BESCOM Net Metering Bangalore: Complete Application Process Guide (2026)

If you’re installing rooftop solar in Bangalore, the BESCOM net metering application is the single most important piece of paperwork between you and a working solar system. Get it right, and your home exports surplus power to the grid and earns credits on your bill. Get it wrong, and your system either can’t be commissioned legally, can’t claim the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, or sits idle for weeks waiting on BESCOM to fix the application.

This guide walks you through the entire BESCOM net metering process from the perspective of a Bangalore homeowner. We cover what net metering actually does for you, the step-by-step application process, exact documents you’ll need, BESCOM’s technical feasibility rules, common rejection reasons, and what the realistic timeline looks like from application to commissioning.

What is BESCOM Net Metering?

Net metering is the system that lets your rooftop solar export surplus power to the BESCOM grid in exchange for credits on your electricity bill. Without net metering, your solar panels are limited to powering your home in real-time — any extra generation during sunny afternoons is wasted.

BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited) is the DISCOM (distribution company) responsible for power supply across Bangalore, Tumkur, Kolar, Ramanagara, Chitradurga, and Davanagere. Any rooftop solar system in BESCOM territory that wants to feed surplus power back to the grid must be approved under BESCOM’s net metering policy.

How net metering works in practice: a bi-directional meter installed by BESCOM replaces your regular meter. It tracks both units imported from the grid (when your home draws power at night or on cloudy days) and units exported to the grid (when your panels generate more than you’re consuming). At the end of the billing cycle, the imported and exported units are netted off — hence the term “net metering.” You pay only for the net consumption.

For a typical 5 kW residential system in Bangalore, this can translate to electricity bills dropping to nearly zero, or even going slightly negative during high-generation months — meaning BESCOM owes you a credit that rolls over to the next bill.

Who Can Apply for BESCOM Net Metering?

BESCOM net metering is open to all categories of electricity consumers in its service area:

• Residential (LT-2 category) — homes, villas, apartments with their own electricity connection
• Commercial (LT-3 category) — shops, offices, small businesses
• Industrial (HT and LT industrial categories) — factories, manufacturing units
• Educational and institutional — schools, hospitals, government buildings

For residential applicants specifically, the eligibility conditions are:

• You must have a valid BESCOM electricity connection in your name (or in the name of the property owner, with proof of ownership)
• The proposed solar system capacity cannot exceed the sanctioned load on your electricity connection
• You must own the property (or have a tenant agreement with the owner’s written consent, which complicates the process significantly)
• The roof or installation site must have sufficient unshaded area for the proposed system

System Capacity Limits Under BESCOM Net Metering

BESCOM caps the size of rooftop solar systems under net metering based on your sanctioned electrical load. The general rule is that your solar system capacity cannot exceed your sanctioned load — for most Bangalore homes with a 5 kW or 7 kW sanctioned connection, this means systems up to 5–7 kW are typically straightforward to approve.

For systems larger than your sanctioned load, you would either need to apply for a load enhancement on your BESCOM connection (a separate process) or stay within the cap. In practice, most residential homes don’t need anywhere near their full sanctioned capacity in solar — a 3–5 kW system typically generates more than enough to zero out the average household bill.

The BESCOM Net Metering Application Process: Step-by-Step

The end-to-end process involves your installer, BESCOM, and (if you’re claiming subsidy) the PM Surya Ghar national portal. Here’s how it actually unfolds:

Step 1: Registration on the BESCOM Portal

The application is submitted through BESCOM’s online consumer portal. Your installer typically handles this step on your behalf. You’ll need your BESCOM consumer number (visible on your electricity bill), Aadhaar, and basic property details.

If you’re also claiming the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, you’ll register on the national portal at pmsuryaghar.gov.in simultaneously — these are two parallel applications, not sequential. The complete PM Surya Ghar process is covered in a separate guide.

Step 2: System Design and Single-Line Diagram Submission

Your installer prepares a detailed system design document and a single-line diagram (SLD) showing how the solar system will be connected to your home’s electrical panel and the BESCOM grid. The SLD includes:

• Solar panel array configuration and total DC capacity
• Inverter specifications and AC output
• Protection devices (DC isolators, AC breakers, surge protection)
• Earthing arrangements
• Point of interconnection with the BESCOM grid
• Net meter location

This documentation has to be technically accurate — errors here are the most common reason applications get returned for revision.

Step 3: Technical Feasibility Approval

BESCOM’s technical team reviews whether your local distribution transformer can handle the additional exported power from your proposed system. This is the step where applications can get held up, particularly in older neighborhoods where local transformers are already running at high capacity.

For most residential applications under 10 kW in Bangalore, technical feasibility approval comes through within 7 to 15 days. If your local transformer is already at capacity, BESCOM may suggest reducing the system size or, in rare cases, may decline the application until transformer upgrades are completed.

Step 4: Acceptance and Installation

Once technical feasibility is approved, you sign the net metering agreement with BESCOM. Your installer then proceeds with the physical installation — panels, inverter, mounting structures, cabling, protection devices. For a 5 kW system, the installation itself typically takes 3 to 5 days of on-site work.

Step 5: Inspection by BESCOM

After installation, BESCOM sends an inspector to physically verify the system. They check that the installation matches the approved design, that all safety standards are met (proper earthing, surge protection, lockable isolators, IEC-compliant inverter), and that the system can be safely commissioned.

This step is where shoddy installations get exposed. Studies have shown that nearly half of residential solar systems in India have installation defects — many of these get caught at the BESCOM inspection stage. If your installation fails inspection, you’ll need to remediate the issues before commissioning can proceed.

Step 6: Net Meter Installation

Once your system passes inspection, BESCOM swaps out your regular electricity meter for a bi-directional net meter. This meter measures both imported and exported units separately. The net meter is BESCOM property; you don’t purchase it directly, but its cost is typically built into the connection charges.

Step 7: Commissioning

With the net meter in place and BESCOM’s approval, your solar system is officially commissioned. From this day onwards, you’re producing power, consuming locally, and exporting surplus to the grid. Your next BESCOM bill will reflect the net consumption.

Documents Required for BESCOM Net Metering

Have these ready before your installer starts the application — collecting documents mid-process is the biggest cause of delays:

• Latest BESCOM electricity bill (in the applicant’s name)
• Sanction order or proof of sanctioned load
• Aadhaar card
• PAN card
• Property ownership document (sale deed, khata, or municipal property tax receipt)
• Site plan or layout sketch showing the proposed installation location
• System design document and single-line diagram (prepared by your installer)
• Photographs of the roof or installation site
• Cancelled cheque or first page of passbook (required if you’re also applying for PM Surya Ghar subsidy)

Realistic Timeline: How Long Does BESCOM Net Metering Take?

From the day your installer submits the application to the day your system is commissioned, expect 4 to 8 weeks for residential installations. The breakdown:

• Application submission to technical feasibility approval: 7 to 15 days
• Net metering agreement signing: 2 to 5 days
• Physical installation: 3 to 7 days (depending on system size and roof complexity)
• Inspection scheduling and completion: 7 to 14 days
• Net meter installation and commissioning: 5 to 10 days

Timelines stretch during BESCOM’s high-load periods — April through June (right before monsoon when applications surge), and around year-end when application volumes spike for fiscal-year subsidy applications. If you can apply during the slower months (July through September), expect timelines on the faster end of these ranges.

Common Reasons BESCOM Net Metering Applications Get Rejected or Delayed

From thousands of applications across Karnataka, these are the patterns that cause friction:

Application by an Unempanelled Installer

For PM Surya Ghar subsidy claims, BESCOM only processes applications from vendors empanelled on both the PM Surya Ghar national portal and with BESCOM. If you’ve signed with a non-empanelled installer (often the cheapest quotes), the subsidy claim will be rejected after installation — even if the net metering itself goes through. Always confirm dual empanelment before signing. Eltron Energy is empanelled with both.

Capacity Exceeding Sanctioned Load

Submitting a 7 kW solar system design on a 5 kW sanctioned connection will get returned. You either downsize the system or apply for load enhancement first.

Transformer Capacity Issues

In dense neighborhoods where many homes have already installed solar, the local transformer may be near its capacity to absorb additional exports. Your installer should check this before finalizing system size with you.

Property Ownership Mismatches

If your Aadhaar address, electricity bill address, and property ownership document don’t all align cleanly, expect questions and delays. Sort these out before applying.

Installation Defects Caught at Inspection

Improper earthing, wrong inverter specifications, undersized cables, missing surge protection — all of these get flagged at BESCOM inspection and force rework. The fix: insist on Tier-1 components and a thorough installation, even if it costs slightly more upfront.

Net Metering Settlement: How You Actually See Savings

BESCOM settles net-metered accounts on a monthly billing cycle. Your bill shows:

• Units imported — power drawn from the grid (e.g., at night)
• Units exported — surplus solar power sent to the grid
• Net units — the difference (positive means you owe, negative means BESCOM owes you)

If your net units are negative in a given month (you exported more than you imported), the credit rolls over to the next month’s bill. At the end of the financial year (March 31), any leftover credit is settled in cash at BESCOM’s surplus power purchase rate — though this is a relatively small amount compared to your bill savings.

For a typical 5 kW residential system in Bangalore generating about 7,000 to 8,000 units per year against a household consumption of 6,000 to 8,000 units, expect your annual electricity bill to drop to near zero — sometimes with a small refund at year-end.

The Bottom Line for Bangalore Homeowners

BESCOM net metering is the financial engine that makes rooftop solar genuinely profitable in Bangalore. Without it, your payback period roughly doubles. With it, a quality residential solar system pays for itself in 4 to 5 years and continues delivering free electricity for the remaining 20+ years of its lifespan.

The application process is bureaucratic but predictable — a competent installer handles 95% of the paperwork on your behalf, and the timelines are reasonable when you start with the right documentation in hand. The real determinants of how smoothly your application goes are: (1) choosing a BESCOM-empanelled installer, (2) getting the system sizing right relative to your sanctioned load, and (3) ensuring the physical installation meets BESCOM’s safety and design standards.

Eltron Energy is an empanelled solar EPC company with BESCOM and on the PM Surya Ghar national portal. We handle the entire net metering application process from initial paperwork through commissioning — you don’t fill forms or chase BESCOM yourself. Get in touch for a free site survey and quote for your home in Bangalore, and we’ll walk you through what your system, savings, and timeline will look like.