Key takeaways
- ALMM is the government's approved list of solar module makers and models; List-I covers modules.
- DCR means the cells and the module are both made in India. The PM Surya Ghar subsidy requires DCR modules.
- Non-subsidy plants, for shops, factories or give-up-subsidy homes, may use any ALMM-listed module, DCR or not.
- A fair quote lists every component by make and model so you can check it yourself.
What ALMM is
The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers is published by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Only modules on List-I can be used in government-supported projects, including every rooftop plant that claims the PM Surya Ghar subsidy. Being on the list means the manufacturer's factory has been inspected and the specific model has been tested to the Indian standards.
What DCR adds
Domestic Content Requirement goes one step further: the cells inside the module, not just the assembly, must be made in India. PM Surya Ghar pays the subsidy only for plants built with DCR modules. Because domestic cells are scarcer, DCR modules cost more per watt than imported-cell modules of the same wattage, and that gap is part of why a subsidised quote and a non-subsidised quote for the same size look different.
When DCR does not apply
- Shops, offices and factories take no PM Surya Ghar subsidy, so they can use any ALMM-listed module, DCR or not, and often get more wattage for the money.
- Homes that choose the give-up-subsidy option on the portal are freed from the DCR requirement too. We show both sums; for most homes the subsidy is worth the wait.
- Off-grid plants have no subsidy and no DCR requirement. See off-grid solar.
How to check a panel in five minutes
- Take the module make and model from the quote. If the quote does not name a model, that is your first finding.
- Open the ALMM list on mnre.gov.in and search for the manufacturer, then the model number and wattage.
- For a subsidy plant, confirm the DCR status: the module should be listed with domestic cells, and the vendor's invoice should carry the DCR declaration.
- Do the same for the inverter: it should carry BIS certification and be set to the grid parameters your DISCOM specifies.
The ten questions
- Which module make and model, and is it on ALMM List-I?
- Is it DCR, and will the invoice say so?
- Which inverter, and is it BIS-certified?
- What is the structure made of, and what wind speed is it rated for?
- What is the DC cable size, and is it UV-rated?
- Where does the earthing go, and how many earth pits?
- Is the price fixed after the survey, or subject to change?
- Who files the subsidy and net metering, and whose name is the portal login in?
- How many years of service are included, and what does renewal cost after that?
- What happens if generation drops?
The last question is the one most installers cannot answer. Ours: RMS records every unit every day, a drift raises a ticket to our team, and a failed part goes through its manufacturer's warranty, which we handle under our service plan.
Part of The Rajasthan Rooftop Solar Guide
Suntask engineering desk · Jaipur
Posts are drafted by the engineers who size, file and install Suntask plants across Rajasthan, and checked against the scheme portals before publishing. Figures carry the date they were last checked.
