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Solar Project Buying Guide

Solar Power Projects are for long term (25 Years) and require huge investment hence, the customer need to understand the basics before buying so as to get the reliable, durable, best quality & high yielding solar project at a right price and will easily get the service as & when required. There are few points to consider before going SOLAR: -

What would be ideal Size of Project as per consumption ?
Project capacity required depends up on two factors i.e. Your Monthly Unit Consumption (KWh) & the availability of Shadow free area. 1 KW of SPV Project generate around 150 Units per month and required 100 Sqft of shadow free area. Under Net-Metering, you can sell your excess electricity generated back to the grid. However, it’s important to weigh up the financial incentives on offer, which may be quite low. The most benefit is gained by ‘self-consumption’, which means offsetting the higher retail tariff that you would pay by using power generated by your system instead of drawing power from the grid. Accordingly, you should match your system size to your household consumption.

How to decide on selection of vital components ?

  • SOLAR MODULES:-The amount of electricity a given solar panel can produce is dependent on several factors, including the power rating, power tolerance, efficiency and temperature coefficient. The decision on type of SOLAR Module depends up on two factors i.e. Technology and Brand (Manufacturer). As far as technology is concerned there are two popular technologies i.e. Polycrystalline & Mono-crystalline. Mono-crystalline is the latest technology and more efficient than Polycrystalline. Cost wise Mono-crystalline modules are bit costlier than Polycrystalline. Poly-Crystalline modules are available up to 340-350 Wp, However, Mono-Perc Modules are available up to 390 Wp. The solar panel warranty conditions and its manufacturer reputation is also to be taken care while deciding for the brand.

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  • SOLAR INVERTER:-The inverter’s job is to convert the DC power into the alternating current (AC) electricity that can be used in your home or export to the Grid. There are two type of Inverters available for Rooftop Projects i.e. String Inverter and Micro-inverter or Power Optimizer. String inverters are the lowest-cost option for a solar energy system. If your system has optimal conditions for production, they are usually a good choice for your home. When your solar panel system has a string inverter, all of your panels feed all of the DC power they produce to a single inverter. The inverter then changes the DC energy to AC power, at which point your solar energy is ready to use. Micro-inverter or Power Optimizers are a good choice if your solar energy system may be slightly shaded or can’t be installed at the best angle.

When you use microinverters, each panel has its own inverter to transform the power it creates and feed it to your house. Power optimizers, like microinverters, are also installed on every panel, but power optimizers are paired with a string inverter. The power optimizer “conditions” the energy, making it easier to convert from DC to AC, at which point it is sent to the main inverter.

  • BALANCE OF SYSTEM:-BoS refers to all components of a PV system other than the modules & Inverter like structure, cables or wires, switches, enclosures, fuses, ground fault detectors,connectors, junction boxes, cables, small nut & bolts etc.. Choosing low quality products may have risk for power losses, system failure/downtime, or even a fire may increase significantly during the operation phase. we cannot ignore the quality of earthing and other protection components for a better working and trouble-free life. As a result, for the well-being of solar power generation, these components of the total system means a lot. It can prove to be fatal for human life as well as power system, if any low-quality products are used for ACDB, Earthing, AJB,

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SPD, etc. In Array Junction Box (AJB) and AC Distribution Box(ACDB),most of the solar power installer does not add the required protection devices to save money. However, as per the design fuses, surge protection device (SPD) and DC Isolator if not present in the Inverter should be added, to have a safer functioning of the Solar PV rooftop system on the DC side AJB. For instance, if DC side surge protection device and fuses are not added, and a high surge comes, then it may damage the Inverter, and we all are aware that Inverter Company’s warranty does not cover claim on damage due to such scenarios.

What are the other points to be taken care?

  • Trustworthiness of EPC Player: - EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) Player is very vital part of the chain & plays the most important role so one must choose EPC Player who is good at Engineering & Construction; Procurement may be common for all. Customer should determine if the prospective vendor has a record of quality work in the solar installation. Ask for references & Obtain independent feedback from past customers.

  • System Design Approval: - Customer should be aware of how the system looks like once installed and should review and approve the system design before installation to avoid any issues later on.

  • Procurement of Vital components: - Procurement of vital components who plays a major role and carry long term warranties like Modules and Inverters should be procured from Authorized Distributors or directly from Manufacturers so as to take care of quality as well as the warranty assurance.

  • Warranties & Insurance: - Different components have different warranty terms and conditions; customer should understand fully the warranty periods and well as the term and conditions. Ask your solar company to explain what your warranties protect, for how long, and who stands behind them. Also insist on taking the insurance of your solar plant.

  • Liasioning: - Installation of Grid Connected Solar Projects requires various approvals and agreements with Govt Depts like Discom, Electrical Inspector etc. Liasioning part should be taken care by EPC Player.

  • AMC and O&M: - Customer should be aware of type of maintenance or cleaning required & is there any AMC included in offer.

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