When you think of some of the best-planned cities in India, the name of Chandigarh and Greater Noida generally feature in any list. With fantastic wide roads and well-planned sectors, Greater Noida is a wonderful city to stay in if you like peaceful and quaint lifestyle. The fact that it is in the National Capital Region or NCR, means it is well connected to the Capital City of India, New Delhi and therefore you are never too far away. As one of the modern new cities of India, doesn't Greater Noida deserve a modern source of power? What's more is that this transition can be extremely beneficial for you financially.

Let's take an example. A household in Greater Noida on an average spends about Rs 7500 on the electricity bill. This amounts to spending close to Rs 90,000 on just electricity bill annually. But what if you could trim this down substantially and also ensure that your environment and surroundings are kept gorgeous green and clean? Going solar can help you not just trim your electricity bill by a lot but also prove to be an intelligent investment in the long run. Today, you can expect about 6.5% return on your investment from FDs while market being volatile can give you about 12-13% return on a good day. But going solar can be far more beneficial.

We ran past this case the MYSUN Solar Calculator, which instantly gives you your savings potential as well as the solar system and financial details, and concluded that going solar makes fantastic financial sense. With a monthly bill of Rs 7,500, if you opt with Net Metering, your electricity bill monthly will come down to just Rs 988. This would ensure that you make a lifetime savings of Rs 20.2 Lakh and get a Return on your Investment of 20.8% per annum. That's a lot of savings and almost triple the RoI than what banks promise.

Since a Rooftop solar system will accompany you for 25 years, it is imperative that you invest in the right one. With MYSUN, you can be rest assured of a top of the line service as well as best in the market solar equipment. It is also quite interesting to note that the first city that MYSUN started operation in was Greater Noida and therefore we know the city like the back of our hands. Each rooftop is unique and therefore has to be treated differently and that is where our team of highly experienced Solar Advisors will add immeasurable value. With an advanced site survey, not only will you be offered the best and most optimum solution for your rooftop but also have Flexible Solar Financing Options that you could avail. Under MYSUN Solar Financing, you can own your solar system at easy monthly installments. You can also view the Rooftop Solar policy for Greater Noida on our website here.

So, start your savings journey today and if you are looking for a solar company in Greater Noida, simply pick up your phone and give us a call on 9873167009. You could also E-Mail us on [email protected]. We look forward to meeting you in Greater Noida.

It was reported in September that the electricity tariffs in the capital city of India will be hiked by an average of about 4-6% thanks to a new surcharge that has been introduced. Next in the queue to face the hike in the electricity bill is the state of Punjab which will see a hike of about 12% on an average on the electricity tariffs. The bad news does not end here, as this hike is retrospective in nature, being brought into regulation from the start of the financial year. Therefore, the arrears that have accumulated, will be charged in the upcoming electricity bills.

The worst hit by this announcement are the residential users who have consumed more than 500 units of electricity in a month as the tariff for them stands at Rs 7.36, 12.2% higher. For those in the lower slabs, such as in the 101-300 units consumed per month and 301-500 units consumed, the hike is relatively lower at 6.68% and 8.99% respectively. For the industrial and commercial users too, there is a 10% hike, though the Government of Punjab has assured that the tariff will not exceed the promised figure of Rs 5 per unit.

According to Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) chairwoman, Ms Kusumjit Sidhu there will be a negligible hike in the next two years too. In the last ten years, the hike in the power tariffs in Punjab has been approximately 60%, and it looks to be only going northwards as the state electricity board has set up stiff revenue targets.

With the ever-increasing electricity tariffs in Punjab and rooftop solar becoming more affordable than ever, it makes complete economic and financial sense for the residents to produce and consume their own power. This way, not only will you be absolved of any such power hikes in the future but also will be assured of high returns on your investment.

If you are in Punjab and looking to go solar, you may go ahead and write to us directly mail on [email protected] or call us at: 9873167009

News source: Hindustan Times   Image: UNFCC  

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission has decided to add a new surcharge on the electricity bill starting September 1, due to which the electricity bills in the National Capital will be higher. The freshly ordered tariffs will retain the same tariff per kWh, but because of the revised fixed charges, the effective tariff consumers will pay in Delhi will be higher. A new surcharge of 3.7% has been added to all power bills alongside the existing 8% charge that was already there. Further, a fixed charge has been levied on the basis of your sanctioned load, which is the maximum load that your household loads can derive out from the DISCOM.

For those of you on a 1kW connection, the fixed charges have actually been reduced from Rs 40 a month to Rs 20 a month. For a 2 kW sanctioned load, for up to 400 units consumed, the fixed charges have been unchanged and will remain at Rs 40. However, most of the connection in Delhi are 3kW and beyond, and this is where the new fixed charges have been levied. For 3 kW sanctioned load users, the fixed charges have been increased to Rs 105 from Rs 100, which could see your electricity bill jump up by about 3.4%. For those residential properties where sanctioned load is 4kW, the fixed charges have been increased by Rs 40, and with the new surcharge, the bill will go up by 4.5%. The worst affected are those with 5 kW sanctioned load where the fixed charges have been set at Rs 175 instead of Rs 100 and with a further surcharge, you will most likely see your bill increase by about 4.6%.

Overall, for most of the residents, you can expect about 4% increase in your electricity bill from this billing cycle onwards. In the times where everything is becoming more expensive, this increase in power costs should come as little surprise. However, if only you had opted for a rooftop solar plant and were producing your own power, this would be no news for you and you would have been unaffected. Still, it is not too late to act for you to connect with one of the best solar companies in Delhi/ NCR. If you want to ensure that you are isolated from these price rises in the cost of power, go ahead and schedule your site survey on MYSUN and get home your own solar system.

If you are contemplating going solar and have or are planning to choose MYSUN as your solarization partner, you must have noticed, that the Site Survey is the first step. In fact, we begin your solar journey by performing a site survey.

In the last one year of being in operations and speaking to literally thousands of customers, one question we have been repeatedly asked -why is site survey so important? Some customers ask, “There are a  plenty of solar companies in the market that are fine to share a solar system quote just by looking at the electricity bill and some images of the rooftop. So why this effort of a dedicated engineering team visiting our rooftop, spending at least a couple of hours, using highly advanced and sophisticated tools before preparing a detailed quote?” Since the answer to this question has several aspects, and we feel site survey is the most crucial part of you going solar, we wrote a blog on the same. Follow along:

Why is site survey so important?

Each Rooftop is Unique:

Unlike a lot of countries especially in Europe where houses are built similarly, in India, each household, each building, each rooftop is unique. It has unique designs, unique installations and therefore needs to be studied like a unique individual case. The only way to accurately know what your rooftop looks like, the neighbourhood there, the kind of objects around the area that will influence the generation is possible via a proper site survey. Your rooftop type, be it the inclination, direction or even construction material plays a very critical role when we design your solar system and the structure that would host the solar panels. Therefore our solar engineers, not just size your rooftop for details like available area and directions, they also do a thorough study of the details mentioned above to ensure the generation from your solar system is the best possible.

Shadow Analysis is Crucial:

Unless you live in complete isolation, which is highly unlikely, there is always a possibility that there are some trees, high-rise building, or other such structures around your installation areas that will cast a shadow. Moreover, the shadow pattern will change from season to season. Due to this shadow, the total sunlight received by the solar systems will be affected. Therefore a good shadow analysis of your rooftop is invaluable as it tells you the correct generation potential and therefore makes key decisions like where should you place the panels and what kind of system size you should be using. A wrong shadow analysis will leave you with an expensive solar system for 25 years that will never perform to its optimum limit.

Your Electricity Bill & Sanctioned Load:

MYSUN Site survey engineers also do a thorough check and bring back crucial information like your sanctioned load, the number of phases of supply your site has and kind of consumption pattern you have. Analysis of this consumption pattern is so important when we design the system as it helps us map your usage correctly so that the benefit from solar is maximum. This would help you depend lot lesser on your DISCOM for power and save on your electricity bill. The information from the bill is also important from the point of view of Net Metering and System Design. Since MYSUN is a full-service company, we also help you obtain the Net Metering and commissioning of your Solar PV Plant. For the same, information of your electricity bill is important.

It helps us ensure your rooftop is usable:

We realize that even though an unused part of the house, your rooftop is crucial. At MYSUN, we handle your rooftop with utmost care. A site survey helps us analyze your rooftop and suggest a design that would make sure your rooftop can be accessible and usable. It also helps us to ensure that the aesthetics of your rooftop is maintained and how best can the installation be done accommodating if there are any existing structures there. A personal inspection during the site survey also helps us when planning the installation as to where would the various components like the inverters or batteries if applicable will be installed.

Any special requirements can be addressed:

What if you want to install a superstructure that would allow you to install the panels at a height allowing you to access your rooftop like normal? Or any other such requirement, we ensure that our engineers note them while conducting the site survey. This is taken care and given special consideration when the system is being designed. All your demands, instructions and requests are duly noted so that your experience of installing solar panels is as smooth as possible and everything is well documented.

Why Site Survey with MYSUN?

Clear from the above, there are several things that come as an output from a site survey. All these points are used and kept into consideration when designing your rooftop solar system. Since MYSUN Site Survey is done by a highly qualified team of site engineers with the latest solar equipment, the report that you eventually get with the system design, as well as the final quote, is highly personalized and highly accurate. The following therefore become a part of a comprehensive site survey report:

• Shading analysis (nearby shading and far shading objects)
• Layout of the site
• Solar access & irradiation analysis
• Module layout in 2D (even 3D layouts are shared in certain cases)li>
• Expected generation - Monthly and Annual for Year 1
• Monthly and Lifetime Savings with ROI
• System capacity and proposal with and without net metering
• Price of the solar system
• Your contribution to the environment
• One proposal for a MYSUN Assured Order with Tier 1 Equipment
• Make of major items in the proposal (Module and Inverter)
• O&M Proposal
• AD Benefits/ EMI Option (If applicable)
• 3D model (if you opt for it)

We treat every customer as an individual and special attention is given to every rooftop that we work on because we believe that a solar system is a highly personalized installation and there is no one size that fits all. So, if you had a question about, why a site survey, we hope this would have helped answer the question.

Currently, the MYSUN Site Survey Services are available in Delhi/NCR. In the regions beyond, it is the responsibility of the MYSUN partners to perform the site survey. We are expanding rapidly in the regions beyond Delhi/NCR so that we are able to serve all our consumers who are showing a keen interest in going solar. So goa head, and schedule your site survey now.

Nobody needs to point out that running a successful business in today's world is a challenge. Not only do you have to ensure your services and deliveries are top notch, every now and again, you have to ensure that you are doing things that stand out from what your competitor is doing. Standing out today has become the flag bearer of success and therefore a successful businessman, will not shy away from the tiniest tricks in the book that would help him gain an advantage over the competitors.

At MYSUN, we strongly believe that going solar is an interesting way for your business to literally stand out. Let us explain:

1) Installing a rooftop solar system on your office building automatically elevates the building stature, quite literally too. Thanks to the high rising or even the flush-mounted solar panels, the building stands out in the surrounding and attracts eye balls. It makes a wonderful impression on anyone walking into the building. Don't they say, the first impression is the last impression? Installing a rooftop solar system not just indicates that you are an environmentally cautious organization but also shows that you are a forward thinking and responsible entity, one that will do everything in its power to do things to help conserve the planet. Before you know it, you will become an envy of the neighborhood and seeing you, your neighborhood would go solar too.

2) Going solar ensures that you save a plenty on your electricity bill. A more detailed information for the same has been shared in our blog post specifically aimed at Industrial folks here. Moreover, with a fixed price of power for the next 25 years, you will be saving yourself from all the escalations that the coming years will bring. If you are a business that relies heavily on manufacturing or repair work, which demands a higher supply of power, going solar can be the best investment for you. In several cases, we have seen that a business can save as much as up to 70% of their current electricity bill by going solar. There is also accelerated depreciation (AD) benefits that can be availed for your business which would help reduce your tax liability when you invest into a solar system. You can always opt for Net Metering, in case you are producing excess power and get compensated for the same. All in all, going solar will not just help you save on your electricity costs but also earn credits if you do not utilize the power generated.

3) The costs of going solar have come down tremendously today. So you need not be a Fortune 500 company to take the decision. In fact, solar has achieved grid parity long back, with cost per unit being much lower than coal or Thermal power. The cost of solar equipment including the panels and the inverter has come down dramatically and affordability is no more a problem. There are several solar financing schemes that are available that make ownership even easier. Therefore, today, finances are the last thing that should keep you from going solar.

4) Going solar helps benefit employee satisfaction. A company is only as good as its employees and with greater awareness, today everybody knows about solar. When an employee sees the company investing in solar, it gives a feeling of assurance that the company cares about nature, surroundings, the planet etc and therefore will most likely to treat the employees well. Having solar in your office, therefore, is not just a good economical, but also an HR positive move.

While solar is beneficial to people in all walks of life, particularly for small to medium sized businesses would find tremendous value in going solar. If your office or industry is located in New Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad or one of the surrounding areas, be it Mahendragarh, Manesar, Panipat, Sonepat, Meerut or Rewari, make sure you go ahead and schedule your site survey on MYSUN to be the first ones to benefit from a list of special services, listed for industrial customers or simply call us at +91-9873167009 to talk to our expert solar advisors.

image source: intermtnwindandsolar.com

With falling solar power prices and increasing prices of electricity from the conventional sources of power, today, solar system for homes on the rooftop is no more a distant dream but a reality. Plenty of residential users today have started adopting solar, not just to meet their power demands in a clean way but also as a source of financial savings and for great returns on investment.

We have talked in much details and depth about how installing solar systems for homes in Delhi makes financial, economic and environmental sense. The case is true for any part of India as we receive easily more than 300 days of direct sunlight throughout the year. So, whether you are in Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Mumbai, Chennai or Bengaluru, installing solar rooftop plant at your residence is a very rewarding decision.

What are the benefits of a solar system at your rooftop?

1) With a solar system, you will be producing and consuming your own power. This means, you will consume power at a set price for the next 25 years. While those around you without solar will keep paying for power slab-wise and increasing grid prices over the years, your cost of power will be fixed today for the next 25 years.

2) In case, your area sees a lot of power cuts, a battery-backed solar system would ensure you have an alternative to grid power and not have to live without fans, lights, and air-conditioners. Unlike the old technology behind traditional inverters, you can run all your appliances including ACs, with your solar system.

3) Producing your own power with the solar system would mean you save on your electricity bill. If you go completely solar, no more electricity bill till the lifetime of your plant.

4) A solar system can be designed and customised according to your needs. Add to it, you will be utilizing your rooftop which is most likely lying barren. Even if you want to make use of your rooftop post installing solar panels, it is possible with the help of structures at extra height.

5) With the cost of solar having coming down drastically, today cost of installing a solar system is highly economical.

6) Needless to day, with a solar system for your home, you will be making a vital contribution to the environment.

Now that you are convinced about installing a solar system on your rooftop at home, what exactly would be the process of installing solar. The first thing obviously would be to research and look for the best partner for the same. At MYSUN, we pride ourselves to be one of the most premium solar rooftop installers in the country. We take care of your rooftop and at all steps in your journey ensure that the consumer gets the best deal. With a globally experienced design and installation team, MYSUN is both experienced and service driven to ensure 360-degree care of each and every project that we sign up for. With MYSUN, the process of going solar is simple and straightforward:

1) The first thing that you must do is to schedule your site survey. Currently, the MYSUN site survey services are available in the entire Delhi/NCR region. For our users, beyond Delhi/NCR, we offer a wonderfully detailed free solar assessment report as well as refer them to our partners that are spread wide and across the country.

2) Once you have scheduled your site survey, a highly advanced assessment of the site is conducted on the day of your choice. It generally takes between 1 to 2 hours to thoroughly map the site, conduct a detailed shadow analysis and take the radiation readings in order to ensure the installed solar system gives you the best generation and hence financial returns. Site assessment is the most critical part of designing your solar system as this is what determines the final design of your system. An improper system design, a wrong shadow analysis true for the next 25 years will mean you are stuck with a poor solar system for life. With MYSUN's engineering team's experience of designing more than a 1000 solar systems, our site assessment methods and techniques are genuinely a class apart.

3) Post the site assessment, our engineering team proposes an expertly design layout for your solar system. During the design process, we ensure the maximum solar power generation highest possible savings and returns. A lot of care is taken into ensuring that the rooftop looks neat and clean and your solar system makes your home stand apart.

4) Alongside the design, a financial proposal is presented to you. Here, if you wish to opt for, you will have the opportunity to use MYSUN Solar Financing products that allow you to build your own financing package, apply for solar loan or use the MYSUN Flexi Pay options. Finance therefore will no longer be the hinderance for you to go solar. Both the design and the financing options can be customised as per your requirement. Our most recent offering allows you to buy a solar system with No Down Payment. That shows our great confidence in the quality and long term reliability of our solar PV systems.

5) Quick delivery and installation: Once you have given your go ahead on the financing and design, we deliver your solar system kit within a few days. It typically takes anywhere between 2 days to 5 days for the installation process to be completed.

6) Post installation, depending upon the type of system you have opted for (here are the different types of solar systems that are available), commissioning of the plant happens with the regulatory permissions and the plant is handed over to you.

While it is all great to install solar and start the generation, in order to maintain the generation, you must sign up an AMC or O&M partner. We have written more details about Service Packages here.

So, there you have everything you need to know about going solar for your residence. It is extremely simple and easy, and with MYSUN, it is reliable as well as trustworthy. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and book your site survey and install solar system for homes via MYSUN.

If you have been following MYSUN closely, we have often shared why going solar for a residential consumer is both economically viable and technically feasible. In fact, we have taken several cases of cities like Delhi, Gurgaon etc to explain case by case, how going solar does not just have a positive impact on the environment but also help you start saving on your electricity bill and prove to be a fantastic investment. Here is everything a residential solar rooftop user should know about O&M.

Why should you go for O&M for your solar plant in the first place?

While you know all about what solar brings with it, what about life after you have installed the solar plant on your rooftop. As you are aware, to function to their optimum generation capacity, solar plants require a basic minimum regular maintenance. This is no more than what you would do for your car or say even your wardrobe, where every few days, you would take some time to organize and clean things. To ensure a long life and good generation, you should look to hire an O&M agency who at a nominal charge will do the maintenance of your solar plant and keep it shining. A well credentialed solar O&M partner can go a long way in helping you get high returns from your plant. A seasoned pro would be able to sense if there is something wrong with the system and raise the flag. While an individual consumer may be able to do basic cleaning himself, unless he has a sound technical understanding, preventive maintenance is not something he would be able to offer.

When you go ahead and choose MYSUN as your preferred partners for your rooftop solar plant, you are offered a range of very reliable and lucrative packages for O&M. As a team of solar experts and your installers, it is always better advised to have just one team to look after the plant. Just like you would not purchase a new computer without an extended warranty today, buying an O&M package is very similar. It ensures long life of your solar system and is totally worth the investment. Look at it this way, money spent in maintenance will automatically be paid back with higher generation and therefore higher savings. For a wise man, money spent in this case, is money earned.

What does your O&M Partner do?

An O&M partner performs three very important tasks:

1) He monitors and reports the generation: While most of the inverters today are capable of showing you the generation of your system, an O&M partner deciphers whether the generation happening is optimum or not. Some O&M partners also provide remote monitoring, using which the partner, sitting in his office can check the logs daily and give you the numbers. This is why having an O&M partner who is an expert in the field of solar is so crucial. He will be able to observe and make sense out of the generation data that an untrained eye would not be able to. Most of the flags that something is wrong can be raised with regular monitoring and periodic reporting.

2) He will perform preventive maintenance: Since your O&M partner will be keeping a keen eye on the generation of the system, he will be able to alerted to a problem perhaps, even before it has come to fore. A classic case of a stick in time, saves nine. As mentioned above, regular cleaning of the panels as well as equipment checks are also done and are a part of preventive maintenance. Frequency of cleaning depends on one O&M partner to another, but generally, it is about two times a year.

3) Corrective Maintenance: In case something is not correct, the O&M team should be technically sound to fix it. In case there is a problem, a proper diagnosis of the same will be done and a replacement either would be made or ordered from the installer to ensure the system continues to operate at optimum. Generally, with the improving technology, corrective maintenance is not often required, but just in case if there is for example a wire that has become loose or there is a panel that is not performing as well as it should, corrective maintenance would ensure that your generation is not hampered in the long run.

What should you keep in mind when choosing an O&M partner for your residential solar rooftop plant

By now you understand that an O&M partner is a must and you should be enrolling with one from day 1, but what qualities should you look into the partner. Here are a few:

1) An ideal partner should have enough experience in handling O&M of systems of the size that you are installing. If possible, you should look for the customer feedback on the partner and speak to few of the clients to get a better idea.
2) While O&M is not in itself a very technical task, a partner with a solid background in solar is always preferred.
3) Always choose a partner who is willing to provide a long term service and a long term contract. Looking for a new partner every year can be a big hassle.
4) As mentioned before, if your installer itself provides O&M service it is best to go with them as they would have full knowledge and understanding of the system. In the case of a repair requirement, the turnaround time here would be significantly faster.
5) It would be a bonus if your O&M partner already has a project or two in your neighborhood and regularly visits there.

While the above points are good to have, they are by no means a deal breaker. The bottom line is that you should sign up with an O&M partner from day 1 and should treat it as an investment that the system will pay back rather than as an expense. If you have any queries on O&M or on selecting your O&M partner given you already are a residential solar rooftop owner, you can get in touch with the MYSUN team of solar experts using our contact us page.

India's frosty relationship with China seems to be in a never ending circle of news and the latest chapter in the story comes from Renewables Sector. The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has filed a petition for 'initiation of Anti- Dumping investigation concerning imports of Solar Cells whether or not assembled in modules or Panels originating in or exported from China PR and Malaysia'. In a letter dated July 17, 2017, Mithileshwar Thakur, the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade informed the Chinese Embassy in India of the move.

The petition comes on the back of several mummers that have been going around in the recent past owing to the rather weak performance of the Indian manufactured solar cells in the market, with a large percentage of installers and developers preferring to import the cells from China owing to lower costs. As recent as June 30th, in an article by Economic Times, it was mentioned that the manufacturers had reached out to the Government to help them and impose a 'safeguard duty' on the equipment to help level the playing fields at least in terms of the cost. According to the same article, the manufacturers in India had asked for an anti dumping duty of 10 cents per watt on the modules and cells that were imported.

It is a widespread knowledge that of the 5GW+ installed capacity that was commissioned in the year 2016/17, 90% of the solar cells used were either imported from China or neighboring countries like Taiwan or Malaysia. It has been reported that over 1.5GW of manufacturing capacity of solar cells in India has been lying idle simply because of the lack of demand. The Indian Government in the past has pushed the Make in India narrative strongly in the sector, and we saw with the 500 MW Rooftop SECI Subsidy program, it was mandatory to use the domestic modules. However, with India losing the case in the WTO for Fair Trade, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that this time the Government will implement the duty on imported cells. In the immediate term, this would increase the total project cost in the range of about 5-15% in case a safeguard duty of about 20% is imposed. This would also mean in conjunction with GST, which has been recently implemented, in the short term the cost of solar tariffs will go up perhaps back to the Rs 3 mark from the Rs 2.44 that we have seen recently.

While this move will benefit the local players, it will create a barrier for global manufacturers from entering the country, which could prove to be undermining for the industry. It would be interesting to see the response and the investigation into the matter, but more than ever before, if Anti-Dumping has to come, this looks to be as likely a period as ever so far.

Solar modules are the most important component of your solar PV system since this is where the incident sun rays are captured and converted into electricity. Solar modules also are the biggest contributor to the total cost of your solar system. So needless to say, when you decide to go solar, you must pay special attention to picking the best solar modules for your plant.

Dwindling cost of solar modules over a period of time has been one of the key contributors to the cost reduction of solar systems. With improved automated manufacturing processes and cut throat competition in the market, the cost drops have been possible both by the economy of scale and capacity overhang. However, it goes without saying that one must go for the most cost-effective module while ensuring high quality and generation.

Today, one has the luxury of choosing between several modules makes in the market, right from India manufactured modules to global modules. Making the right choice, therefore, can be daunting. While you can refer to one of the lists widely available on the web such as the Bloomberg Tier 1 Module list and cherry pick for an idea, it is best to know what to look for when you decide to choose the modules. Here are nine things that we highly recommend for you, to keep an eye on, when selecting a module for the rooftop solar PV plant.

The cost of the Module:

If you are considering solar, you must be aware of the difference in cost in a module that is made in India and one that is imported from the global market such as, say China. Where a module that is being imported may cost in the region of about Rs 19 to 20 per watt peak for a Tier 1 module, an Indian make will set you back by about Rs 25 to Rs 26 per watt peak. In the coming year, it is widely predicted that the cost of the global module may drop down to about Rs 17 while the Indian module cost may come to about Rs 21-23 per watt peak. The costs here are indicative and landed costs and may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The incoming GST may throw a spanner in works, where there is a possibility that the government may put some kind of an import duty on the imported modules, especially to push the ‘Make in India’ initiative. However, for now, going with a global module, will be more cost-effective for your solar plant.

Bill of Material (BOM):

Bill of Material is the material that has gone into the manufactured module and largely determines its quality and cost, therefore, it is a must that you run the BOM past a solar expert before you make a decision. BOM is extremely critical and can be sometimes difficult for a layman to interpret. Both long-term and short-term performance of the plant can be affected by an inappropriate BOM. If you are presented with BOM, keep an eye on the quality of the solar cells used, EVA - Adhesive, back sheet, glass cables, junction box, etc. If the BOM of modules is of an inferior quality, it would lead to a reduction in the lifetime as well as the performance of the solar plant.

Manufacturing process:

How the modules are manufactured also has a strong bearing on the performance as well as the overall cost of the modules. If you are given an opportunity by the module manufacturer to visit the manufacturing facility, you should take a chance and do so. This may be more difficult if the modules are being imported. However, when choosing the partner, do quiz him about the manufacturing process. A simple case may be, that if the partner’s manufacturing process is not automated and requires a lot of manual work then there is a chance of introducing micro-cracks which may grow later under cyclic thermal stress manifesting in various failures. Another possibility could be poor lamination (adhesion or air bubbles) which can hamper the life of the module. Since a layman is not an expert in module manufacturing he has to take the help of an expert.

Power Tolerance:

As a rule of thumb, power tolerance of your module must always be positive. While it is an industry standard now that only modules with positive tolerance are sold, always insist on checking this with your supplier. Ask for the flash test data (I-V characteristic) for each module that has been supplied so that you are sure of the power tolerance of the module that you will be placing on your rooftop and track its performance in future.

Protection:

Most of the modules sold today have a tempered glass of 3.2mm thickness. It is only with this minimum thickness that modules can pass the IEC tests. However, if you live in a region where there is a lot of hail or snowfall or your rooftop is susceptible to things like coconuts falling from trees, you could also consider 4mm thickness glass modules. While more often than not, protection is mentioned in BOM, if need be, you should go into more specifics and details for the same.

Certification: It is extremely important that you go for modules that are certified. If you are already considering solar, do ask for the certifications that the module being offered to you has passed. Some of the certifications that are important are IEC 61215 for design qualification, IEC 61701 for salt mist corrosion testing, IEC 61730 part 1 & 2 for module safety qualification, IEC 62716 for Ammonia Corrosion testing which is advisable for site conditions like dairy, mines, toilets etc. Needless to say, the above standards pertain to Crystalline Silicon modules which are most common for the rooftop installations. If you live in an area that experiences extreme weather conditions, it is a must that you check the certifications to ensure that your modules are tested in the weather condition.

Module Degradation/ Performance Warranty:

Seek the performance warranty from the module manufacturer. Most modules have a degradation rate of 2.5% in the first year followed by a linear degradation of 0.7% year on year for the next 25 years. However, good Tier 1 modules do not degrade on an average more than 0.4% year on year, linear. Even post purchasing, you must keep an eye on the module degradation and hold the seller responsible if the degradation is more than what has been mentioned.

Average Warranty Period:

Tier-1 Global modules generally come with a warranty of 10-12 years against any defect in workmanship. Most of the Indian modules also offer a warranty anywhere in the region of 10-12 years. Be sure of doing a thorough check on the market standing and financial health of the company before picking the modules. A Tier-1 company is most likely to be financially secure and will stand behind its warranty in case something falls apart, whereas a lower rated company, may not be always very keen to listen to complaints and claims post the sale.

Insurance:

In order to be sure and make a secure investment, even if you are setting up a small solar plant, do insist on third party insurance for your modules. You must ensure that module supplier’s warranty is backed by international insurance companies like Munich Re, Power Guard, etc. to safeguard your interests.

Other than the above, a solar expert will also keep a keen eye on AQL (Acceptable Quality Level), IPC (In-process Control), IQC (In coming quality control), OQA (Outgoing quality assurance), Packaging and Field Performance.

While there are plenty of other things for you to safeguard and check when deciding the module partner, these some of the things that you must keep in mind. Since most of these can be quite technical and difficult to understand if you are not from the background of solar, it would be useful to give the task of choosing a module to a technical expert as it can make or break the performance of your rooftop solar plant.

With MYSUN, you can always be assured that the installed projects will feature only the best solar modules, rated Tier-1, with all these pointers already taken care of. In fact, if you need to discuss any of these points with our solar experts, we would only be glad to help. We hope, the information above would help you make a sound and an informed choice.

Image: Topsunenergy With inputs from Mr Gyan Prakash Tiwari

The government of Goa is set to redraft its solar policy, to give a stronger push to its proposed target of generating 150MW electricity via solar PV installations by 2022. According to data published by MNRE this year, Goa is one of the low performers when it comes to solar installation with just 0.05MW of installed solar capacity. This new policy has proposed several measures to promote investment, competition, efficiency in operation and economy in the field of solar in Goa. Some of the key highlights of the draft of “Solar Energy Policy (Goa)-2017” are listed below:

1. All types of land will now be utilized for setting solar power projects. This also includes agricultural land. There will be no need of converting any private land from one type to the other before setting up a project. This move is likely to appeal to solar companies who are looking to install large solar parks.
2. State Nodal Agency will create a record of non-productive Government lands and make them available for setting solar power plants. For every 1MW project, Developers will be provided with 1.5 hectares of land. These lands will be provided free of cost for a long-term lease of 25 years which can further be extended for 5-10 years.
3. There will be no need for specific permissions from any local body/ PDA/ Municipal Corporations or other Urban Development Bodies or Panchayats for setting up solar plants in existing or new buildings etc.
4. State Government will also promote the development of Solar Power Plants on the Canal tops and Canal banks.
5. The State Nodal Agencies will give full support to eligible consumers to avail any benefits declared by the State or the Central Government in form of incentives and subsidies, though no new subsidies by the Goa Government have been announced.
6. Government Nodal Agency will provide a fair Net-Metering facility to all the eligible consumers within the area of supply of DISCOM.
7. Residential consumers will be encouraged to install rooftop Solar PV over their roofs for generating their own electricity and the surplus generation can be fed back to the grid under the net-metering system. Several other states like Delhi, MP etc are already encouraging residential customers opting for solar to go with Net Metering.
8. For rooftop solar, the minimum capacity shall be equal to or more than 1KWp but not more than 500KWp.
9. The individuals including commercial users are allowed to go for Gross metering up to 10kW or sanctioned load whichever is lower. This facility is provided by very few states. Gross metering will be available to all properties except Government buildings.
10. The Goa State Government has also come up with a unique offering known as Group Net Metering. It is similar to Net Metering system but one or more properties are treated as one and their electricity usage is considered equivalent to one.
11. Developers will be given 50 per cent exemption on stamp duty if they take private or government land on lease for development of solar power projects.
12. Any solar power produced or consumed within the State will be exempted from electricity duty and cess.
13. Solar equipment purchased for installation of solar plants shall be exempted from VAT and Entry tax. A similar move was initiated by the Haryana Government, which exempted solar devices, equipment and parts used in the installation of solar power projects, from VAT, last month.
14. No wheeling charges will be levied on consumers for consuming solar power within the state.
15. For maximum utilization of all available lands and rooftops, the State Government has proposed a unique system. Banking of electricity will be given to the producers of surplus generation. This electricity banking system will work like any other conventional bank where we deposit money and then withdraw it as per requirements, with only difference that, in this bank one will be allowed to store surplus electricity which can later be used as per requirement. This system will solve many problems at one go such as encouraging people to utilize their whole roof for maximum production and doing away from the batteries which anyway lead to an increase in the system cost.
16. Single window clearance will be provided to the developers.
17. The State Government has also proposed a time framework to ensure that developers complete their projects within the stipulated time. They can take 180 and 365 days for setting up rooftop solar and ground mounted projects respectively from the day of their approval; failing which they’ll have to seek fresh approvals.
18. It has proposed to make it mandatory for the High-tension (HT) consumers of the State with a sanctioned load of 100KW or more to generate solar PV power to meet the Solar RPO obligation.
19. All applicants will have to pay Rs. 50/- per KW along with the application to the distributor licensee. For solar power plants equal to or more than, 100KW capacity developers will have to pay Rs. 10,000/- which will be non-refundable.

Last year, Goa’s Power Minister said in the State Legislative Assembly that Goa will not be able to achieve its target of producing 150 MW of solar power by 2021 due to unavailability of flat lands required to set up plants. This statement by State’s Power Minister indicated that Goa would not be significantly contributing towards the 100GW mission of 2022. But a year later, this draft by the Goa Government is a good example of its resilience. Draft’s main objective is to counter the very basic problem of unavailability of flat rooftops and lands by taking note of all the available lands; which are currently not being used - irrespective of their type - and making them available to the developers so that they be used for solar power generation. This draft is definitely a welcome step but it's not all as there is still some time left before it transforms into a policy. Post that it will be all about execution and we have seen more than in one state, that this is where the ball gets dropped. We hope keeping in line with its ‘cool’ image, Goa will be able to add a little bit of sun to the story too, with solar in Goa becoming a popular investment. To keep yourself updated with everything that’s going in the solar sector and get an unbiased idea about rooftop solar PV system visit us on www.itsmysun.com or Dial 0120-4753511. Make sure you are following us on our blog and social media channels, to be the first ones to know when we launch our product sale services of solar in Goa. image source: zastavki.com