Are you looking to buy solar systems for your home? You have come to the right place. At Solar Cells India, we have compiled a quick, handy checklist that you should consider before you go about purchasing solar panels, batteries, inverters, and everything else.
Requirements for a Solar Power System
Whether you are looking for a solar system for your home, office, business, or any other commercial project, you will need the following components:
- Solar panels: To convert the sun’s energy into electricity.
- Solar inverters: To convert the DC electricity from the panels into AC electricity, all our electronic devices operate on.
- Solar batteries: To store any additional power generated from the solar cells; this extra energy can power the home during downtimes (rainy/cloudy days, nighttime, grid not operational).
Apart from these, you also have your essential balance of components, metering devices, and installation gears (stands, panels, mounts, etc.).
Of course, the size of the system and the number of parts needed vary greatly – depending on the space, type of system you have, and power requirements.
Types of Solar Power Systems
In India (or anywhere else), you will have three types of solar systems to choose from. These are:
- On-Grid System (Grid-Tie)
- Off-Grid System
- Hybrid System
The primary difference between the on-grid and off-grid solar systems is the use of batteries to store additional power. A hybrid system is a compromise between the two. For more information about the three, you can check out our detailed blog here.
You will most likely need the basic equipment like solar panels, and solar inverters. Solar batteries will come into the picture depending on the kind of system you opt for.
Grid-tie solar system
As the name suggests, grid-tie systems keep you connected to the power grid of the electricity utility company. Your solar panels will continue to supply electricity to your house while the extra or surplus energy is sent to the grid.
In case of no sunlight, rain interruptions, nighttime, or maintenance, the grid meets the energy requirement. At the end of the month, the difference between energy supplied and taken from the grid is calculated through the concept of net metering.
What on-grid systems include
- Solar panels
- Solar inverters
- Enhanced meter for net metering
- Installation equipment
There are also a few benefits and drawbacks of opting for such a system:
| Pros | Cons |
| Uninterrupted power supply – even during cloudy days, rainy weather, or nighttime | No power available if the grid goes down |
| Can avail government subsidies | Not entirely independent from the grid |
| Cost-efficient as no batteries or other equipment are needed | |
| Ideal for those who cannot meet 100% of their electricity demand through solar power | |
| Extra income can be generated by selling the surplus power to the utility companies |
Off-grid solar system
The solar solution is ideal for those who looking to go completely independent from the grid. The entirety of the power requirement is met through solar energy.
These off-grid systems are also more expensive as batteries (and other tools) are needed to store the surplus energy – which can be utilised when the panels are not operational.
What off-grid systems include
- Solar panels
- Solar inverters
- Solar batteries (MPPT or PWM-type)
- Installation equipment
Looking at the advantages and disadvantages of off-grid systems:
| Pros | Cons |
| Complete energy independence | More expensive due to the presence of batteries |
| Excellent for remote areas and communities where grid power is not available | Needs frequent maintenance due to more batteries |
| Good energy solution for underdeveloped places | No subsidies available |
| Surplus energy may go to waste if not utilised | |
| Batteries degrade rather quickly |
Hybrid Solar Systems
Hybrid systems allow users to stay connected to the grid while storing surplus energy in the batteries.
The idea here is that once the batteries are completely charged during the day, the extra energy is exported to the utility grid through net metering. In the nighttime, you can draw the energy from the grid. Alternately, you can also meet your requirements from the batteries to a certain charge level post which, the grid kicks in once again.
What hybrid solar systems include:
- Solar panels
- Solar inverters
- Solar batteries (MPPT or PWM-type)
- Installation equipment
- Enhanced meter for net metering
Looking at the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid solar systems for home:
| Pros | Cons |
| Uninterrupted power supply – even during cloudy days, rainy weather, or nighttime | More expensive due to the presence of batteries |
| Can avail government subsidies | Needs frequent maintenance due to more batteries |
| Battery backup available | |
| Can run heavy loads | |
| Extra income can be generated by selling the surplus power to the utility companies | |
| Excellent for areas prone to frequent power cuts | |
| Can operate in areas with no power grid |
Things to Consider
Making a transition to solar energy is one of the best decisions you can make for your household; there is no denying that. However, it will take a bit of time and effort to get it right. After all, it is an investment that you are making (which will pay for itself) and since you are dealing with several electronic components, it is better to do your homework and due diligence.
To get started, here is what you need to consider before opting for solar power for your house:
Power requirements
Right off the bat, you need to calculate how much power you need to meet your daily needs. There are a couple of ways to go about it – you can use a solar power calculator (like this one) or you can go the old-school way of looking at your monthly electricity bills and then taking an average.
For instance, if your highest monthly bill consumes 90 units of electricity, then on average, you need 3 units per day. One unit is equivalent to 1,000 kWh so on a daily basis, you require 3,000 watts of electricity (or 3 kWh) to keep your home operations running smoothly.
Number of solar panels
There are several types of solar cells and panels available in the market; from varying efficiencies or varying make and model, there is plenty of choice for the user.
Here, you will also need to consider the average sunlight hours in your area. For the sake of simplicity, let’s consider your house rooftop receives 6 hours of uninterrupted sunlight.
Assuming that you go for a panel which is rated 440 watts, it can generate 2,640 watts-hour of electricity per day (440 watts x 6 hours) or 2.6 kWh. Since this is just shy of your 3 kWh requirement, you will need an additional panel of a lower rating (330W or lesser) to fully meet the needs.
Area available on the rooftop/backyard
Depending on the type and number of solar panels you need for your home, the area required may vary from 10 square feet to 50 square feet. If your requirement is much higher than 3 kWh per day – going up to 10, 15, or 20 kWh, then the area needed will also go up proportionately – up to 100 sq. feet or more.
Site survey
This is something that would be done by the solar installation company but it would be good to know things like:
- Shadow impact: How much of your rooftop/backyard is covered by a shadow from the surrounding buildings or trees? For how long do you get uninterrupted sun?
- Do you live in a coastal area or inland? If it is the former, then the panels and stands would need to be sturdy and efficient enough to withstand strong winds and still continue to deliver the same output.
- Do you live in North India or South India? Depending on the location, the panels would have to be aligned accordingly for maximum sun absorption.
Lastly, you may also want to do a cost estimation on how much your solar power system for the home will cost.
Conclusion
The Indian solar market is booming at a rapid pace. Considering the push from the government toward solar energy, advancements in technologies, and ease of availability and financing, there are plenty of home solar solutions to choose from. All you need to do is figure out your requirements and the rest will fall into place rather easily.