Frequently Asked Questions

The majority of solar energy, coming to our earth through the sun rays, is in the form of ‘light’ and ‘heat’. A Solar PV system uses the ‘light’ energy and converts it into electricity, which can then be used to run electrical equipment or charge batteries. A Solar Thermal system uses the ‘heat’ energy of the sun where a solar collector captures this heat or thermal energy and uses it to heat water or air.

Both Solar PV and Solar Thermal are suitable for you. If you need to run electrical and electronic equipment like lights, fans, TVs, computers, etc., Solar PV is the right solution for you. However, if you require a solution for water heating in your bathrooms or kitchens or swimming pools or for space heating, drying, cooling, etc., a solar thermal is more suitable.

Reduced Energy Bills - Did you know that Solar energy today is cheaper than grid electricity? Or that the cost of energy from an Invertor or Diesel Generator is about 2~3 times more than the grid energy that is used to charge the batteries? Depending upon your consumer category and location, you could reduce your monthly energy bill by upto 40%, sometimes even more. Moreover, once installed, the fuel (sunshine) is free for life. So, start your savings NOW!
Safe Investment, High Returns - Solar is not just a safe investment; it also gives much higher returns than some of the traditional investments we make. Since the returns on a solar investment are in the form of savings (non-taxable income), it is like having your cake and eating it too. So, whether you are a savvy financial expert or a conservative investor, the time to go solar is now. Start your solar journey with us.
Lifetime Negligible (Minimal) Maintenance - Install it and forget it! Just make sure the solar modules are kept clean. At our homes, it's as simple as watering the plants. At offices/ industries, it is a quick job for the house-keeping staff. Alternatively, you could have the solar cleaner solution like DMAN robotic cleaner that you can purchase. It is a safe and reliable method to clean solar panels whether on rooftops or ground mounted. At a very nominal cost, you get a lot of savings. Month after month. For 25 years. And beyond.
Environment Friendly - We all strive for a clean environment for ourselves, our families and our future generations. By indiscriminate utilisation of fossil fuels, we are partaking in activities that cause land, water and air pollution. Solar energy doesn’t strain our existing ecosystem, on the contrary, it undoes some of the sins we have committed.

Absolutely! Solar is for everyone. Whether you are a residential solar, commercial or industrial consumer, a smart city developer or a public utility service provider, you can use solar in a variety of ways and save big on your electricity bills year after year, for a lifetime. In addition, if you are a rural consumer or situated at a remote location, solar is the most economical solution to fulfil your electricity needs. The cities and villages can use solar for public areas and buildings. By using Solar PV power, you also stabilize your existing electricity supply as well as reduce your dependence on more expensive sources of power like Diesel Generators and Inverters. You can install Solar systems at a variety of places - on ground, rooftops, elevated structures, walls, roads, canal tops, etc.

Residential Solar

• 1. Independent house or Farm House
• 2. Housing society
• 3. Independent house in housing society

Commercial Solar

• 1. Malls, Shopping complexes,Business centers
• 2. Petrol pumps, gas stations
• 3. Toll plazas, highways
• 4. Hoardings, Billboards
• 5. Telecom Companies
• 6. Corporate Offices
• 7. Independent shops
• 8. Golf course, Clubs,Sports complex, Stadium
• 9. Hospitals, Diagnostic Centers
• 10. Hotels, Banquet halls, Restraunts, Resorts

Industrial Solar

• 1. Small sized Industries
• 2. Medium sized Industries
• 3. Large sized Industries

Institutional Govt/ PSUs

• 1. Schools, Colleges, Universities
• 2. Aashrams, Yoga Centres, Religious Institutes
• 3. R&D centres, Laboratories
• 4. Armed forces, Paramilitary forces
• 5. Municipal corporations, Smart Cities
• 6. Police Head Quarter, stations, Police lines
• 7. Railways, Metro
• 8. Airports
• 9. Government buildings
• 10. Bus stand, bus stops
• 11. Gas plant (PNG, LPG)
• 12. Agriculture
• 13. Utilities

Each user has a different electricity load profile. The good news is that your solar system can be customized depending on your electricity load profile, energy consumption pattern and requirements. The Solar PV systems can be broadly categorised as: On-grid systems, which are connected to the main electrical supply in your building; Off-grid systems, which are completely off the grid (not connected to your main electrical supply) and Solar PV hybrid systems.

On-Grid System

There are two ways in which an on-grid system can be configured:

• 1. Solar system is solely connected to the main electrical supply
• 2. In addition to the main electrical supply, Solar system can also be connected to other power sources like batteries.

Hybrid Solar PV System

The solar PV system combined with another power generating source is called Hybrid Solar PV system. The most commonly used hybrid system is Solar PV with DG and Grid electricity. You can also include a battery bank, which can be used when solar is not generating enough power. Solar PV hybrid system with battery backup is the most suitable option for remote locations such as rural area, mining sector and island etc. where grid supply is either poor or not available. Also, transportation of diesel to remote locations and its storage is very expensive.

Off Grid Solar System

Off grid Solar system is a battery-backed system and does not need to be connected to your electrical supply. This system is commonly used for backup power which may be used for running the loads in non-sunny hours e.g. powering traffic signals & streetlights, billboards, backup power for houses, pumps, etc. in cities and remote rural locations that have either fluctuating grid connectivity or do not have access to grid electricity. The design of your Solar PV system depends on the availability of electricity, power quality, electricity tariff and your energy consumption pattern. If you have grid connectivity, we recommend on-grid systems because they can more economically meet your energy requirements and provide flexibility of using a grid-hybrid system also. By using grid-hybrid systems, you can even store solar energy generated during the day for your night-time loads. If you need to choose Solar PV systems for schools, colleges, etc. which are closed on weekends, you can use net-metering mechanism to feed-in the extra power to the grid thereby avoiding any loss of solar power generated. If you don’t have grid supply or have a poor (fluctuating) voltage, you may consider an off-grid system. This system is more expensive than an on-grid system because of the additional installation and maintenance cost of batteries.

a. Generate your own power (CAPEX Model) - Simply put CAPEX means “Buying a solar PV system”. In this model, you are the owner of the system. Your solar system installer will install the system and thereafter, you enjoy the free power for many years.

b. Leasing of solar PV system - An equipment leasing company owns the PV system. However, it leases the equipment to you and charges a fixed monthly fee for usage. Generally, the lease agreements are for 10-15 years and if it extends, leasing company may offer you the option to purchase the system.

System type and size have a huge impact on the overall pricing of a solar PV system. In solar, bigger is better, since per unit prices fall with increase in scale.

Indicative cost for various system sizes is shown in the below table:

There are various Solar Financing options to buy Solar PV system:

Residential Solar

• 1. You can get a loan as a part of your home loan/ home improvement loan
• 2. Retail loans e.g. EMI/ Credit Card linked schemes
• 3. Customized tools like peer-to-peer borrowing options
• 4. You can also look for 3rd party investors for your solar system

Commercial/ Industrial

• 1. Project finance
• 2. Credit lines/ Working capital loans
• 3. Long term mezzanine debt
• 4. 3rd party investors

For corporates, there are many other options to raise debt and equity both

Solar power is cheaper than grid power for a lot of consumer categories across India. Electricity tariffs for consumers in the middle to high consumption categories are very high. Also, these tariffs keep increasing every year.

Whereas, by choosing to go solar today, you are actually locking in a fixed electricity tariff for the next 25 years or more. Moreover, since your electricity tariff is slab-based, your savings are high because solar power displaces the most expensive electricity that you consume. By going Solar, you can expect 20-60% savings on your electricity bill depending on your system size, electricity tariff, location, etc.

EVERYWHERE!

You can install Solar PV systems on the roofs, walls, ground, elevated structures, canal tops, and even moving vehicles. The only thing you need to ensure is that the location should have a clear and unobstructed access to sunlight most of the day. If nearby objects like trees or water tanks or nearby buildings leave shadow on the panels for some time during the day, then the output of your Solar PV system may get impacted for that duration.

Well, most of the building roofs in India are suitable for solar. In case the building is too old, it is advisable to get an expert opinion before going with a solar system. In India, generally, the roofs are flat. But we do have sloping roofs too in many parts of our country. The good news is that solar panels can be easily installed on sloping roofs also. You can do a quick check to ascertain the suitability of your roof for solar. Roof orientation, shading objects and the condition of the roof play a major role in this check.

Age of Roof

Most of the building roofs are suitable for installation of Solar PV systems provided there is no major structural damage to the roof. The life of Solar PV systems is about 25 years. Solar PV systems weigh about 10 to 22 kg per sq meter, which is not a very heavy load and most buildings are designed for much heavier loads. Systems with aluminium structures weigh less in comparison to systems having steel structures, but they cost a little more.

Space Requirement

Answer to this is quite simple and straight forward - It depends upon your system size as well as the solar panel efficiency. Typically, 10~12 square meter (100 to 120 square feet) per kilo Watt shadow free area is required for solar PV system.

Type of roof

Solar PV system is versatile enough to be easily installed on any type of roof (flat or sloped) made of materials like RCC, wood, cement tiles and fibre / metallic /cement sheets etc. However, if the roof is sloped, roof orientation and tilt angle must be checked. Solar panels will perform the best if their tilt angle is kept at latitude of the location i.e. between 25 to 36 degrees in Northern part, 20 to 25 degrees in central part and 8 to 20 degrees in southern part.

Orientation of the Roof

For flat roofs, it does not matter as your solar panels can always be put-up in the most optimum direction. For sloping roofs, south facing slope is the best for Solar PV systems, but south-east and south-west facing roofs are also good enough to generate solar though a bit less.

Shading Objects on Roof and nearby

To get adequate power generation or efficiency from Solar PV system, it is important to install solar panels at a location where the sunlight falls for whole day. High shading objects such as water tank, air Cooling system, lightening arresters, chimneys, antennae, nearby buildings, trees, etc. impact the power generation to some extent.

So, a thorough assessment of your roof is important for a safe, optimum and reliable Solar PV system that will perform at its peak for the next 25 years and even more.

For a Site Assessment by professionals equipped with advanced technical tools, Contact Us now.

In case of Solar PV systems, the solar panel and most other equipment manufacturers offer guarantees and warranties. Before finalizing/signing the purchase contract with the solar installer, you should ensure to check the warranty and guarantee terms of Solar PV components and system. Some of them are mentioned below:

Solar PV Panels

• 1. 10 years of product warranty against defect on materials and workmanship
• 2. Performance Guarantee of 25 years. In most of the cases, this guarantee is for 10 years at 90% of rated peak power output and for 25 years at 80% of rated peak power output. Peak power output is the nameplate capacity of a Solar PV panel.

Solar PV panels degradation trend

Degradation of solar PV panel should not be above 2.0% for first year, 8.0% for next 11 years and should not be above 9.0% linear for 13 years to follow thereafter.

Inverter

Typically inverter warranties last for 5 years; however installer or manufacturer may give extended warranties for a period of 20 years though for a fee.

Mounting Systems

Generally suppliers provide 5 to 10 years product warranty against any manufacturing defect

Solar PV System Warranty

Installers give you workmanship warranty for a period of 1~2 years or even more in some cases. It includes repair/replacement against manufacturing defects and engineering defects.

Plant performance guarantee

Generally Installers provide plant performance guarantee for a predetermined period of at least 1 to 2 years or even more in some cases. Plant performance percentage value should be pre-determined and mentioned in the purchase contract agreement. In addition, you may ask for additional guarantees like Liquidated Damages for delay in execution or poor performance, etc.

Have more queries? Contact Us and we will be happy to answer those.

System Insurance

Most insurance companies now offer insurance products for Solar PV systems. Typically, the premium amount for a policy that covers fire & burglary of the system would be approximately 0.75% of sum insured/ capital cost. However, it is recommended that you take quotes from multiple insurance companies before you choose one.

EVERYWHERE!

Several incentives are available for rooftop solar PV plants. The specifics of the incentives could vary from one state to another. These incentives broadly fall under the following categories:

• 1. Accelerated Depreciation (For companies)
• 2. Capital Subsidy
• 3. Priority Sector Lending
• 4. Net-metering

There may be more incentives made available which may vary from state to state.

Contact Us to know which incentives and subsidies are applicable for You.

Permit is usually not required for off-grid systems and on-grid systems installed for captive consumption. You should take care in choosing experienced installer to install the system as per best practices.

For on-grid systems, if you choose to go for net metering or gross metering, certain approvals are required. These approvals usually vary from state to state and based on the type and system size.

Permission and Approval process for grid connected system under Net or Gross metering mechanism:

• 1. Submission of application to your local distribution company with details of rooftop project planned along with the required permit fee.
• 2. The distribution company will conduct a feasibility analysis of the rooftop solar PV project. Based on the report, Distribution Company will approve or reject the proposal.
• 3. After receiving the approval from the distribution company, an application for registration of the rooftop project is to be submitted to the utility company.
• 4. An interconnection agreement is also to be executed between the project owner and utility company.

We will either guide you on this process or will take up ownership to take care of this process.