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When you install a solar energy system on your property, you save money on your electricity bills and protect yourself against rising electricity rates in the future. How much you can save depends on the utility rates and solar policies in your area, but going solar is a smart investment regardless of where you live.
Solar power, like other renewable energy resources , has many environmental and health benefits . Going solar reduces greenhouse gas emissions , which contribute to climate change, and also results in fewer air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, which can cause health problems.
The easiest way to find out how much you pay for electricity (and how much electricity you use per month) is to take a look at your utility electricity bill. Review Energy Sage’s guide to reading your electricity bill to find out exactly what to look for.
Since Solar PV works on the basis of the intensity of sunlight it gets, your solar system typically wakes up at around 6am in the morning and goes to sleep at about 6 or 7pm in the evening. The energy output increases gradually and peaks at around noon and then gradually decreases as the Sun starts setting.
Technically speaking, yes, if batteries are used. But practically, if grid power is available, then it is recommended to use solar in combination with grid. Solar PV can be integrated with your existing power sources (like grid power, inverter, diesel generator, etc.) in such a manner that the first priority.
Solar PV is a highly proven and reliable technology and have been in use since 1950s. A PV system that is designed, installed, and maintained well will operate for 25 years or even more than 25 years. The Inverters, which are an integral part of a Solar PV system, may need a replacement once in the 25 years.
It takes about 2-4 weeks to install a smaller system and about 4-8 weeks for larger systems. However, the actual construction time at the site is much lower since almost half of the time is spent on off-site activities such as design, engineering, procurement, etc. In certain cases, there may be variation Read more…
Good solar installers follow standard procedures and quality standards. So once you’ve chosen the right installer, you don’t have to worry about supervision. However, it may be a good practice to: Ask for layout drawing and bill of material. Ensure that the delivered material is as per the bill of mater Read more…
The annual maintenance and recurring costs are almost negligible, since there are no moving parts and the input fuel (sunlight) is free. For optimum performance, the system only requires cleaning of modules and basic preventive and corrective maintenance. However, for off-grid systems where batteries are used Read more…
A Feed-in tariff is the rate/cost at which you sell the electricity generated by your solar system to your discom either via net-metering or gross metering. This tariff rate varies from state to state depending upon the solar policy of the state. The tariff also differs across consumer categories. This tariff Read more…
Solar tariff is the rate/cost at which you purchase the electricity from the installer/owner of a solar system under a Power Purchase Agreement(PPA). The rate is agreed upon for a certain period of time as per the clause of the agreement. This insulates you from any tariff hike in the near future.
Gross metering is a mechanism in which the entire energy generated by your solar system is exported to the grid at a certain rate. In this case, the energy generated from your system is not consumed by you in any capacity. Once the energy is generated from your solar system it is transferred to the grid, and
Diesel Generators (DG) are not just a highly expensive means of power generation but are also extremely damaging to the environment. And contrary to popular belief, the cost of energy from home inverters is also very high. The cost of power from a typical DG in a housing society is Rs. 17 – 18/ unit (kWh),
There are broadly five solar buying and solar financing options that you can opt for while going solar: Buying a Solar PV system under CAPEX Model: You purchase the Solar PV system and pay the 100% cost of the solar system upfront. This allows you to get the best deal as you would be saving any addition
Studies have shown that homes with solar energy systems sell for more than homes without them. However, your property value will only increase if you own, rather than lease, your solar panel system. In most parts of the country, going solar will actually increase your property value more than a kitchen renovation.
PV, short for Photovoltaic, derives its name from the process of converting light (‘photo’) directly into electricity (‘voltaic’). Simply put, a Solar PV system is a power station that generates electricity from sunlight. The main components of a Solar PV system are: Solar Panels or Modules.
No permits would be needed, if you are going to install off grid Solar PV system or grid connected system (On-Grid) for captive (self) consumption. For net metering and gross metering system, certain permits and approvals are required. For Net & Gross Metering: 1. Approval from DISCOM for grid connectivity.
Depending on your energy consumption pattern (consumption during day vs night), power outage pattern, availability of policies like Net Metering and access to grid power (for rural areas), you can choose between an on-grid and an off-grid Solar PV system. On grid systems are the most commonly used systems and
To keep a regular check on your system performance, it is recommended that you install a data logger (data monitoring device) along with your Solar PV system. This device will allow you to compare the actual with the estimated performance on a daily, monthly and annual basis.
Electricity is measured in kWh (Kilo Watt Hour). It is the amount of electricity consumed by an appliance in a specified period. For example, 100W bulb * running for 1 hour = 100Wh which is equal to 0.1 kWh (unit). Your electricity bill mentions the kWh (Units) consumed by you in your billing cycle.
To ensure that the generation from your Solar PV system is maximized, the following should be kept in mind: Location (Solar Irradiation/ weather conditions) Plant layout Shading and roof orientation System design Equipment quality Operations and maintenance.
A Solar PV system generally weighs 15 to 20 Kg per square meter. This weight can be easily borne by most roofs. Since the life of a Solar PV system is about 25 years or more, do ensure that your roof is in good condition to bear the system’s load over its lifetime.
The CPEX, OPEX(RESCO) and PPA are two models of buying solar energy. Here are what they mean and how they are different from each other: CAPEX: CAPEX stands for Capital Expenditure. If you go solar under the CAPEX model, you are required to pay the total cost of the solar system upfront.
From the cost perspective, the CAPEX model of going solar is considered the best model of buying solar followed by DPA and PPA. The reason behind this consideration is that since the cost solar PV system is paid upfront under CAPEX, the cost of solar energy is lower in CAPEX than in DPA and PPA. Under DPA,
Net metering is a billing mechanism which allows you to sell excess (unconsumed) solar power generated by your solar system to the DISCOM. For example, if on a given day you generated 20 units from your solar system and consumed only 18 units, the balance 2 units will be sold to the DSICOM at a set tariff.
Solar PV system costs vary depending on the size of the system. On an average, an on-grid system of a size up to 10kWp costs Rs. 50-74/Wp, between 10 – 100 kWp costs Rs. 35-50/Wp and above 100KWp costs Rs. 34-36/Wp systems. For utility-scale solar projects (Mega Watt Projects), costs can be even lower than Rs. 32/Wp. However,
Solar PV systems are highly reliable if designed well. Moreover, the key components of a Solar PV system are backed by guarantees & warranties . However, since solar is like any other asset that you own, it is generally advisable to buy an insurance cover.
Yes, solar power today is cheaper than grid power for a lot of consumer categories across most states. Moreover, solar is a one time investment while grid tariff keeps increasing every year. Therefore, by choosing to go solar today, you are locking in a fixed energy price for the next 25 years.
