Power cuts and electricity shortages are a harsh reality in many parts of India. With summers getting hotter every year, frequent power outages can cause much inconvenience and impact day-to-day activities. Installing solar panels on your rooftop can provide a smart, sustainable solution for power backup during load shedding. Solar panels harness the abundant power of the sun to generate electricity for your home. As a clean, renewable source of energy, solar power helps reduce your electricity bills and your carbon footprint. With battery backup built into the solar panel system, you can continue seamless operation of lights, fans, and appliances when the grid supply goes off.
In this blog, we discuss why solar power is ideal for homes in India and the benefits of installing a rooftop solar system with batteries for power backup.
The Need for Reliable Electricity Supply in Indian Homes
While cities have minimal power cuts, small towns and rural areas still struggle with frequent electricity shortages lasting hours. Power outages cause major disruption to work, study routines, and daily activities of families. With rising incomes, Indian homes also have more electrical appliances like ACs, geysers and electronics leading to higher electricity consumption.
But supply struggles to catch up with demand as new power plants have challenges like land acquisition, environmental clearances etc. Transitioning to renewable sources of energy is vital for Indian homes to get uninterrupted, reliable access to electricity.
Benefits of Rooftop Solar Panels for Power Backup
Installing a solar photovoltaic system with a battery bank provides the following advantages:
Clean Energy: Solar energy produces no emissions or pollution, helping families reduce their carbon footprint. It's a sustainable green energy solution.
Reduced Electricity Bills: Solar power reduces dependence on grid electricity during the daytime. Excess solar power gets stored in batteries for using later at night. This slashes electricity bills by 60-90%.
Battery Backup: Batteries store surplus solar energy produced during the day for using when grid supply fails. This provides seamless backup power to run lights, fans, TVs, and other appliances.
Cost Effective: Thanks to government subsidies and lower solar panel prices, rooftop solar power systems deliver an attractive return on investment. Such systems often pay for themselves within 4-5 years through savings on electricity bills.
Reliable Power: Solar energy can provide a reliable and consistent supply of electricity. Solar panels have a typical life expectancy of 25-30 years with minimal maintenance required.
How does a Rooftop Solar System work?
A rooftop solar system consists of solar PV panels, a battery bank, power converters and mounting structures. Solar panels use photovoltaic cells made of silicon to convert sunlight into DC electric current. An inverter then converts this DC power into AC electricity for consumption in homes.
The battery bank stores surplus solar power generated during the daytime. Stored energy gets utilized at night to provide backup when there are power cuts from the electricity grid. High quality lithium-ion batteries can last for thousands of charge cycles.
Solar panels are placed on rooftops or ground mounts at an optimum tilt angle to receive abundant sunlight throughout the year. The mounting structures anchor and firmly affix the panels. Micro-inverters or power optimizers connected to each solar panel ensure maximum energy harvest. Smart interactive systems & online monitoring enable home owners to track real-time solar power generation.
Sizing Your Rooftop Solar and Battery Storage Capacity
The electricity consumption patterns for each home differ widely based on number of occupants, types of appliances owned and lifestyle habits. An efficient solar system is sized to match your home's expected power requirements.
By analyzing your monthly electricity bills, installers can calculate the adequate solar PV capacity you need to reduce grid dependency. Accurately estimating the backup hours needed during power cuts determines the appropriate battery bank capacity. As a rule of thumb, a 5 kWp solar rooftop system can effectively run key appliances for 4-5 hours with a 10 kWh battery bank. By suitably scaling up solar and battery capacities, uninterrupted power supply can be achieved.
Inverters and charge controllers balance the distribution of solar energy for instant use and battery charging. These power management systems prevent overdrawing energy from batteries - protecting battery life.
Economics of Rooftop Solar Systems
Thanks to plummeting prices, rooftop solar power systems are a financially viable investment for urban Indian homes today. Governments also promote renewables adoption with attractive rebates & incentives.
While costs differ based on city tier, location and system specifications, here's a breakdown of capital costs involved:
- Solar panels: Rs 55,000 to Rs 70,000 per kWp
- Li-ion Batteries: Rs 22,000 to Rs 28,000 per kWh
- Inverters & Installation: Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000
- Total cost for 5 kWp solar + 10 kWh battery system: Approximately Rs 5.5 lakhs
With average savings of Rs 2000-Rs 3000 per month on electricity bills, such systems offer payback between 4-6 years. Generation of surplus solar power also enables additional savings by selling to the grid. Battery replacement is needed after 5-8 years - adding to operational costs. However, changing battery chemistry and lower future prices can alter overall economics further.
Incentives & Subsidies to Check Out
The Central and state governments offer capital incentives & subsidies to boost solar rooftop installations across residential spaces. Certain states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana also have additional solar power incentives.
Factors to Consider Before Solar Power System Installation
Installing solar panels require open shadow-free rooftop or ground space with the panel structure facing south for maximum sunlight. Also, assess additional expenses like panel cleaning and higher home insurance premiums post system installation. While evaluating service providers, check total cost breakups, equipment brands offered, maintenance services and warranties. Opt for established players over new entrants for quality assurance and performance guarantees. An undersized solar system can leave your home energy starved. Overspending on excessive battery capacity you barely use will only shoot up costs further. Carry out solar site assessments and ensure your home's power backup needs get adequately met.
The Way Forward
With rising carbon emissions and climate change impact, solar rooftop systems serve as a green, sustainable backup electricity solution. By investing in solar panels with battery storage, Indian homes can get protected from frequent power cuts during peak summers.
As solar technology improves and panel/battery prices decline further, such systems shall become even more affordable. Easy EMIs, leasing models and government incentives will drive faster mass adoption of rooftop solar across the country. We urge you to evaluate your options today. Get started by reaching out to our solar experts at Waaree for techno-commercial guidance, site assessments and seamless home solar power system installations.
