About the CAPEX per kWp
CAPEX per kWp is the total upfront capital cost of a solar plant divided by its rated capacity — the single most useful number for benchmarking a quote. It bundles modules, inverter, mounting structure, cabling, balance-of-system, and installation into one ₹/kWp figure you can compare across vendors and project types.
Formula
CAPEX per kWp = Total project cost ÷ System size (kWp)
- Total project cost
- Modules + inverter + structure + BoS + cabling + labour + margins (₹)
- System size
- Rated DC capacity (kWp)
How to calculate it
- 1Add up every component cost: modules, inverter(s), mounting structure, DC/AC cabling, protection (SPD/MCB/DCDB/ACDB), earthing, net-meter, transport, and installation labour.
- 2Include soft costs — design, liaisoning, and vendor margin.
- 3Divide the total by the system size in kWp.
- 4Benchmark against the segment: rooftop residential runs higher per kWp than utility ground-mount due to fixed overheads spread over a smaller system.
Worked example
A 5 kWp residential rooftop system quoted at ₹2,75,000 works out to ₹55,000/kWp — a typical 2026 figure before the PM Surya Ghar subsidy. Utility-scale ground-mount, with economies of scale, lands closer to ₹35,000–45,000/kWp.
What you can calculate
- Component breakdown
- India benchmarks
- Scale savings
- BOQ estimate
Standards & references
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical solar cost per kWp in India?
In 2026, residential rooftop solar is roughly ₹45,000–60,000/kWp before subsidy; commercial rooftop ₹40,000–50,000/kWp; and utility-scale ground-mount ₹35,000–45,000/kWp. Prices fall as system size grows because fixed costs are spread wider.
Why does rooftop solar cost more per kWp than ground-mount?
Smaller systems carry the same fixed overheads — design, structure engineering, installation mobilisation, net-metering — spread over fewer kWp, so the per-kWp figure is higher. Ground-mount also benefits from bulk procurement and simpler, repeatable mounting.
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