GREATER NOIDA: Gautam Budh Nagar has commissioned its first rooftop solar power project in a high-rise residential society under the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, with a 500 kWp grid-connected solar plant becoming operational at Arihant Arden Apartment Owners Association (AOA) in Greater Noida West, officials said on Wednesday.
The project, facilitated by Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL), is expected to benefit 1,519 apartment owners by reducing the electricity expenses for common area facilities while setting a benchmark for the adoption of renewable energy in high-rise residential societies across the district.
The rooftop solar plant has been designed to meet a substantial portion of the society’s common area electricity demand, including power required for lifts, corridor lighting, water pumping systems, club facilities and other shared infrastructure.
According to NPCL, the society has also received ₹80 lakh as Central Financial Assistance (CFA) under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana within 30 days of the commissioning approval.
Under normal operating conditions, the 500 kWp plant is expected to generate around 6 lakh to 7.5 lakh units of electricity annually, resulting in estimated savings of ₹40 lakh to ₹45 lakh every year on the society’s common electricity expenditure.
The project is also expected to reduce 550-650 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, contributing to cleaner energy adoption and environmental sustainability in the region.
NPCL said it played a key role in facilitating the project by providing technical guidance, regulatory approvals and grid synchronisation to ensure the installation complied with applicable technical standards and regulatory requirements.
“The commissioning marks a significant milestone in our society’s sustainability journey. As one of the first high-rise residential communities in the region to adopt solar power under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, we expect annual savings of approximately ₹40-45 lakh while substantially reducing our environmental footprint,” said Nishit Kant Chaturvedi, president of Arihant Arden AOA.
“The successful commissioning of this 500 kWp rooftop solar power plant demonstrates that large-scale rooftop solar adoption is both technically feasible and financially rewarding for high-rise residential societies. This is a pioneering project for Gautam Budh Nagar under the scheme and is expected to encourage many more residential communities to adopt clean energy solutions,” NPCL spokesperson, Manoj Jha said.
Officials said the project serves as a demonstration of how community-scale rooftop solar systems can meet the electricity needs of common facilities in large residential complexes while reducing dependence on conventional power sources.
Encouraged by the Arihant Arden project, several other high-rise residential societies in Greater Noida have initiated the process of installing similar rooftop solar systems. These include Purvanchal Heights Apartment Owners Association, Black Gold Society, Stellar MI Legacy Apartment Owners Association and Rail Vihar Society, according to NPCL.
The utility said the Arihant Arden project is expected to serve as a model for other high-rise residential societies across Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR and other urban centres, demonstrating that rooftop solar projects can be both environmentally sustainable and economically viable while supporting India’s renewable energy transition.