Interview With Harpreet Singh Tibb

Who should install a solar panel at home? What are the benefits of installing a solar plant for homes in India?

We are witnessing a huge transformation in the country as the government is pushing adoption of solar power as the lead source of renewable energy in the country. With the solar net metering policy or on grid policy it is very easy for every Indian household to switch to solar power. Today one can switch to solar power in a few weeks time and there are unique deferred financing schemes that makes it easy for one to invest in a rooftop solar plant. The rooftop solar plants come with solar panels that have min 25 years performance warranties and one can recover their investments in 4-5 years. Hence adopting solar power has twin benefits – reducing one’s carbon footprint and a financially sound investment decision. We would recommend that every household in india should put their vacant rooftops to better use and make them a money generating asset. 

What is the tentative expenses incurred in installing solar? How much time will it take to set up and what is the payback period?

There are various factors that play a role in determining the cost of a rooftop solar plant in the residential segment :

1. Type of solar panels used – polycrystalline versus mono perc crystalline versus thin films etc 
2. Type of rooftop where the plant has to be set 
3. Height of the building on which the plant has to be set
4. Height of the plant as it impacts the steel used for setting up the plants 
5. Design customisation if needed to improve aesthetic value of the building 

It typically takes 4-6 weeks to set up a rooftop solar plant as we need to secure permissions from the local electricity distribution company and the pay back period is between 4-5 years. This is one of the best investment decision one can make and also contribute to a better greener climate. 

What general things I should consider like deciding on the panel, inverters, capacity, and maintenance activities while installing solar at home?

The first step for anyone keen on setting up a rooftop for solar plant is to get a site audit done from a specialist rooftop solar player like Solaron Homes Pvt Ltd and get a technocommercial feasibility report for setting up a solar plant on one’s premises. The specialised player shall provide all options in terms of panels technology, type of inverter and the plant design that can be incorporated for one’s rooftop. The maintenance charges for a solar plant are negligible and one of the best investment decisions one can make

Tell us a bit about Solaron. How long have you been involved in solar installation and how many solar power projects have you done so far? – tell us about existing projects?

Solaron Homes Pvt Ltd is a small scale rooftop solar player based out of Mumbai. Over the last 6 years we have been specialising in customising rooftop solar plants for the residential, institutional and commercial segments. More than 200 solar plants have been set up across 25 districts in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujurat. We are empanelled with major DISCOMS and many marquee corporates. We run a program called LiteAHome wherein we gift a solar light kit for every 10kw installation to brighten up families lives living in darkness in rural india. 

What support do you need from the government to make solar power more viable for household purposes?

Investing in a solar plant is like buying a car. The  initial capital needed is large and hence affordable financing is the need of the hour to make small scale, residential solar take off in this country. Securing a solar connection also can get cumbersome as every state has different processes and hence simplification of the complex  processes can help accelerate the adoption of solar power by millions of households and families in the country. 

What are some of the common applications of solar power?

Solar power is a source of energy abundantly found in the country. Today with solar panels available easily in the market we can use them for powering DC loads as well as AC loads. We have small solar home kits with fans and lights that can be used in areas that have power outages at regular intervals. There are solar street lights, solar cookers, solar water pumps which are becoming very common in india. The government has launched the solar net metering policy which allows any household to use their rooftop to generate solar power to run the loads in their homes or in their societies. 

What are your plans for your company in the immediate future?

We are looking at geographical expansion to rapidly scale up the business and hopefully should be present in 6 states and 200 cities by the end of this financial year. We are also looking at partnering the EV network scale up in the country. 

Are there any financing options available for domestic solar projects? How can one avail them?  

We have piloted with deferred financing schemes over the last few years to help people join the solar revolution in the country. The results were very encouraging and hence last year we have rolled out the 5 year deferred financing scheme for residential consumers. One can now invest in a rooftop solar plant with minimal down payment and make the balance payment over the next few years. Typically the breakeven for a solar investment is 5 years – hence this scheme is working very well with our target audience and we have seen our leads go up significantly. If one is interested in installing a solar plant with deferred financing they can email to customercare@solaron.co.in or call 7353280888.