India, May 25 -- This month, Chandigarh didn't just bask in the sun-it started harnessing it. CREST (Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society) has launched a pilot rooftop solar project under the RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) model in Sector 51's government housing. No upfront cost for residents, reduced electricity bills, and rental income from terraces. One housing society alone could earn Rs.30 lakh annually by leasing its rooftops. It's a promising prototype that invites deeper questions-not just about policy, but about the broader potential and implications for the city's future. At the heart of this solar transformation lies a deceptively simple tool: net metering. It allows users to feed surplus solar energy back into the grid. When your rooftop panels generate more electricity than you consume, the excess flows into the grid, and your meter runs in reverse-earning credits. Your electricity bill shrinks, sometimes dramatically. This turns the homeowner into a "prosumer"-a producer and consumer. It's a quiet revolution: households becoming part of the energy infrastructure, not just dependent on it. It decentralises production in a way that feels both empowering and logical in a sunny country like ours. The RESCO model complements this shift by removing financial and logistical barriers. A private company installs and maintains the system at no upfront cost. You pay only for the electricity you use-at a lower rate than the traditional tariff. After 15-20 years, ownership transfers to you. For many, this is not just convenient but liberating. Beyond economics, this is a philosophical shift-from passive consumption to participatory citizenship. Your rooftop is no longer idle space; it's an active node in a broader urban network. In Chandigarh, rooftops have always held cultural and architectural significance. They are utilitarian yet symbolic-sites of water tanks, monsoon reveries, and architectural clarity. For a city built on modernist ideals-clean lines, functional purity, harmony between built form and open space-solar panels can feel like a visual intrusion. But solar doesn't have to clash with aesthetics. With evolving tech-like building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), streamlined frames, and coordinated mounting-there's potential for integration. Rooftop solar can be a feature, not an afterthought. Internationally, solar facades and roof gardens with embedded panels are emerging as expressions of ecological design. For Chandigarh-a city that pioneered post-independence planning-this is a chance to lead again, marrying sustainability with design sensibility. It's not about concealing panels, but rethinking rooftops as adaptable, generative surfaces. The solar transition won't succeed on engineering alone. It demands civic engagement and policy consistency. CREST has taken commendable steps to simplify the process. Their online portal is user-friendly. But will RWAs and homeowners see solar as a valuable asset or an architectural burden? Then comes the question of grid readiness. As more households feed electricity back, how will infrastructure adapt? Will policies continue to incentivise prosumers or shift under new tariff structures? Can net metering remain viable if power utilities face revenue dips? We're witnessing not just a technological transition, but a cultural one. From ornamental terraces to energy-producing hubs, the rooftop's role is evolving. And so must our sense of civic responsibility. In embracing solar, residents are not just saving on bills-they're participating in building a cleaner, smarter city. Chandigarh's rooftops are no longer idle slabs of concrete. They're platforms of possibility-ecological, technological, and civic. The sun arrives daily, generously, without charge. The real opportunity lies not just in harvesting it-but in designing around it, together....