A Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) system is an electricity generation system that harnesses solar energy by converting sunlight directly into electricity. The term “photovoltaic” comes from the process of transforming light (“photo”) into electrical energy (“voltaic”).
The primary components of a solar PV system include solar panels (or modules) and a solar inverter. Solar panels capture sunlight and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity. The solar inverter then converts this DC electricity into alternating current (AC), which can be used to power homes, businesses, or fed back into the electrical grid. Solar PV systems provide a clean, renewable energy solution by utilizing sunlight, reducing reliance on conventional fossil fuels, and contributing to both cost savings and environmental sustainability.
When planning to go solar, it is important to consider:
- How much of your energy needs can be fulfilled with solar?
- How much can you save by going solar?
- Approx 100-120 sqft shadow-free space is available for installing a 1kWp system.
- How much do you want to invest in your solar PV system?
Every Solar PV system is customized based on your site conditions. Therefore, you need a fair assessment of your energy requirements, site conditions and the solar energy generation potential at your site which would directly impact your savings.
Generation depends on local weather and other conditions like temperature etc
- Most places in India have 300 days of good sunshine.
- Ideal temperature for maximum generation is 25 C.
- Dust on the panels will reduce generation. Hence it is advised to clean the panels once every 3 months at least (depending on the dust composition).
- Gain freedom from power cuts and exposure to unstable power pricing.
- Commit to a stable/reliable source of solar power.
- Added incentive of going green
- Reduce dependency on grid power & diesel generators
The amount of power your solar energy system can generate is dependent on sunlight. As a result, your solar panels will produce slightly less energy when the weather is cloudy, and no energy at night. However, because of high electricity costs and financial incentives, solar is a smart decision even if you live in a cloudy city.
The size of your solar energy system will depend on how much electricity you use on a monthly basis, your budget and roof size will primarily decide your system size. We will discuss with you about your needs and aspirations post site inspection to come up with the right system to suit your needs.
The grid is electricity connection that a building has. In general, grid refers to the ESCOM (Energy Supply Company)
On-grid or grid-tied solar systems are by far the most common and widely used by homes and businesses. These systems do not need batteries and use common solar inverters that are connected to the public electricity grid. Any excess solar power that you generate is exported to the electricity grid and you usually get paid a feed-in-tariff (FiT) or credits for the energy you export.
An off-grid system is not connected to the electricity grid and therefore requires battery storage. These systems allow you to store your solar power in batteries for use when the power when grid goes down or if you are not on the grid. Off-grid solar systems must be designed appropriately so that they will generate enough power throughout the year and have enough battery capacity to meet the home’s requirements.
Modern hybrid systems combine solar and battery storage in one and are now available in many different forms and configurations. Systems that are already connected to the electricity grid can start taking advantage of battery storage as well. This means being able to store solar energy that is generated during the day and using it at night. When the stored energy is depleted, the grid is there as a backup, allowing consumers to have the best of both worlds. Hybrid systems are also able to charge the batteries using grid electricity. These systems are called hybrid systems as they have battery storage facility as well as grid connection.
There are 3 possibilities depending on the type of system you have installed:
Hybrid Plant: This will synchronize with the Backup power system (DG set, Power Inverter) and continue to provide you solar electricity
Grid-Tied: This will provide power during daylight hours but will not provide power in an outage to ensure the safety of the people working on the grid
Off Grid: This will provide power during daylight hours and has a battery backup designed to provide power to critical loads during an outage, day or night.
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 are the least expensive and require very little maintenance. Off-grid systems use batteries which cost significantly more and need high maintenance.
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Solar PV is a highly proven and reliable technology and has been in use since 1950s. A PV system that is designed, installed, and maintained well will operate for more than 25 years. The Inverters, If something does happen, most equipment manufacturers include warranties, although warranty terms depend from company to company.. Moreover, since there are no moving parts (unless you are using tracking devices to move modules tilt with the movement of the Sun), there is practically negligible wear and tear.
Solar rooftop systems are made of durable tempered glass and require; little to no maintenance for the 25 to 30 years that they will generate power. Yes, good maintenance of the solar plant ensures that it will run efficiently. SKPL has solar maintenance team who will take care of your system maintenance periodically.
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 variations to these timelines on account of access to the site, rains, etc.
For Grid Tied system, certain permits and approvals are required. Skymate Services include obtaining all necessary permits and utility interconnection agreements. We know who to call and what forms you need to sign, and we will guide you through the process step-by-step.