Installation7 min read
Net Metering in Rajasthan: How It Works and How to Apply
Three distribution companies, one process in outline — and the sanctioned-load rule that decides what capacity you are allowed.
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Key takeaways
- Rajasthan has three distribution companies — JVVNL, AVVNL and JdVVNL — and which one covers your connection decides the entire process.
- Permitted system capacity is tied to your sanctioned load, which is printed on your electricity bill.
- A net meter records import and export separately; you are billed on the net position.
- The meter must be applied for and installed after the plant is built, but feasibility approval must come before installation.
- Most delays come from three things: wrong DISCOM, capacity beyond sanctioned load, and installing before approval.
Net metering is what turns a rooftop array from a device that runs some of your appliances into an asset that offsets your bill. Without it, surplus generation during the day is simply lost.
In Rajasthan the mechanics are common across the state but the administration is not. Three separate distribution companies run the process, and knowing which one governs your connection is the first practical step.
What net metering actually does
A conventional meter measures electricity flowing one way. A net meter measures both directions separately: units you import from the grid, and units your system exports when it generates more than you are consuming.
At the end of the billing period you are charged on the net position. Generate more than you consume and the surplus is carried as a credit under the applicable regulations. This is why annual generation compared against annual consumption is the meaningful measure — your system does not need to match your load hour by hour.
Which DISCOM covers your site
JVVNL — Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited — covers Jaipur, Alwar, Kota, Dausa, Bharatpur, Tonk and the surrounding districts. AVVNL — Ajmer Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited — covers Ajmer, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Bhilwara, Nagaur and Udaipur. JdVVNL — Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited — covers Jodhpur, Bikaner, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pali, Churu and the western districts.
The distinction matters administratively rather than technically. The forms, offices, inspection arrangements and internal timelines differ, and an application filed with the wrong DISCOM does not get forwarded — it gets returned, weeks later.
The sanctioned load rule
The single most important number in a net-metering application is your sanctioned load, printed on your electricity bill. Permitted system capacity is tied to it, and an application for capacity beyond what your connection is sanctioned for will be returned.
This is why any competent installer asks for your bill before quoting a capacity. If the system you want exceeds your sanctioned load, a load enhancement is applied for as a planned step in the programme — it is a solvable problem, but only if it is identified before the modules are ordered.
The sequence, and where it goes wrong
- Feasibility application to the DISCOM against your existing connection and sanctioned load
- Feasibility approval issued — installation may now begin, and not before
- Installation by a vendor registered with that DISCOM
- Net-meter application submitted with plant details
- Physical inspection of the installation by the DISCOM
- Net meter installed and configured; commissioning certificate issued
Realistic timelines
For a residential system, six to ten weeks from order to a working net meter is a normal outcome. Commercial and industrial connections take longer — eight to twelve weeks or more — because the technical review is deeper and the inspection more involved.
Almost none of that is installation. It is feasibility review, net-meter sanction and inspection scheduling. An installer who tells you the whole thing takes two weeks is describing the roof work and ignoring the process that makes it worth something.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for net metering in Rajasthan?
Through your distribution company — JVVNL, AVVNL or JdVVNL depending on your location — starting with a feasibility application against your existing connection and sanctioned load. After approval and installation, a net-meter application is submitted, the plant is inspected, and the meter is installed. For residential systems the PM Surya Ghar portal application runs alongside it. We file and follow the whole sequence for our clients.
What happens to surplus solar power I export?
It is recorded separately by the net meter and offset against what you import, with any surplus carried as a credit under the applicable regulations. The key point for sizing is that exported units are worth less than the retail tariff you avoid by consuming your own generation — which is why matching capacity to consumption produces better returns than maximising the array.
Can I install solar without net metering?
You can, but for a grid-connected property it rarely makes sense. Without a net meter, generation beyond what you are consuming at that moment is simply lost, which destroys the economics. Off-grid systems with battery storage are a different proposition, appropriate where there is no reliable grid connection to begin with.
Why clients choose Dvaitam Solar
Engineering-first approach
Structural survey, seasonal shadow analysis and yield modelling before a capacity is quoted — never a catalogue picked off a price list.
Premium Tier-1 equipment
ALMM-listed modules and BIS-certified balance of system, specified against the engineering and not substituted after contract.
PM Surya Ghar assistance
Portal registration, DISCOM feasibility, net metering and inspection filed and chased until the subsidy is credited.
End-to-end EPC execution
Design, supply, civil, electrical, testing and commissioning under one scope and one accountable team.
Professional installation
Method statements, quality records captured as work proceeds, and measured commissioning tests rather than a switch-on.
Long-term support
Monitoring configured at handover, a documented O&M pack and a performance baseline you can hold the plant to in year five.
Next steps
Related reading
- InstallationThe Solar Panel Installation Process, Step by StepSeven stages from enquiry to a working net meter, what each one is for, and where the delays genuinely come from.
- SubsidyPM Surya Ghar: Who Qualifies and How Much You Actually GetEligibility rules, the exact slab arithmetic, housing-society rates and the document checklist — everything to settle before you touch the portal.
- BusinessLocal vs National Solar EPC in Rajasthan: Who Actually Wins?National brands bring balance-sheet strength. Local EPCs bring DISCOM knowledge and a service van. Here is how to judge which matters more for your project.
Browse every guide in the Dvaitam solar knowledge base.
Have a question this guide did not answer?
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