Dispelling Common Myths

About Solar For

A Common Man
India is endowed with an abundance of sun radiation. According to estimates,
India receives up to 300
days of sunlight each year. Despite its vast solar potential, India has been
unable to fully use its solar
resources. The lack of individual solar knowledge is arguably the single largest
impediment to the spread
of solar energy in India, particularly solar system for home.

Perhaps it's time to take a fresh look at solar energy (pun intended). Solar is a
financial vehicle, similar to
Mutual Funds, in that it is an investment. The only distinction is that solar
returns are not susceptible to
market risk, but they are victims of several misconceptions. It's past time for
us to crack a couple of
them!

Myth 1: "I'm not interested in solar."

Truth: Solar energy is for everyone, regardless of whether or not there is a

power outage in your area.
Solar energy should be considered a long-term investment. Even if you have
24 hour access to grid or
utility electricity, you may invest in solar energy and make a decent profit. An
investment, similar to any
other financial instrument, that yields equivalent, if not superior, returns!

Consider this: If you reside in Gurgaon and your monthly power cost is on
average Rs.10,000/-, an
investment of Rs.130,000/- in a solar-rooftop On-grid solution of 1.75 kWatts
may possibly yield a return
on investment of up to 20% p.a. in the form of monthly electricity bill savings!

Solar energy is also pollution-free, making it beneficial to the environment.

Profits while lowering your
carbon impact are the icing on the cake!
Myth 2: "Solar is prohibitively expensive."

Truth: Solar energy prices have dropped dramatically in recent years, making
it both cheap and
inevitable! Solar may be started with as little as a few thousand rupees.
Various solar options are
available depending on your need. Financing can be obtained and converted
into EMIs under short-term
or long-term loans for larger solutions needing more investments. (Read on
for more information.) Of
course, the more you invest, the higher your chances of making a profit!

When it comes to returns, solar energy outperforms typical alternate power

sources such as diesel
generators by up to 50% when both investment and operating expenses are
included.

Myth #3: "Solar is very complicated."

The truth is that it isn't true at all! Installing a solar system is similar to
installing any other household
device, such as an air conditioner. It's a straightforward three-step procedure
that begins with a site
inspection to analyse solar energy potential, then moves on to a proposed
solution with appropriate
distribution company permissions (only required for net-metering systems),
and finally to solar
installation of the solution, which takes one day!

You must purchase a solar solution that meets your unique requirements.
Finally, the following pointers
will help you understand the various sorts of solutions and when they should
be purchased:

On-grid Alternative On-Grid solutions allow you to generate electricity from

the sun and export it to the
grid. A grid-connected system with a bi-directional net metre is included. Both
the import and export of
electric units are recorded by the net-meter. You only pay for the net units
imported, which saves you
money on your power bills. Grid-connected solar systems provide the highest
return on investment.
Off-Grid Alternative Solar electricity may be stored and used later with off-
grid solutions. They are made
up of battery packs that store solar energy generated during the day. These
options are appropriate for
locations with frequent power outages. Because of the batteries, the cost of
these Off-Grid options is
greater, but they are superior to diesel generators in more ways than one. To
begin with, a diesel
generator's unit cost of power (including capital cost) is Rs 20-25.

Solar, on the other hand, has a unit cost of power that is around half that of a
diesel generator (including
batteries). Second, when there is no power loss, a diesel generator is idle, but
a solar system operates
regardless of the power outage scenario. Solar inverters save money by
prioritising solar energy over
grid electricity. Solar panels, unlike diesel generators, do not pollute the
environment. To summarise,
solar energy is a clear winner.

Upgrading Options You may convert your existing power backup system to a
solar power system using
upgrading solutions. These options make it possible to go solar without
breaking the ba