNL, the file runs through the national PM Surya Ghar portal and a JVVNL sub-division, under the rules of the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC). Those rules differ from Gujarat's in ways that change a quote: how big the system may be, what the DISCOM may charge, and how surplus units are paid. This post reads RERC's regulations as amended up to December 2025. Two things are not confirmed, JVVNL's net-meter charges and a FY 2026-27 domestic tariff, so there is no bill-saving example here.

Who this is for

Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (JVVNL) is one of Rajasthan's three state DISCOMs, with AVVNL and JdVVNL. The name on the bill tells you which one a home is on. RERC's regulations extend to the whole state (Regulation 1.2), so the rules below hold for all three; our guide covers JVVNL only.

JVVNL's website gives a solar rooftop helpline, 0141-2209533 / 2203300, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 6 pm. It also warns that JVVNL sends SMS only from sender IDs such as VM-JAVVNL, never from a personal mobile number. Pass that warning on to customers.

The steps, from registration to subsidy

Our JVVNL net-meter guide lists nine PM Surya Ghar stages with Hindi labels, and marks JVVNL's own office, charges and typical days as not yet verified. In short, from clause 6 of the MNRE scheme guidelines: register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with the consumer number from the bill and pick a registered vendor; install, and upload the details and geo-tagged photos from the consumer's login; JVVNL fits the meter, inspects, and approves the file, sends it back for corrections, or rejects it with reasons; the subsidy is processed within 15 days of approval.

Documents

MNRE's office memorandum of 11 January 2024, addressed to all DISCOMs, limits what may be asked of a home: one electricity bill from the last six months at feasibility, then the project completion report, a photograph and the consumer-vendor agreement at commissioning. It tells DISCOMs to seek no other documents (MNRE memorandum). For the subsidy, the consumer's bank details go on the portal (guidelines, clause 6(s)), and the modules must meet the domestic content requirement (clause 5(m)).

RERC's rules for rooftop solar

RERC's Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Generating Systems Regulations, 2021 were amended in 2023, 2024 and 2025; the third amendment was published in the Rajasthan Gazette on 3 December 2025. We downloaded all four from RERC's regulations page and read them on 30 September 2026. What they mean for a home:

• Size. The system may not exceed 100% of the sanctioned load or contract demand (Regulation 7.2). Up to 10 kW, a complete domestic application is deemed accepted without a feasibility study, and JVVNL carries out any load enhancement needed (Regulation 8.8, as replaced in 2025). In Gujarat, by contrast, a home's system is allowed irrespective of sanctioned load.
• Panels and inverter. Under net metering, the inverter's peak AC output may not exceed the contracted AC capacity, and any excess in a 15- or 30-minute block lapses. There is no restriction on installed DC capacity (Regulation 12.6.1(d), 2023).
• Arrears. A consumer with pending arrears is not eligible for net metering, unless the amount is disputed and deposited under Section 56 of the Electricity Act (Regulation 4.2, 2025).
• Timelines. Feasibility within 15 days, or presumed feasible (Regulation 8.8). Agreement, meter and commissioning within 15 days of the installation certificate (Regulation 8.12, 2024). The national Rights of Consumers rules set the same limits.
• Transformers. Rooftop capacity on a distribution transformer is capped at 80% of its capacity, and if JVVNL's transformer needs augmenting, JVVNL does it at its own cost (Regulation 6.1, 2023).

Fees and the agreement

JVVNL's own net-meter charges are not confirmed; we have not found a JVVNL schedule for them. RERC's third amendment does say this (Regulation 15.8): for domestic consumers under net metering, the application fee, the security deposit and the meter testing charges are waived, and so is the connection agreement, until the state reaches its target of five lakh rooftop homes or another target the state government sets. We could not find how close the state is to that target, and the regulation says nothing about the price of the meter itself.

So ask the sub-division in writing what a home will pay, and keep the reply with the file. The consumer may also buy the meter, which the DISCOM then tests and installs (Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, rule 11(10)).

How the bill works after the net-meter

RERC's rules settle each billing period like this (Regulation 12.6.1, as amended in 2023):

• Surplus is paid in money. If a domestic consumer exports more than it imports in a billing period, JVVNL buys the excess at the weighted average tariff of large solar projects (5 MW and above) discovered in the previous year's competitive bidding and adopted by RERC, plus 25%. The amount is credited against the next bill. The regulation does not print a rupee figure, so ask JVVNL for the current rate.
• Net imports are billed on the total. In RERC's words, the net imported energy "shall be billed according to the applicable slab corresponding to the total consumption from all sources". The slab is set by what the home uses in total, its own solar included, not by the smaller net figure. Ask JVVNL to show this on a sample bill before you promise a saving.

We don't have a verified Rajasthan domestic tariff for FY 2026-27, so there is no bill-saving example in this post. Our calculators use an illustrative national tariff for Rajasthan and say so on screen. Don't quote that as the customer's tariff.

What a JVVNL home pays for the system

Rajasthan gets the general central subsidy: ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third, capped at ₹78,000 (MNRE guidelines, effective 13 February 2024). At MNRE's benchmark cost, with GST added at the blended 8.9% because the guidelines do not say whether the benchmark includes it:

• 2 kW: ₹1,00,000 + ₹8,900 GST − ₹60,000 subsidy = ₹48,900.
• 3 kW: ₹1,45,000 + ₹12,905 GST − ₹78,000 subsidy = ₹79,905.

Rajasthan adds ₹17,000 and a free smart meter only for consumers eligible under the state's 150-unit free electricity scheme who install 1.1 kW, rolled out in phases. The eligibility check on JVVNL's Bijli Mitra page takes the bill's K number and an OTP. For an eligible home, 1.1 kW costs ₹9,895 after both amounts; our Rajasthan post works through who qualifies.

What goes wrong on JVVNL files

• Arrears on the connection. Check the bill for pending dues before you sell. An unpaid balance blocks net metering unless it is disputed and deposited.
• A system larger than the sanctioned load. Above 10 kW, get the load raised first. Up to 10 kW, the enhancement is JVVNL's job once the application is complete.
• An inverter above the contracted capacity. Output above it lapses. Size the inverter to the approved capacity; MNRE's advisory of 25 March 2026 asks DISCOMs to accept up to 10% more panel capacity than applied for.
• ₹17,000 promised to every home. It is only for eligible 1.1 kW homes.
• The file sits. MNRE's notice of 24 August 2026 advises vendors not to hold applications over 60 days without a valid reason. Our tools turn amber at 45 days, our own early warning.

Frequently asked questions

What does JVVNL charge for the net-meter?

Not confirmed. RERC waives the application fee, security deposit and meter testing charges for domestic net metering until the state's rooftop target is met. Ask the sub-division in writing about the meter itself.

Can a JVVNL home install more than its sanctioned load?

Not under Regulation 7.2. Up to 10 kW, a complete application is deemed accepted and JVVNL carries out the load enhancement.

Does JVVNL pay for surplus units?

Yes, in money: the weighted average of the previous year's bid tariffs for large solar projects, plus 25%, credited on the next bill.

The JVVNL stages with Hindi labels are in our net-meter guide. Check a customer's numbers in the subsidy calculator, and track open files with the application risk checker.