The Indian government is considering a transformative reform for rooftop solar consumers — a Solar Net-Metering Instant Reconciliation System (SNIRS-2026) that would automate net-metering calculations in real time. Officials involved in the early technical framework discussions told SolSetu that the move aims to eliminate billing disputes, reduce adjustment delays, and ensure accurate energy crediting across DISCOMs.

The initiative comes at a time when rooftop solar installations are rising sharply under national programs, with consumers frequently reporting inconsistencies in manual billing adjustments.

Why the New System Is Needed

Consumer forums and DISCOM data highlight repetitive issues related to net-metering, including:

• Delayed credit updates leading to inflated bills
• Manual miscalculations by field staff
• Missing export data during meter faults
• Mismatched monthly billing cycles
• Unclear visibility for consumers on energy credit balances

SNIRS-2026 could streamline this process by providing real-time synchronization between smart meters, DISCOM portals, and billing software.

How SNIRS-2026 May Function

Early proposal documents indicate the system may include:

• Live export & import data sync from smart meters to DISCOM servers
• Instant monthly bill auto-generation with net-metering applied
• AI-driven error detection for abnormal readings
• Automated export credit carry-forward
• Consumer dashboard for real-time balance visibility
• QR-based verification for meter resets & replacements

The system is expected to be compatible with both 1-phase and 3-phase smart net meters.

Benefits for Solar Consumers

If implemented, SNIRS-2026 will provide:

• Accurate, dispute-free solar billing
• Faster credit adjustments without manual intervention
• Better transparency for rooftop users
• Reduced billing errors and escalations
• Smoother subsidy reimbursement for eligible consumers

Experts believe the reform could significantly boost consumer confidence in rooftop solar investments.

Potential Pilot Locations

States with strong digital metering infrastructure may be the first to adopt SNIRS-2026:

• Gujarat
• Madhya Pradesh
• Tamil Nadu
• Maharashtra
• Delhi NCR

The nationwide deployment could follow once DISCOM billing engines are upgraded.

SolSetu will continue tracking development updates related to the proposed SNIRS-2026 framework.