Rooftop solar questions, answered straight

Roughly 80 to 100 sq ft of shadow-free terrace per kW. So a 3 kW system needs about 250 to 300 sq ft, a little under a third of a typical 1,000 sq ft terrace. The exact figure depends on module wattage and efficiency, the tilt and orientation of the structure, and the spacing needed to avoid row-to-row shading. Elevated structures over an existing roof slab can change the usable area considerably, so the number is confirmed during site assessment.

Work it out from your bill, not from your terrace size. Sizing starts from your monthly consumption in units. Take your average monthly units from recent bills and work back to the daily requirement, then size the system against the generation your location can realistically deliver. In Telangana, a well-installed 1 kW system commonly generates in the region of 4 to 4.5 units per day averaged over the year, though this varies with season, orientation, shading and system condition. Roof area, budget and your target bill offset then refine the final capacity.

Yes, but the panels generate less. They work on whatever light reaches them, so on a heavily overcast day output can fall well below a clear day. This is expected and is already accounted for when annual generation is estimated, which is why sizing uses a yearly average rather than a best-day figure. Monsoon months typically generate less than clear winter and pre-summer months.

An on-grid system works alongside your existing grid connection with no battery. Solar powers your loads during the day, and where net metering is available, surplus generation can be exported to the grid and accounted against your consumption. Because there is no battery and the inverter is required to disconnect during a grid outage for line-worker safety, an on-grid system does not provide backup during a power cut. It is the lowest-cost configuration and suits customers whose main goal is bill reduction.

A hybrid system uses an inverter that manages solar, battery and grid together. During the day, solar runs your loads and charges the battery. During an outage, the battery supplies the circuits you have chosen to back up. It costs more than on-grid because of the battery and the hybrid inverter, and the battery is sized to your essential loads rather than to the entire property.

Only if you need power during cuts, or want to use solar energy after sunset. A battery does not increase how much electricity your panels generate. It stores what has already been generated so you can use it later, with a small round-trip loss. If your supply is reliable and your goal is bill reduction, an on-grid system without a battery usually gives better value. If outages are frequent or long, a hybrid system is worth the additional cost.

It is the arrangement that lets your daytime solar offset your night-time usage. Your DISCOM installs a bi-directional meter that records both the units you import from the grid and the units you export to it. Your billing then reflects the net position rather than gross consumption. Eligibility, capacity limits, the settlement method and the application process are set by the distribution company and applicable state regulations, and these can change. We assist with the documentation, but approval rests with the DISCOM.

The work on your terrace is usually a few days. Once material is at site and the structure work begins, a typical home system goes up quickly. The overall timeline from order to a fully commissioned, net-metered system is longer because it includes design, procurement, installation, testing, and then the DISCOM application, inspection and meter change. Approval-related steps are handled by the distribution company, so we do not promise a guaranteed date for that portion.

Mostly just keeping the panels clean. Dust on the glass reduces output more than people expect. In most Telangana locations, periodic cleaning through the dry and dusty months makes a visible difference. Beyond that, maintenance is largely inspection-based: checking mounting hardware, cable condition, earthing, protection devices and inverter status. There are no moving parts in the panels themselves, so the system is low-maintenance rather than no-maintenance.

Two different things, from two different sources. From us you get the 3-Year Kapizo Installation Workmanship Warranty, covering defects directly attributable to our installation workmanship for 3 years from commissioning. That includes the mounting and roof penetrations we made, wiring joints and terminations, and connections that come loose because of how they were fitted. From the manufacturers you get equipment warranties on the panels, inverter and other components. Equipment warranties are provided according to the selected manufacturer's applicable warranty terms. Because the modules, inverter and balance-of-system are chosen to suit your site, the durations that apply to your system are confirmed in your quotation. On panels specifically, note that the product warranty covering defects and the performance warranty covering power output are different lengths and cover different things, so a single headline number tells you little. Exact warranty coverage, exclusions and terms are provided in the final quotation and warranty documents.

Under the PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar scheme, eligible residential consumers may receive central financial assistance for a grid-connected system: ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, plus ₹18,000 for the additional 1 kW up to 3 kW. No further central assistance applies above 3 kW, so the maximum for a residential system is ₹78,000. At benchmark prices that is roughly ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. It is applied for through the national portal and released after DISCOM inspection and document verification. Not every customer receives the maximum. Eligible residential consumers may receive Central Financial Assistance under PM Surya Ghar, subject to the scheme's eligibility requirements, approved process, applicable benchmark conditions and portal and DISCOM requirements. The maximum for a residential system is ₹78,000. Not every customer receives the maximum, and some receive none. The scheme also routes the balance payment through an empanelled vendor, and Kapizo Solar does not currently claim empanelment, so verify the current position on pmsuryaghar.gov.in before deciding.

Almost certainly not exactly zero, though it can come down a great deal. Even with a well-sized system, most tariffs include fixed charges and duties that continue regardless of how many units you draw. Your consumption pattern also matters: a system sized to your annual units still imports from the grid at night and in low-generation months. A realistic goal is a large reduction in the energy component of the bill, with the exact outcome depending on sizing, tariff and consumption behaviour.

Only if you have a battery. This surprises most people, so it is worth being clear: a normal on-grid system shuts down during a power cut, even in bright sunshine. The inverter is required to disconnect the moment grid supply fails, so that your system cannot send power back into lines that DISCOM staff may be working on. It is a safety rule, not a fault in your system. If you want power during cuts, you need a hybrid system with a battery, sized to the specific circuits you want to keep running, usually lights, fans, the fridge and a few sockets rather than the whole house. At night the same logic applies: an on-grid system simply draws from the grid as before, while a hybrid system draws from the battery first.

Usually yes, and often more so than for a home. Commercial tariffs are higher than residential, so every unit you generate replaces a costlier unit from the grid. Commercial loads also tend to run during daylight hours, which aligns well with solar generation. Design considerations include the roof structure, available shadow-free area, connected load and the applicable net metering rules for your consumer category.

Yes, but a pump is sized differently from a house. Instead of working backwards from a monthly bill, we size to the pump rating, how much water you need and how many hours a day it runs. Open, shadow-free area availability is a key factor. Applicable schemes for agricultural solar differ from residential rooftop schemes and are subject to prevailing government guidelines.

Most homes start with Recommended. Essential covers the fundamentals properly and makes sense if cutting the bill is the whole goal. Recommended adds better component selection, a more efficient design, stronger protection and monitoring you can actually check on your phone. Those are the things that matter most across fifteen years. High Performance is for you if you need power during cuts or want the strongest configuration we offer. The honest deciding question is whether power cuts bother you enough to pay for a battery. None of these are fixed packages. The final system is designed around your usage and your roof.