Just days after it was reported that the Central Government will be providing customs and excise duty exemptions for rooftop solar projects, there is more good news for those who are exploring the idea of going solar in Haryana. The Haryana Government has decided to exempt VAT on equipment and parts used in the installation of a solar plant in Haryana. This would bring the cost down of the solar plant a fair bit. Haryana is not the first state though to exempt VAT from solar equipment with the states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh already taking the stand(link all the solar policies of these states).

The decision to exempt VAT was taken jointly by the Haryana Cabinet in Chandigarh. Chasing a target of 4200MW of solar power by 2022, a move like this will invite and encourage more developers and installers to set up projects in the state. It has been estimated that this move would cost the state an approximate Rs 2.30 crore, which is a small price to pay to help encourage the adoption of solar. While the obvious components used in a solar plant are exempted, it has also been notified that readily available solar products such as the solar lantern, pumping system as well as spare parts will be exempted from VAT. Some of the other products that have been exempted from VAT of 5% include alternators, inverters, solar chargers, electricity meters, street lighting systems, solar home system etc.

MYSUN's view: We believe that this is indeed a positive step, especially on the back of announcements like last year where a 90% subsidy was given to promote equipment like the solar water pumps to encourage people to install solar in Haryana. Instead of providing subsidies which may not be always very easy to avail, the Government has decided to make the system more affordable right at the point of buying which is much simpler and useful. We hope that more states would follow the lead of the likes of Haryana and exempt VAT from solar equipment. However, with GST just around the corner and expected to be brought mainstream in July, it would be worth watching how that would play out.

Image Source: Drink Blue Save Green

In a bid to encourage the growth of the rooftop solar projects, the Government has decided to offer customs duty and excise duty benefits to the rooftop projects minimum of 100KW capacity as a single project or bundled projects. This move is set to help bring down the cost of installation, making the financials of the project even more lucrative for the consumers to install solar on their rooftops. With barely 1GW of installed capacity achieved from rooftop solar and another 39GW set as a target over the next 5 years, measures such as these are only welcome.

The announcement for the grant of the benefit came from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on April 13, 2017, and can be read in detail here. The notice clearly states that the 'matter of extending the duty benefits to the Roof-top Grid connected Solar PV Power Plants has been under consideration’ for a few days, so it is not a measure taken in haste. Also added is that the Customs & Excise Duty Exemption Certificates or CCDC/EDEC's will be issued immediately following the order. In case of a bundled project the EPC or the RESCO contractor will have to apply for the end user to earn the benefit in a special category called "Bundling" project on the MNRE website.

On one hand, where the Government has made importing more economical, to encourage installation of rooftop solar, it has halved the size of the 1GW rooftop tender that was announced in December 2016. It is reported that the 1GW tender is now reduced to 500MW and the financial aid offered is also reduced. The developers who complete 80% of the project within 15 months of signing up will get an assistance of Rs 16,250 per KW in the general category and Rs 39,000/KW in the special category. This figure initially was at Rs 18,750/KW and Rs 45,000/KW for general and special categories respectively.

MYSUN's take: Benefits on customs and excise duty is a very important step taken by the Government to help a wider and faster adoption of rooftop solar. At the end of the day, consumers are always looking for the best and most affordable equipment and by allowing special grants for customs duty and excise duty on equipment the performance to price ratio will definitely improve for the good making going solar even more affordable. While the Government has tried to simplify the process of claiming the exemption, however, it still seems quite complicated in case, of bundled projects. Since the 1kW - 100kW systems are the most deserving for this exemption, it remains to be seen how the claim process for bundled projects is implemented. If done right, it would provide a strong push to the rooftop solar industry. It is also an interesting move from the point of view that to avail subsidy it was mandatory. By relaxing the duties, the Government has also embraced the international market, and that only bodes well for the end user.

Image Source: pvEurope

It is no secret that the timelines for subsidy driven rooftop solar projects are quite tight given that the installers or developers have to find the customers, close contracts, get net-metering approvals, install the project and get the inspection done, all in a short time-frame of approximately 12 months. However, often we see that due to one weak link in the chain, the project is stretched and the execution has to be hurried and last moment compromises are made to meet the strict deadlines, which has financial implications. This is one situation where the quality of the solar system can potentially be compromised, the other one being the very aggressive bidding solar companies do to win these projects. Another familiar tale is that the power generation from these projects is not up to the mark due to lack of proper maintenance.

In order to deal with these situations and ensure that all the small rooftop solar PV plants, both off grid and on grid are performing close to their potential, Central Government has announced that they will start monitoring the performance of the plants closely. In case the plants are performing less than 40% of the theoretical capability, irrespective of the reason, the financial incentives that were promised to the plants will not be given. All the consumers, including the government departments who are planning to install solar as mandated by several states, will have to take account of the new notice and ensure that at all times at least 40% efficiency of the plant is maintained. This is the first time that the Government has come down hard on the quality aspect and linked generation of the plant to the incentive.

It has been reported that the reason the government has taken this caution is that several institutes, while have installed rooftop solar as per the mandate, have not cared about maintaining the system and therefore the generation from these plants has been poor. This results in not only fewer savings, but also results in lower trust in solar amongst this category of consumers, thereby negating the core proposition of going solar. The mandate to maintain at least 40% efficiency has come into effect from April 4, 2017, and therefore it is now mandatory for all upcoming rooftop solar plants to abide by it. On the other side of the story, the Government is also promising to reward the plants that are well maintained and doing well. Maximum subsidy has been promised for plants that are consistently generating more than 80% of their theoretical strength. Below is the new incentive structure based on the plant performance that has been issued by MNRE.

At MYSUN, we believe this is a well-intended proposition from the Government but like many such initiatives, it has to be implemented well. Also, since the incentive is to be rolled out in the first couple of years from the date of installation and commissioning of the solar plant, this policy alone does not ensure the 25 year long term performance of the solar plant. To achieve that, one needs to ensure that the right quality standards for the system design and the critical components are defined and adhered to. However, this is a welcome step towards achieving that goal.

Credits: Deccan Chronicle.

Solar today is one of the most hotly discussed topics in India and is poised to become a leading energy source for millions of energy consumers in the years to come. In past 2-3 years, there has been an exponential rise in the installed solar capacity in India. While rooftop solar has made an obvious contribution, at MYSUN we believe that this segment is going to play an even bigger role in the future. Out of the ambitious government target of 100GW for solar, 40GW is expected from installations made on rooftops or from off-grid installations.

I would, in fact, argue that given the right environment, the entire 100GW can be achieved by rooftop solar PV alone. There are multiple benefits of a rooftop installation apart from the economic (high ROI) and environmental benefit that is usually discussed. The biggest advantage in the favour of rooftop installation is that it generates power right at the point of consumption, so there is no transmission loss. Average T&D (Transmission and Distribution) energy loss in India is around 23%. So considering the T&D losses, a rooftop plant of 100kWp is in effect equivalent to a 123 kWp plant located in a remote location.

After having conducted a lot of rooftop surveys for solar, it’s a common observation that many rooftops, due to their poor design, are not able to efficiently accommodate solar in accordance with their true potential. This is mostly because of lack of awareness among builders and architects about the impact of the position of various rooftop structures and obstacles when the house is being planned and constructed. This article will help you understand how you can take care of some very basic and easy to follow things when building your new home so that it is ready to realize its full solarization potential. These are some of the points that the MYSUN team shares when advising someone who is building his house or building and looking to go solar and save energy for a lifetime.

As you are well aware, solar panels generate energy in proportion to the amount of solar irradiation that is incident to the panels. Higher the irradiation, more the generation. To maximize this irradiation, the panels should be positioned so that they are free from shadow for the entire or the maximum possible duration of sunshine on a given day and throughout the year

Apart from trees and neighboring buildings & poles, objects on the roofs such as water tanks, chiller units, etc, tend to cast a shadow on solar panels so they reduce the number of units generated by the solar plant in turn, reducing the financial feasibility of going solar. A little consideration while freezing rooftop design and the location of these structures will help you maximize your solar system size and the energy generation from the solar system.

It is a fact that Sun rises from the east and moves towards south and sets in the west. To get the maximum generation, solar panels should ideally be placed directly facing south and no shadow should fall on the panels from morning untill evening or from 9:00 am to 4:00 PM.

To ensure better generation the following should be considered while designing the home or building:

1. Place all rooftop objects that can create a shadow on the roof such as headroom, water tank on the northernmost side of the roof, preferably in the North-West or North-East corner. This will ensure that the roof area affected due to the shadow of these structures is minimized.
2. Similarly, if you plan to install a solar water heater, place it facing south at northern most side beside the water tank. It will use less space, need less piping work, and will allow for more area for the solar power plant.
3. Any other thing such as DTH dish, Split AC condenser unit should be placed on Northern side (refer the above figure for detail)
4. Industrial and commercial rooftop owners should also place structures such as AC chiller, DG sets etc on the Northernmost side of the roof to have the maximum free area on the southern side.
5. Parapet wall casts a shadow on the roof. The Area covered by the shadow of parapet wall will directly depend upon its height. Since this is required for safety it is recommended to have a minimum height that will ensure the safety of people.
6. If Head Room has a sloping roof, then it is recommended that it be designed such that one side of the roof faces south. This way you will be able to place a few panels on side that faces south, thus utilizing more space.

Constructing and placing these structures per the guidelines above will not only allow a roof owner to install a higher capacity Solar PV system on the roof but will also ensure better generation out of the installed system.

Other things that you can do beforehand to ensure hassle free installation:

1. Provide a provision of channel for cables of solar system from roof to electricity panel.
2. If possible, earth strips/cable should be laid beforehand and earth rods placed in proper earth pits for solar power plant. This will also ensure aesthetics of your house is preserved post the solar system is installed on your roof.
3. One water outlet on roof which can be utilized for module cleaning.

With the above mentioned points in mind, you will be able to get the most out of your existing solar system or go ahead with the best capacity solar system on your rooftop. If you are interested in knowing the most optimum system size for your rooftop, based on your location and electricity bill(or expected energy consumption), you can do so within 10 seconds, by running the MYSUN Solar Calculator that instantly gives you an overview about your solarization potential and savings you stand to make.

If your house or building is still under construction or in design phase, design experts at MYSUN can help you decide the location, orientation and design of any construction that is required to be made on the roof. With the right advice at right time,  you can increase the solar potential of your roof by as much as 60%. So why wait? Register Your Rooftop with MYSUN and be future ready.

When solar system designers estimate the energy generation potential for your rooftop solar system they generally apply the same system design rules as they would do for large-scale ground-mounted systems. As a result, when the system starts generating, the actual generation falls short of the predicted numbers, leading to dissatisfied and unhappy consumers. In this blog, we not only try to explain why perhaps your rooftop solar systems are generating less but also tell you how a good system design can ensure that the solar system on your roof performs equal to or in some cases, even better than the large ground mount systems. First, lets try to understand the reasons or factors that could be leading to lower generation. Some of them may be beyond our control but many can be controlled through good engineering, project execution and O&M practices.

Factors that may be beyond our control

• Roof orientation – In ground mount system we can optimize the orientation of the modules (Tilt angle and azimuth angle of module) in order to capture maximum solar irradiance whereas in rooftop (primarily in sloped roofs) installations, the angle and orientation of the roof may not be ideal in order to capture maximum solar irradiance.
• Availability of space – Due to space constraint in rooftop installations, solar system designers compromise with the ideal pitch (distance between two rows of solar panels) which leads to higher energy loss because of shading.
• Temperature and distance between Solar Panels and Roof – We know that solar photovoltaic modules have a negative temperature coefficient. In simple terms, this means that output of solar system decreases with increase in ambient temperature around the solar panel. If the solar panel is too close to the roof, there is less air-flow to cool down the solar cells, and therefore the ambient temperature around the panels tends to increase leading to a loss in generation. Ground mounted systems have a better ground clearance between the solar panel and ground, whereas rooftop systems sometimes are installed very close to the hot surface of roof and therefore the generation from rooftop systems is lowered further..
• Maintenance/ System oversight/ etc.-  Large ground mounted solar power plants normally have   better access to preventive and corrective maintenance activities as they can afford to have trained teams on the site. However, due to smaller system sizes in case of rooftops, it is not possible to keep full time on-site engineers. However, this situation can be improved by having a robust remote plant monitoring and analysis in place as well as having a firm O&M contract with the solar system installer.

Factors that can be controlled

Design & Engineering- This is one of the most important factors which is widely ignored by a majority of solar system installers.   A sound solar system design is a must to get the best possible performance from a rooftop solar system and most of the solar system installers lack in this area. A poor design leads to a substantial loss of generation and therefore impacts your savings and financial returns negatively. How do we ensure optimum solar system design and engineering?

• Site assessment – Site assessment is very critical for any solar installation whether it is a rooftop or ground mounted system. Ground mounted systems generally have a free horizon and no nearby shading objects whereas rooftops are prone to near and far shading objects like chimneys, overhead water tanks, air handling units, trees, nearby buildings, etc. In order to avoid the impact of these shading objects, a detailed shading analysis is required to find out best possible location on roof to install your solar system. If this analysis is not done properly, you may lose a large amount of generation. Do note that even a shade on 5% of a single module may lead to a 75-80% loss of generation in the solar string, which that that module is a part of. MYSUN takes a lot of pride in their detailed site assessment efforts. You can read more on it, in the Customer Services section here.

• Solar Plant Layout – The layouting and placement of solar equipment on your roof is extremely important for an optimum performance as the solar radiation is not uniform across the rooftop area. A proper layout can also help reduce the cost of your solar system. It is advisable to connect electrically those modules in same string which are prone to early shading compared to the other modules which are not. One should segregate the modules basis their current rating and try to keep modules with a narrow current range in one string. You can also put lower current rating strings in lesser solar access areas whereas higher current rated strings can be placed in higher solar access areas. This way, one can optimize the system output within the given rooftop circumstances. Ambient Solar Panel/Module temperature is a big concern for rooftop systems, so you should try to elevate your structure from roof surface to make a provision for proper air circulation in order to reduce module temperature and therefore get  better generation. Moreover, try to place inverters at a central location of module array area to minimize cable length which may further reduce your ohmic loss. In ground mounted system, we generally do not see such problems, as sites are quite open and have almost uniform solar irradiance.
• Selection of Equipment- If we select right equipment considering the local weather and site conditions, generation loss can be reduced. Solar modules with a better temperature coefficient can reduce your temperature loss, use of string inverter with multi MPPT can reduce mismatch and shading losses, use of appropriate size of cable can reduce your ohmic losses.

Execution- If you take care of a few small things during installation of your solar system, you can improve the performance.

• Segregate the modules on the basis of their current rating and try to put modules with similar current rating in one string. This would be helpful to reduce your module mismatch losses.
• Keep the provision of air circulation in order to control the module cell temperature in order to reduce losses due to temperature.
• Connect the early shadowing strings of array on separate MPPT and the strings shadowing later on a separate MPPT of inverter.
• Try to avoid any joints in the cable used in entire solar plant.
• Use adequate size and material of cable lugs to make electrical connections. Proper crimping tools should be used for crimping.
• All electrical connection should be air-tight to improve your plant availability.
• Use proper grounding of equipment and lightning arrestors.

Operation & Maintenance (O&M) - Though solar plants do not require much O&M , but a good planning and preventive schedule backed with a detailed plant performance data can help improve the generation significantly. In the case of large ground mounted solar power plants, the  systems are monitored and maintained by on-site skilled manpower, whereas rooftop systems lag in this regard, as most of them either do not have monitoring systems in place or do not get monitored at all. In absence of monitoring, it would be very tough to track plant performance closely and it may lead to a substantial loss of generation. We strongly recommend that each and every rooftop solar system, howsoever small in size, should use a data logger or a remote monitoring device. If we take care of simple things, generation can be improved significantly:

• Periodic cleaning of  Modules –  By cleaning of modules as per recommended cleaning cycle, we can easily increase our generation by 2-7% or even more depending on location of installation.
• Temporary shading object- Sometimes, we put some temporary objects like cables/ wires crossing across the roof, cloth stands, etc. which may cast shadow on modules and lead to generation loss.
• Visual inspection of panels for bird droppings, fallen leaves, dirt accumulation, cracks or any damage
• Inspections for Inverter function by observing the LED indication and Meters etc.

With the aforementioned pointers, we can say that there are certain constraints in roof top system design which may reduce the generation as compared to ground mounted systems, but if we do proper engineering and system designing and keep certain factors in our mind during installation and O&M, this gap can not only be eliminated but we can actually get a much higher performance from our rooftop solar system.

Run our Advanced Solar Calculator where you can change your roof area, shading, orientation and roof to check the generation that you can realistically expect from your rooftop solar system. Make sure you visit the MYSUN blog often and follow us on our Social media profiles to ensure that you keep up with more such interesting articles on rooftop solar.

With each sunrise, the deadline for achieving 40GW from the rooftop solar PV plants by 2022 edges closer. We have already seen states like Karnataka, Haryana and more recently, Assam set ambitious targets or open tenders in order to push the rooftop solar segment as close as possible to the target that has been set. Joining the aforementioned states is the state of Jammu & Kashmir, where, the Jammu & Kashmir Department of Science and Technology has announced a target of achieving at least 450MW of rooftop solar capacity by the year 2022.

The policy allows the interested residential, commercial or industrial building owners to install systems anywhere in the range of 1 kW to 1,000 kW on their rooftops. For government agencies, the upper limit of 1MW does not exist, and they can get an even larger sized plant installed. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has designated Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency as the agency to undertake the rooftop program and facilitate the sale of power to the state Distribution Company (DISCOM) using Net Metering. The announced policy shall remain applicable for the next 10 years and shall be implemented in accordance to the JKSERC (Jammu & Kashmir State Electricity Regulatory Commission) Regulations.

The best part about the policy is that it invites virtually all consumers, including individual households, industries, government and non- government bodies, commercial, industrial and residential complexes to participate in either a self-owned or through a third party owned Solar PV Net Metering based system. Therefore, you can either choose to install your own solar system or just purchase solar power. To better understand, which of the two options is more financially viable for you, you can always run the MYSUN Advanced Calculator for an instant snapshot, to help you make this decision.

Thanks to Net Metering, consumers who will generate surplus power will see the surplus power carried over on to the next month's bill and subsequently, at the end of the financial year, the surplus power will be compensated for. The policy also notifies that consumers who are interested in participating can approach the Department of Science & Technology or the Government of J&K of the grant of the applicable subsidy from MNRE. Jammu & Kashmir being a special category state, residential and institutional users can enjoy a subsidy of 70% of the solar system cost.

You can find the entire policy available on the JAKEDA site here.

Rooftop solar has been assigned a contribution of 40GW out of the total 100GW of installed capacity under the Solar Mission of 2022. While that number may seem daunting right now, we are already seeing efforts being made both by the central government as well as several state governments in this direction. The 500MW and 1000MW SECI tenders are good examples of how the central government has been taking initiatives in order to push the adoption of rooftop solar in 2017. On the other hand, the initiatives taken by CREST for example in Chandigarh or the recent Re 1/unit incentive that Haryana (HAREDA) announced for rooftop solar plants are steps in the right direction.

Adding to the list of initiates is the announcement of Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd or KREDL that it plans to install 6,000MW by March 2021, revising the old target of 2300MW grid connected Solar Rooftop PV Systems by 2022 in Karnataka. It was reported as far back as  May 2016 that Karnataka was planning to modify its solar policy to achieve the 6000 MW figure. Finally, the change was approved on Tuesday (January 10th, 2017) to help tap the massive 24,700MW solar potential of the state. The current installed capacity stands at 400MW.

Overall, the amendments are in tune with the tariff policy announced by MNRE. It has been mandated by KREDL that 40% of the total solar generation must come from rooftops, giving a huge push to the rooftop segment. Solar Energy, in total should constitute 8% of the overall energy consumption. It has been introduced that the generation would be limited to 200MW per taluk from all sources excluding the generation from rooftop projects. This would encourage a more distributed approach in the power generation capacity in the state, where currently the solar projects are more concentrated in and around Bengaluru. The capacity of solar parks has been limited to 100MW at a single location. The state has also announced establishing a solar energy center for excellence in order to promote innovation in R&D in the space.

MYSUN believes that this is a very positive step taken by the Karnataka government. The consumer tariffs in Karnataka are already on the higher side. Consumers pay anywhere between Rs 6.9/kWh to Rs 8.35/kWh, and these tariffs increase every year. Whereas with rooftop solar, consumers can lock in a fixed levelised tariff of less than Rs 6/kWh for the next 25 years. As per our research, switching to rooftop and distributed solar, all these consumers not just stand to make huge savings on their electricity bills but they also get a very high Return on Investment (ROI). And the incentives announced by the state government will further help in encouraging consumers to go solar. However, it is equally important that KREDL develops an equally effective implementation roadmap so that these incentives don’t just remain on paper.

You can expect the updated policy to be available online at the KREDL website here.

Source of Image: Indian Solar market

After a long wait, SECI has finally released the state-wise list of successful bidders. In the pursuit to simplify solar for the end users, at MYSUN, we have further analyzed this list to develop a much-simplified version, available on request, with a state-wise list of solar installers/developers along with the applicable subsidy and subsidized tariffs for these states. The expert solar advisor team at MYSUN is committed to helping all our clients to get the most competitive solar system from the most suitable solar installer/ developer and help them benchmark each of these installers to get the most out of your solar systems. Our clients can also run our Solar Calculator specially modified to showcase the SECI Subsidy and find out for themselves how much they stand to gain with the help of these subsidies. You can simply Register your Rooftop at our online platform. And our tech team will do a preliminary technical assessment and will then get in touch with these qualified solar installers/ developers and get the most competitive quotes with subsidies for your rooftops.

The 500 MW grid connected solar PV rooftop tender by SECI has generated a lot of interest among the residential, institutional and social customers. As we have experienced on MYSUN, the 30% minimum subsidy that has been offered by the central government is proving to be quite an attractive prospect propelling those eligible, to go solar. While rooftop solar started making financial sense, purely from a returns point of view for virtually everyone who is paying more than Rs 1500 as their electricity bill as you can read here, the subsidy just makes the pie taste even sweeter.

You can read the highlights of the SECI subsidy and how you can avail the Central Finance Assistance if you want to install a rooftop solar in a post we have compiled here. In case you are wondering whether you are eligible for this SECI subsidy, you can go through our specially designed solar tool to help you determine your eligibility as well as our MYSUN SECI Solar Calculator specially designed to give you an overview of your system size, cost, savings, and returns when you avail the SECI subsidy as stated above.

It is worth noting that the subsidy will be arranged for you by the developer and there is no effort that you will have to make on it. SECI has published the list of qualified developers, who have won bids in the SECI tender. You can view the list here and these selected developers will be able to get you the subsidy here. A high majority of the developers here are already partners with MYSUN so when you Register your Rooftop, or if you have already Registered your Rooftop with us, the leads will be shared with these developers to help you get the system with the subsidy. So if you want to make the most of this opportunity and get a solar subsidy via this SECI program, go ahead and Register on MYSUN in case you have not. In case you are just curious to know your solarization potential where no subsidy is taken into account, you can always check out our Solar Calculator here.

If you have been actively following the MYSUN blog, you would have come across Part 1 of our blog series on common myths around solar energy, specifically rooftop solar. The aim of doing these series of posts is to try and reason out and explain some of the common notions that people have in context of solar energy or solar system, or perhaps solar in general are incorrect. This is not to establish, that everything you know about or read about solar is inaccurate or incomplete but simply that everything that you hear may not be the most accurate version.

We captured five common myths and explained them in the first part of this article, and this new piece shall try and cater to five more such common misconceptions. For a more accurate take, you can always head over to our Solar Essentials page that has all the information you need before deciding to go solar. As Alan Watts puts it aptly, ‘A myth is an image in terms of which we try to make sense of the world’. So before you go about building your solar world based on perceptions, let’s address them logically one by one.

Myth 1) Solar panels will damage my roof:

We all love our houses and properties, in fact a lot of effort and financial resources have gone into building it. It would be foolishness to install something on top of it, which could lead to its damage or a collapse. Fortunately, installing a solar panel on the rooftop is not equivalent to landing a heavy chopper on your rooftop. There are various well-proven globally accepted norms for installing solar panels on rooftops without any damage to the roofs. Using mounting rails or even screwing(small puncture) methods have been used quite predominantly.But you should be careful while selecting your solar installer. Read more about different types of roofs and how solar panels can be safely mounted on them here. Most buildings built over the last 20-25 years can be assumed to be safe for installing solar panels. Moreover, if you need some unrelated repair work on the roofs in future, you can get the panels removed, do your repair work and re-install the solar panels. Panels are removable and hence can be easily removed if the roof is to be repaired. On the contrary, solar panels actually protect the roof which they cover from the forces of nature. Add to the fact there are no moving parts and no emission of harmful gasses, solar panels are perfectly safe for your roof.

Myth 2) Solar panels need a tracking system to follow the sun:

It is true that higher the exposure to the sun, higher would be yield from a solar system. However, a solar PV system can work perfectly efficiently without involving a tracking system. Observations show that a tracking system may increase the solar system efficiency by 15~20 % as compared to a fixed or seasonal tilt systems. However, this increment may not justify the additional expense for everyone. It is like adding spoilers to your car. No doubt that it will enhance the efficiency and get you better performance, but it is up to you to justify the additional cost for the benefit. Also, the tracking system needs higher maintenance and replacement cost due to the involvement of an increased number of moving parts.

Myth 3) Installing a solar panel/ system on my rooftop will make my house look ugly:

If you have spent plenty of hours with an architect getting the roof of your mansion, just perfect, it is justified that you are worried about looks. We agree that the thought of beauty being skin deep is not true for houses. However, with today’s technology and the right solar system design and choice of material and workmanship, the solar panels can be installed in a manner so as to ensure that they look great on your roof. Add to that the additional pride that you have of going ‘green’ which can definitely make your neighbors go ‘green’ with envy. Moreover, if you want to keep the look of the building pristine, you may want to consider thin film laminate based solar panels. These will make the panels look as though they are a part of the rooftop only rather than something constructed as an afterthought. Yes, these thin film laminates are more expensive than the usual choice of panels, but they would eventually add value to the property and not to forget, installing them would mean that they pay back the investment within their lifetime alone. There is obviously the option of a shingles like setup that Tesla has come up, more on which can be found here. So, if you are too conscious about the looks, there is a solution for that too, albeit a little expensive one.

Myth 4) When nobody has power at their house, I will have power:

As much as we would love for that fact that you have electricity 24x7 at your place, this myth is well, a myth. With a solar system installed, the only difference between the power that you and your neighbor, who does not have solar installed, is the source of generation. However, if there is a fault in the transmission line or the entire grid is down, and you are using a grid-tied solar system, you too will be forced to have a candle light dinner, with no power. If there is a maintenance work for example being held on the grid, you will not be left untouched by the same and sadly will have to fall back on the generator system to provide you with power till the grid is restored. However, if you are not connected to the grid or using a battery-backed solar system and the power is being supplied and consumed just by your house, you will have the power when the grid fails.

Myth 5) Chinese Solar Panels are bad and if you have them, they will fail:

This is a myth that extends from a reputation that has been built. We have heard the same story repeated in the world of electronics, especially phones, where Chinese phones are labeled as cheap devices, with a short lifespan. However, just like in electronics, even in solar, there are Chinese brands that are doing very well. For example, Growatt, a Chinese inverter manufacturing company has the highest market share in Australia when it comes to solar. Similarly, there are names like Trina and Yingli, which are very well trusted, globally. Just like any industry, there are good players and there are bad players, and that is why choosing a right supplier for the system is important, so that he will pay your faith back and not install a sub-standard system. We have spoken a bit more about the myth of Chinese solar products in our post here.

It is imperative to say here that you need to be diligent while selecting your solar system installer. Once that is done, please be rest assured that your investment in solar will be amongst your best investments ever. We at MYSUN are there to not only help you find the right solar installer but also be there on your side during the system design, construction and for the 25 years long life of your solar system.

With that, we round up our second post on the myths that surround solar. We hope, we are able to bring more and more clarity to you from the world of solar as the series is progressing. Do share your feedbacks, thoughts and comments with us, by mentioning them in the section below or catching us up on our social media profiles.

In a major move to push the adaptation of rooftop solar market and march towards the Solar Mission target of 40 GW by 2022, Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has floated a Request for Service (RfS) for implementing 1000 MW grid connected rooftop Solar PV systems for pre-identified central government owned buildings. The tender includes both CAPEX and RESCO models and invites bids from solar installers and developers from across all the states and Union Territories in India. This is by far the largest rooftop tender we have seen in India.

The news comes on the back of the 500 MW SECI rooftop tender that is offering a subsidy of up to 30% - 70% for residential, institutional and social customers for a limited period. Of the 500 MW on auction, 432 MW was awarded to 122 developers. You can read more about the 500 MW rooftop tender here.

Out of the 1000 MW, a capacity of 700 MW has been kept aside for the RESCO ownership model (also known as OPEX), where the developers will both, finance and own the solar system and in the process sell power to the government departments at a fixed cost as per a 25 year long PPA. The remaining 300MW has been allocated towards the CAPEX ownership model where the department or the building will purchase and setup the units on their own rooftops. The statewide bidding for the tender will see the bidders trying to match the lowest bid in their respective states. It is mandated that the winning bidders will sign the Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and the Engineering Procurement Contracts (EPC) within six months and complete the construction, making the plant operational in 15 months time from the date they are awarded the contract.

SECI to its credit has already identified suitable rooftops for the program, with over 70% of the capacity being kept aside for the Ministry of Human Resources and Development. This would imply that maximum of the systems will be installed on educational and training institutes. Gujarat is expected to be a home to 267 MW of the capacity, with Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Telangana providing a strong push too.

MYSUN’s take on this tender:

• 1GW addition to the solar rooftop market is a great start to 2017 and really sets the stage for more such projects for the year.
• Going by the last 500 MW tender, we expect the tariffs and price of the solar system to get even more competitive. This is primarily on three accounts - one, the module prices are expected to be low in the first half of the year and second, the interest rates are on a downward trajectory and third, the capital subsidy ranging between 35% - 90% earmarked for these projects.
• The largest factor will be the perceived offtaker risk. Since the offtakers, in this case, are government departments, the developers are expected to be a bit more aggressive while bidding.
• The tender allows 15 months from the award of the contract to complete project execution in comparison to only 12 months in the 500 MW tender. This is a welcome step since it will allow the installers and developers more time to better plan and execute the projects. However, unlike the 500 MW tender, the bidders who win in 1GW tender will not get full payments up front and the incentives will be released stepwise as the developer meets the timelines and targets.

More installations will add more confidence and faith into consumers when it comes to trusting rooftop solar. But for India to reach closer to its 40GW target, the government should not just rely on such tenders as most of these are subsidy based projects which mean there is a huge cost to the exchequer. We strongly believe that the government of India should put more focus on making buying and installation of solar systems simpler for consumers. That will have a spiraling effect on the entire rooftop solar market across consumer categories and will surely help India achieve its targets under the National Solar Mission.

Image Source: NPRI