Special Correspondent
Pune: Bhagyashree Apartment in Kothrud has become the first apartment in Maharashtra to completely switch to solar energy. By installing a 30 kW rooftop solar power system, the apartment has eliminated monthly electricity bills for all residents, saving around ₹35,000 per month. The residents also received a subsidy of ₹5.54 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Free Electricity Scheme.
A felicitation ceremony was recently held, where Union Minister Muralidhar Mohol honored Bhagyashree Apartment representatives Mr. Anand Deshpande, Mr. Mandar Deshmukh, and Mr. Satish Athawale. The event was graced by MLA Siddharth Shirole, MSEDCL Chief Engineer Rajendra Pawar, Superintendent Engineer Sinhajirao Gaikwad, and Executive Engineer Vijay Funde.
Located in the Rambag Colony of Kothrud, Bhagyashree Apartment houses 10 flats. Two years ago, an 11 kW rooftop solar system was installed to power the building’s lift, water pump, and common area lights, reducing monthly electricity expenses by ₹15,000-16,000. Following this success, in August last year, MSEDCL officials, including Additional Executive Engineer Rajesh Kale and Branch Engineer Ashutosh Thorat, initiated efforts to enable rooftop solar power for each flat under the PM Suryaghar scheme.
The residents responded positively to the initiative, supported by solar agency representative Mr. Deepak Kotkar. After inspecting the available rooftop space, a 19 kW solar power system was deemed feasible. Based on individual energy consumption, systems of 1 kW, 2 kW, and 3 kW capacity were installed for different flats. Within a month, 10 rooftop solar systems with a combined capacity of 19 kW were installed.
Mandar Deshmukh, a resident, shared, “Thanks to the collective decision of all flat owners, we availed of the PM Suryaghar scheme and achieved zero electricity bills. The total cost of the project was ₹15.71 lakh, out of which ₹5.54 lakh was received as a subsidy within a month. The remaining cost will be recovered within four years due to the savings from zero electricity bills.”
MSEDCL Chief Engineer Rajendra Pawar stated, “A total of 18,640 applications have been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Yojana, resulting in the commissioning of 5,853 rooftop solar projects with a combined capacity of 28.9 MW. Pune was also the first in the state to establish an electric vehicle charging station powered by green energy. Now, Bhagyashree Apartment has set a benchmark by adopting solar energy for all electricity needs, which we hope will inspire other gram panchayats, housing societies, and apartment complexes across Maharashtra.”
