Commercial rooftop solar in Rajkot: offices, showrooms, hospitals and coaching

One power company, three city divisions

PGVCL supplies all of Rajkot, so there is no licensee question here. Its Rajkot City Circle runs three divisions. City-3 includes the Kalawad Road, Raiya Road, Nana Mava and Mavdi Road sub-divisions, which cover much of the western business belt. Each division also has its own HT sub-division (HT-1, HT-2 and HT-3), which handles large connections such as hospitals and big hotels.

PGVCL's Solar Rooftop page holds the grid connectivity form, the approval timeline, meter specifications and its empanelled vendor list. The meter estimate (SR) is paid online through the link on that page. On a PGVCL bill the high tension category is HTP-I; smaller users are on Non-RGP or the demand-based LTMD category.

How each category nets your solar

Under GERC's rules, Non-RGP shops and clinics net solar against all use over the billing cycle, LTMD offices and showrooms only against 7 am to 6 pm use within the cycle, and HTP-I buildings within the same day's 7 am to 6 pm. Whatever is left is bought by PGVCL at a lower rate and does not carry forward.

In practice, an office closed on Sundays on LTMD or HT should size the plant so the Sunday surplus stays small. A Non-RGP shop has much more room.

Business roads and what suits each

• Kalawad Road: complexes with hospitals, showrooms, coaching institutes and restaurants. Hospitals and coaching classes use AC all day, which fits solar. In a shared complex, the plant goes on the association's common meter or on one owner's meter with written terrace rights.
• Yagnik Road and Race Course: older office complexes, banks, showrooms and hotels. Terraces on older buildings tend to be small and taken up by tanks and lift rooms, so expect modest systems on common meters.
• 150 Feet Ring Road: newer complexes with larger flat terraces, plus hospitals, hotels and banquet halls. A banquet hall that does most business in the evening and in wedding season matches solar poorly, while a hospital or office on the same road matches it well.
• Gondal Road: automobile showrooms, workshops and trading offices. A showroom on its own plot with a big flat roof, lit and cooled all day, is one of the stronger commercial cases in the city. Workshops with welding sets and compressors add daytime load too.
• University Road and Raiya Road: coaching institutes, clinics, complexes and shops. If your unit is rented, GERC's rules allow solar on rented premises once the owner agrees in writing.

Shared terraces in Rajkot complexes

In a complex with many owners, each shop and office has its own PGVCL meter. Today's GERC rules let a rooftop plant feed just one connection, so a single plant cannot be divided among all owners. Group and virtual net metering are not in force in Gujarat; GERC's 2026 draft regulations only propose them. Until they are, the common meter that runs lifts, pumps and parking lights is the usual target, and the association should pass a resolution before any work starts.

Newer complexes on 150 Feet Ring Road and Kalawad Road often have room for a useful common-meter plant, while older buildings around Yagnik Road may fit only enough for lifts and stair lights. Either way, ask for a shade check at several times of day, because neighbouring buildings and hoardings can shade a terrace in the afternoon.

Dust, heat and cleaning

The MSME district profile gives Rajkot an average rainfall of about 550 mm, with summer from March to June and temperatures up to 44 °C. Dust settles on panels for most of the year and the monsoon is too short to rely on, so agree in writing who cleans the panels and how often. High summer heat cuts panel output slightly, so leave an air gap under the panels and do not mount them flat on the slab.

Systems up to 10 kW skip the technical feasibility study under GERC's 2024 amendment. Businesses get no PM Surya Ghar subsidy; ask your CA about accelerated depreciation. If you want, we can connect you with one checked installer who works in your part of Rajkot.