Net metering is the arrangement that lets your rooftop system export surplus units to the grid and receive credit for them. In Karnataka it is administered by your distribution company — BESCOM in Bengaluru, HESCOM around Hubballi and Dharwad, and the other ESCOMs elsewhere. The engineering is rarely what delays a project. The application is.
How the process works
Your meter is replaced with a bidirectional meter that records import and export separately. Units you consume as they are generated never touch the meter at all, so they save you the full retail tariff. Units you export are recorded and credited against units you import, and the settlement of any remaining surplus follows the terms in force for your connection. This is why a system sized to your daytime consumption usually beats a larger one sized to your roof.
| Stage | What happens | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application | Submit form with ownership proof, recent bill, and system details | 1-2 days to file |
| 2. Technical feasibility | ESCOM checks sanctioned load, transformer capacity, and connection type | 1-3 weeks |
| 3. Approval | Feasibility clearance issued, capacity confirmed in writing | Varies by circle |
| 4. Installation | System installed and internally tested | 2-7 days typical |
| 5. Inspection | ESCOM inspects installation and safety compliance | 1-3 weeks |
| 6. Meter change | Bidirectional meter installed and commissioned | 1-2 weeks |
Indicative durations based on how these applications typically move; they are not committed timelines. Actual duration varies by ESCOM, circle, workload, and how complete the submitted documentation is. Confirm current process and timelines with your ESCOM.
Technical requirements
The application is assessed against your sanctioned load, not against your roof. If you have a 3kW sanctioned load, you will not usually be approved for a 10kW system without first applying to raise the sanctioned load, which is a separate process with its own cost and delay. The ESCOM also assesses the distribution transformer your connection sits on: where a transformer already carries significant solar from other consumers, further capacity on that transformer may be restricted regardless of your own load.
Working with the Karnataka utility
Bengaluru's BESCOM circles vary noticeably in how quickly applications move, and a file that is complete on submission moves considerably faster than one that goes back and forth for missing paperwork. HESCOM areas around Hubballi and Dharwad follow the same broad structure. Across all of them the single biggest controllable factor is document completeness at the point of filing.
Where applications stall
Applications rarely fail outright. They stall, and almost always for the same reasons:
- Filing for a capacity above the sanctioned load without first applying to raise it
- Submitting incomplete ownership documents, which restarts the review queue
- Installing before feasibility approval is issued, then having to modify the system
- Not checking transformer-level capacity availability before finalising system size
- Assuming the timeline is fixed and committing to a commissioning date too early
What we recommend
Check your sanctioned load on a recent bill before choosing a capacity, and file a complete application before installation begins rather than alongside it. If your installer handles the liaison, ask specifically which stages they manage and which remain yours — that boundary is where most delays originate.
Common questions
- Do I need net metering to install solar?
- Not technically, but without it any surplus you generate is simply lost rather than credited. For a grid-tied system it is what makes the economics work, so it is effectively part of the project.
- Can I install a system larger than my sanctioned load?
- Not usually without first raising the sanctioned load, which is a separate application with its own cost and timeline. Check your sanctioned load before deciding capacity.
- How long does the whole process take?
- It varies by ESCOM and circle. The stages above give a realistic shape, but a complete application moves substantially faster than one being corrected in stages.
- Who applies — me or my installer?
- Either. Many installers handle it as part of scope. What matters is agreeing clearly which stages they own so nothing sits unattended.
- What if my transformer has no capacity left?
- The ESCOM may restrict capacity on that transformer. This is worth checking early because it can change your system size before you have committed to equipment.
Talk to our engineering team for a solar assessment.
We will review your consumption, roof, and site constraints before recommending any capacity.