FAQs

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Solar Panels are not delicate at all. They are built from tempered glass also known as toughened glass which is a safety glass manufactured to increase its strength. PV module glass is a barrier that protects solar photovoltaic cells against damaging external factors such as water, dust, hailstones and dirt. The tempered panel glass also offers high transmissivity and low reflection of sunlight.

To install One Kilo-watt (1 kW) rooftop solar system approximately 90 square feet of shadow-free roof area is required. For an easier calculation and rough estimation, the minimum space required can be considered as 9.3 square metres per kWp (1 kW ~ 10 sq.m ~ 100 sq.ft).

There should not be any shade causing high-rise structures or trees next to the building and the roof should be strong enough to take the load of the entire Solar Power Plant. Any type of building is suitable for Solar power system installation and the solutions will be site-specific with customization as per the customer requirement.

One kilowatts peak (1 kWp) of Solar Photovoltaic system can generate an average of 4 units (kilowatt-hour or kWh) of electricity per day under normal conditions in Bangalore City. However, the solar generation depends on several other factors as well,

  • Solar Irradiance of the location (depends on the latitude)
  • Ambient Temperature of the area (local weather conditions)
  • Solar panels cleaning and maintenance
  • Grid availability for an On-Grid system

As solar PV technology is based on Sunlight, electricity is produced only during the day-time when sun rays are available. There are two ways to utilize the generated solar energy during the night:

  • BESCOM Grid Storage – Export the excess generated solar energy to the grid during the daytime and draw the power from the DISCOM grid during the night.
  • Battery Bank Storage – Store the excess solar energy produced during the day-time in batteries and use this energy stored in batteries during the night.

A solar water heater is exclusively used for obtaining hot water for your usage, which is an alternative for a Hot Water Electric Geyser. Whereas, a solar photovoltaic system generates Electric Power which can be used for lighting purposes and for running any other home appliances including a geyser, washing machine, air conditioning or a refrigerator.

A 3kW system would typically suffice for a nuclear family residential set-up (This may vary based on the electricity consumption and BESCOM sanctioned load details). The approximate cost for a 3 kWp solar on-grid system will be Rs. 2 Lakhs (as of February 2021). The actual cost will vary as per the site conditions and system specifications (Contact PLASMASOLAR to schedule a site survey). The initial investment will nullify your power consumption expenses for a minimum of 25 years with minimal maintenance cost. Considering rising electricity bill prices every year, Solar Electricity is cheaper and is a great long term investment.

The performance of solar PV modules is affected by the shading effect from surrounding trees, parapet wall, buildings etc, or anything that casts a shadow on the panels (bird droppings or unclean solar panels with dust also have the same effect). The amount and duration of the shadow falling on a module, proportionally affect the production of electrical energy by the PV panels from the sunlight. Lesser the shadow, more the energy! No shadow equals maximum energy! For a site with a partial shadow ridden roof-top, we recommend a Microinverter or a Power Optimizer based system instead of a String Inverter. Contact PLASMASOLAR for more technical details on the same.

Solar energy is much cheaper than the power supply from a diesel Genset. Solar energy has achieved grid parity (or socket parity) as of 2020 in India, and it generates power less than or equal to the price of power from the conventional electricity grid. As of January 2021 in India, the average cost of electric power from solar is Rs. 3 to Rs. 5 per kWh (for commercial and Industrial segments), while the average cost of electricity generation from a DG Genset is Rs. 25 per kWh (a litre of diesel generates around 3 Units and a litre of diesel costs Rs. 91 as of April 2021 in India).

Yes, the existing UPS will continue to function normally along with the grid-tied solar PV system. Solar + Utility Grid + UPS battery will provide you with an uninterruptible power supply experience and you would have reliable 24×7 electricity.

In a Grid-Interactive Solar PV system, the solar generation stops immediately when there is a power cut as a part of the Anti-islanding safety measures. This safeguard is to protect the utility workers and technicians from getting electrocuted while working on the DISCOM power supply line during maintenance and repairs. This Anti Islanding feature is mandatory as per MNRE and BESCOM rules & regulations.

You do not have to change the internal wiring of the house when you opt for solar PV. The solar energy is fed into the outgoing terminal of the MCB/MCCB at the Main Distribution Board where the ESCOM energy meter is present. Instead of a DISCOM power supply, you are producing the same electricity on your rooftop with the sunlight, and all appliances and lighting will continue to function as it is. Single Line Diagram of Roof top Solar by BESCOM.

Electrical Grid is the interconnected network of transmission and distribution cables that makes up the public utility power grid for delivering electricity from producers to consumers. The major components of a grid are electricity generating stations, substations transmission lines, distribution networks and power consumers.

Synonyms: DISCOM – (Electricity) DIStribution COMpany, ESCOM – Electricity Supply COMpanies, Public Electricity Board, Mains Electric Supply etc.