VNM vs Group Net Metering vs Community Solar: Which One for Your Delhi Flat?

In short: These terms sound alike but solve different problems. Net metering credits solar from your own roof. Group Net Metering (GNM) lets one owner move surplus solar credits across several of their own electricity connections. Virtual Net Metering (VNM) lets many people share one solar plant that sits somewhere else — the basis of community solar, and the only option if you have no usable roof of your own. If you live in a Delhi flat with no roof rights, VNM / community solar is almost always your route.

Here''s how to tell them apart and choose the right one.

The one-table comparison

When to choose each

Choose rooftop net metering if you own an independent house with a sound, unshaded roof. It''s the simplest, cheapest per-unit path and qualifies directly for rooftop subsidy.

Choose Group Net Metering if you''re a single owner with multiple electricity connections — say a home, a shop and a farmhouse — and one of them has roof space. GNM lets the surplus from that one system wipe out bills across all your connections.

Choose Virtual Net Metering / community solar if you have no roof of your own to use — you''re in a flat, you rent, your roof is shaded or too small, or your society can''t run a single rooftop project. You take a share of a shared plant and the credits land on your bill, with nothing installed at home.

A quick decision guide

• I own a good roof → Rooftop net metering.
• I own several places, one has a roof → Group Net Metering.
• I live in a flat / rent / no usable roof → Virtual Net Metering (community solar).
• We''re an RWA / society wanting solar for many flats → VNM / community solar (often with a group arrangement) — see our Dwarka society guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is community solar the same as virtual net metering?

Community solar is the product — you buy or subscribe to a share of a shared plant. Virtual Net Metering is the mechanism that credits that share to your electricity bill. In practice, in Delhi, they go together.

What is the real difference between GNM and VNM?

GNM shares credits across connections owned by the same person. VNM lets different people share one plant. If you don''t own a roof at all, you need VNM.

Does VNM work with BSES / TPDDL?

Yes — it runs through the DERC net-metering framework and is credited by your discom (BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna or TPDDL).

Which option saves more?

Per unit, a well-sited rooftop system is usually cheapest. But if you have no roof, the honest comparison is VNM vs paying full grid tariff — and VNM wins that every time.

Not sure which fits your home or society? Share your latest bill on WhatsApp and we''ll tell you. +91 92890 27500 · sales@bridgewaypower.in

Bridgeway Power Services has been installing solar across Delhi NCR since 2019, carries the Sunson group''s 45 MW+ project legacy, holds a 4.7-star customer rating, and commissioned Delhi''s first Virtual Net Metering plant under BRPL in 2024. See also: our pillar guide — Community Solar & Virtual Net Metering in Delhi.

Sources / further reading: DERC net-metering (Group & Virtual Net Metering) guidelines; Delhi government "Pathways to install solar" (solar.delhi.gov.in).