How does solar work?

When the rays of the sun fall on solar modules placed on the rooftop of houses, commercial building or industries, the individual cells inside the module help convert sunlight into DC electricity. However, most appliances in our home work on AC electricity, and therefore the modules are connected to an inverter which does this conversion. Once the conversion has happened, the output of the inverter which is AC electricity, is connected to the mains of your home to allow you to use solar energy.

It is important to note that you can use electricity from your rooftop solar power plant in conjunction with the electricity sourced from your DISCOM. This kind of arrangement is very common and one that solar installers are expert at managing. However, if you want to go with a system that is backed by a battery to help you use solar at night time, you must go for a hybrid or an off grid system. What exactly is that? That brings us to the next section, which is what are the different kinds of solar systems that you can opt for:

Types of solar systems:

Grid connected systems or on-grid systems, are solar systems that are connected to the building mains directly. These systems give priority to the solar power generated and only if the generated power is less than that required, will the grid power be used. As explained above, inverters are used to convert the produced DC electricity to AC. In case you opt for a grid connected system, you are eligible for Net Metering, a process where all the excess power that you produced is fed back to the grid and you receive a credit for the same. In case you generate more than you consume in one complete year, the DISCOM also pays you for the excess units generated. In many states, Net Metering has been made mandatory to avail subsidy for solar.

Off-grid solar systems are different from the on-grid system in the sense that they are set up independently from the state grid. These systems have an additional battery backup system which is charged by the generated solar energy. Batteries are charged when the generated power is more than the power being consumed. While on paper, battery backed systems sound like a great idea, these systems are generally more costly than on-grid systems and have lower efficiency. The battery needs to be replaced every five years or so but on the positive side, you can use solar energy even in the hours where there is no generation. Off-grid systems are perfect for your rooftop solar plants if you have a very erratic power supply or do not get any power at all.

A hybrid system brings the best of both worlds and is a combination of an on-grid and off-grid solar system. Hybrid systems have a battery backup which helps store the generated energy. What differentiates hybrid systems from off-grid systems is that, once the battery is fully charged, any excess power generated which is not being utilised will be fed back to the grid and the you will get suitably compensated. A hybrid system can also have other sources of energy producers, such as Diesel Generator (DG) or Wind coupled in the system.

Can I install rooftop solar?

The short answer to the question is that as long as you have a rooftop, there is nobody who can stop you from installing a rooftop solar system. Even if you are living in a high rise, you should check up with your RWA as societies today tend to have shared rooftops where there is a provision. However, there are some obvious things to consider before you decide to install rooftop solar on your house:

Area: First thing you must check is whether you have enough clear area to install solar panels. Also, the area should be enough to house the panels that are recommended for the system that is adequate to meet your demands.

Consumption: Solar power is a boon for high consumption residents, industries and commercial properties. Due to the saving you make on your electricity bill, higher your electricity, the more beneficial going solar is in general. Let's try and explain this with an example. We ran the MYSUN Basic Calculator for two residents living in South Extension in New Delhi. One with electricity bill amount Rs 1000 and the other with bill amount Rs 10,000. We found that the customer with the bill amount of Rs 1000 saves about Rs 153 on his electricity bill while the resident will bill Rs 10,000 saves Rs 2,162 with a return of more than 27%. It is also worth noting that system that are smaller in size are more difficult to obtain and do not give high financial returns.

Policy: Most of the states in India have a dedicated rooftop solar policy. If you are unsure or have not read about the same for your state, you can read it here . Several states have made Net Metering mandatory as well as offered some really lucrative schemes for you to install a rooftop solar PV plant. Make sure you are well aware of the policy in your state and stay up to date with the same.

Net Metering: Just like solar policy, Net Metering policies differ from state to state. Some DISCOMs are faster in processing the applications whereas some are slower. It would not be a bad idea to speak to your DISCOM or solar installer regarding Net metering before you decide to go solar. You can also get in touch with our expert solar advisors by clicking here.

Approvals: Installing rooftop solar PV plant may require an approval or NOC from your DISCOM depending upon the type and size of your solar system. Also, some states including Delhi have a more relaxed approach towards approvals. It is no doubt that in states like these, installing rooftop solar is a much faster process. If you live in a society of flats, you may need approvals from your RWA, so you should check upon that too.

Shading: If your rooftop is heavily shaded by nearby objects, it may prove to be not the most ideal place for installation of solar panels. If you have a lot of shading on your rooftop, there are some alternatives that the Engineering & Design team can offer, but there is no universal solution to the same. Therefore you must keep a close eye on the shading. MYSUN specializes in providing advanced shading analysis tools and site assessment services.

With the MYSUN Advanced Rooftop Solar Calculator, you can factor in virtually all of the above at one place and very easily find your solarisation potential. Not just that, but with the Advanced Calculator, you can also understand and avail the different financial options available to you and make a choice whether to buy solar system and all its parts or just buy solar power.

How can MYSUN help you to install rooftop solar?

MYSUN is an online platform lead rooftop solar company which uses engineering, data and analytics to deliver the most suitable and customized solar solutions to residential, commercial and industrial energy consumers. It aims to transform the way solar energy is perceived, bought and sold in the country today. Right from the decision making stage, all the way up to installing your rooftop solar PV plant and for 25 years beyond, MYSUN promises to be with you and accompany you.

We help you:

• Evaluate your solarisation potential using our advanced yet easy to use tools.
• Compare quotes from a list of pre-screened installers so that you are sure that you always get the most competitive and best prices in the market
• Buy your solar system once you have chosen the best quote and provide you with financial options and secure payment mode too.

Our aim is to:

• Simplify solar for you
• Provide you with competitive pricing
• Ensure you only deal with us and our pre-screened installers
• Make buying solar simple and easy
• Present Easy Financing options and help you get easy to service loans
• Ensure high standards of quality are maintained
• Give you a lifetime of support.

Things to keep in mind when installing rooftop solar?

While going solar today is easy thanks to MYSUN, there are still things that you must keep in mind when you decide to buy a solar system.

Some essential things that you must keep in mind during various stages of installation are below:

Before installation:

• Roof or land should be exposed to the sunlight for the whole or for most of the day.
• Get your home or office surveyed from an expert solar company to help calculate shading and to estimate installation capacity, generation and utilization of solar energy.
• Understand the cost involved and savings you will make, and any tax benefits etc when you go solar.
• Guarantees and warranties of each component, workmanship and plant performance needs to be discussed in detail and should be included in the contract.
• You should contact only qualified and reputed Installers/ Suppliers or visit MYSUN’s platform to know the most accurate benchmark prices in the market. Find out the right system size that fits your budget without compromising the quality as the solar system has to have atleast a 25 year life.
• Select the best quality of mounting structure and hardware. It may be slightly more expensive, but you will be assured about quality, durability and lifespan of 25 to 30 years.
• Specifications of solar components, material and payment terms needs to be agreed with your installer
• Discuss with your Installer on permits and approvals required

During installation:

• Ensure adequate access to the site for the workers and material / equipment.
• Delivery of material and components must be done with relevant documents at site.
• Requisite care and safety must be observed while unloading, shifting and placing of solar components.
• Specifications of material/ equipment received should be as per the contract.
• Civil foundations should be well finished and plastered.
• Curing of civil foundation should be properly done
• All hardware should be tightly and properly fitted in the foundation / structure / wall since loosely fitted solar panels can result in major damages.
• Fasteners should be provided in each hole of solar panel.
• Cable on structure should be laid through HDPE pipe. Cabling on wall and structure should be well tagged, clamped and dressed.
• All electrical connections should be identified and should not be in loose condition.
• All structures/ panel mounting arrangement, equipment/ components should be connected properly to an earthing system at two defined positions. This may not be required for very small system sizes. Consult an expert on it.

Post installation:

• Request for all guarantee and warrantee certificates / documents, system test reports, energy meter test reports, permits, documents related to incentives and subsidies alongside relevant approvals from DISCOM, if required.
• Keep the contact details of the installer handy all the time.
• Keep solar panel clean to ensure high efficiency and performance of your solar system and ensure that you do not leave panels with accumulated dust, fallen leaves and bird droppings.
• Use clean water for cleaning of the solar panels.
• Clean the solar panels before 10 AM or after 5 PM to ensure that the system generation is not adversely affected.
• If you face any problems with the system, please call your installer or the maintenance service provider.
• There shouldn’t be loose cabling and wiring on roof floor.
• Do not hang clothes on solar panels or structures.
• Avoid allowing kids unattended in solar installation area.

How much will my solar rooftop system cost?

The cost of a rooftop solar PV system depends upon several factors, none more so than the system type and size. Therefore these two can have a huge bearing on the final pricing of your system. For different system sizes, the following are indicative prices. Please note, that these are only indicative pricing and for your site, depending upon various factors such as location, shading, available rooftop area, structure type etc, the costing may vary based on the degree of complexity.

The figures that you see below are based on detailed benchmarking exercises done by the MYSUN team for the tier 1 systems, ensuring high quality and optimum system design, set up on a flat roof and with standard structure height,. You can always run the MYSUN solar calculator for the most accurate costing of your rooftop solar system.