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 sulphur dioxide and particulate matter,  which can cause health problems.

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.

Department of Financial services has instructed to all Public Sector Banks (PSB) to encourage home loan/ home improvement loan  seekers to install rooftop solar PV plants and include cost of system in their home loan proposals. So far, nine PSBs namely Bank of  India, Syndicate Bank, State Bank of India, Dena Bank , Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank  and Indian Overseas Bank have given instructions to extend loan for Grid Interactive Rooftop Solar PV Plants as home loan/ home  improvement loan

The strength of the solar energy (radiation) available depends on the time of year, the time of day, and the latitude of the generation point.

The amount of energy that the system generates can change due to:

• The amount of dust and water vapour in the air,
• How much cloud cover
• Any shading of the solar panels
• The quality of the solar modules.

1. Solar PV modules used in solar power plants /systems must be warranted for their output peak watt capacity, which should not be less than 90% at the end of 12years and 80% at the end of 25 years.
2. The mechanical structures, electrical works including power conditioners/inverters/charge controllers/maximum power point tracker units/distribution boards/digital meters/switch gear/storage batteries, etc. and over all workmanship of the SPV power  plants/ systems must be warranted against any manufacturing/ design/ installation defects for a minimum period of 5 years or  as per the MNRE and Govt. of India Regulations.

Yes, battery backup systems require additional components – which can be costly; although pricing is rapidly dropping.

The grid connect inverter will automatically shut itself off within a few milliseconds of a blackout. This avoids the potential of a  dangerous “burn-out” in your home and to prevent back feeding into the grid. Therefore even though you have a solar system during  a blackout you will not have power available. If you want to keep on having electricity available during a blackout then you would  need back up batteries. This will add to the cost of the system.

Grid connected systems directly supply excess electricity produced during the day back into the local electricity grid. You then  receive a credit for any power that your system supplied to the grid. During the night when your system does not produce any  electricity you draw your power from the grid and your electricity meter measures your consumption. Battery banks are also used to  store electricity for use in the night.

In order to install a grid connected solar power system at your premises, you will need to have a compatible switchboard and meter.  A meter exchange may be necessary after the installation of your new solar system. The energy that your solar system produces  interacts with the main power grid and the loads in your house.

In a grid connect system, as you are still tied to the mains power supply, any deficit will come from the mains grid.

Yes, you can get additional solar panels at any time to increase generating capability, but you might have to upgrade to a larger  inverter. Alternatively you could purchase a larger inverter when installing the system initially and then plan to add some extra solar  panels later.

The benchmark cost of grid connected rooftop solar systems for FY 2018-19 varies from Rs. 53 per watt – Rs. 60 per watt.

A 1 kW rooftop system generally requires 10 sq. metres of shadow-free area.

In a solar rooftop system, the solar panels are installed on the roof of any Residential, Institutional, Social, Government, Commercial, Industrial buildings etc.

This can be of two types:

• Grid Connected Solar Rooftop System.
• Solar Rooftop System with storage facility using battery.

Grid connect systems, which are the most common in built up areas, supply solar electricity through an inverter directly to the  household and to the electricity grid if the system is providing more energy than the house needs. When power is supplied to the  main grid, the house owner usually receives a credit or a payment for the electricity supplied to the grid. This is called a feed-in tariff