Solar panel and stuff

[iPwnz]

I don't know if this is the right section for it (mods please move the thread to a more suitable section if any).

Anyone in the field of solar panel industry or market?

A few years ago I read somewhere that Canada produces some of the best panels in the world but for some reason (trade agreement apparently) they won't sell them to India. So I presumed the panels which we have here are all low quality crap from China without proper R&D since it's all about the budget here.

How's the state of solar panel in India look like right now? What companies operate here? Is there any startup which is doing a genuinely good job in providing solar energy to the households here?

What brands and quality are available? How are the solar panels? Are the batteries still imported from China? Do we have any decent option for lower income families in India?

 

[Party Monger]

I don't know if this is the right section for it (mods please move the thread to a more suitable section if any).

Anyone in the field of solar panel industry or market?

A few years ago I read somewhere that Canada produces some of the best panels in the world but for some reason (trade agreement apparently) they won't sell them to India. So I presumed the panels which we have here are all low quality crap from China without proper R&D since it's all about the budget here.

How's the state of solar panel in India look like right now? What companies operate here? Is there any startup which is doing a genuinely good job in providing solar energy to the households here?

What brands and quality are available? How are the solar panels? Are the batteries still imported from China? Do we have any decent option for lower income families in India?

How does one fill you in on EVERYTHING about it?
Why dont you watch a video or two on this?

 

[blr_p]

What is exactly is your intention?

I looked at solar sometime ago. Discovered bangalore is overcast at least six months of the year and gave up the idea.

It's only good when the sun is out. If what you want happens then you can make some savings but once the sun goes down then only batteries or mains for power. This means business stand to benefit more than residential setups.

 

[iPwnz]

How does one fill you in on EVERYTHING about it?
Why dont you watch a video or two on this?

Read the second line.

What is exactly is your intention?

I looked at solar sometime ago. Discovered bangalore is overcast at least six months of the year and gave up the idea.

It's only good when the sun is out. If what you want happens then you can make some savings but once the sun goes down then only batteries or mains for power. This means business stand to benefit more than residential setups.

Rural and town use. Only a few buildings.
We get full sun almost whole day unless the weather God disagree. Prepaid meter bill is now in almost every household but unpredictable reliability.
I went to the market and there were a lot of low-quality looking brands. Many of them had cheap thin packaging. And as for the battery the most popular brand being endorsed by the sellers was Exide, costliest too. Others had Chinese names. Personal reviews or feedback from those in the sector would be very helpful. I can't imagine the people here being able to afford new one so soon after their last investment.

I'm specifically looking for upto medium quality.
And yes they will be bought in bulk so once the models are finalized the supplier will be contacted. I've checked some solar startup companies and they seem to concentrate mostly in the cities.

 

[blr_p]

Rural and town use. Only a few buildings.

What will the load be?

We get full sun almost whole day unless the weather God disagree. Prepaid meter bill is now in almost every household but unpredictable reliability.

For how many days of the year?

I went to the market and there were a lot of low-quality looking brands. Many of them had cheap thin packaging. And as for the battery the most popular brand being endorsed by the sellers was Exide, costliest too. Others had Chinese names. Personal reviews or feedback from those in the sector would be very helpful.

Exide costs more because they are the heaviest. More weight means more lead. Now, the trick is to get them within 3 months of manufacture date as that way they won't sulphate much and deliver the longest run times.

Cheaper batteries use less lead and are older. They won't last as long as Exide and are a false economy.

I can't imagine the people here being able to afford new one so soon after their last investment.

This is where over sizing comes in. If your batteries discharge to only 50% they will last longer than if they endure a deep discharge.

I'm specifically looking for upto medium quality.
And yes they will be bought in bulk so once the models are finalized the supplier will be contacted. I've checked some solar startup companies and they seem to concentrate mostly in the cities.

Take your time and do your sums. I went into quite a bit of depth on this topic in an earlier thread titled.

Looking for an UPS that is smart

 

[TEUser2K1]

2024 budget have some proposals for solar power implementation, checking those options may help reduce costs ?

Revised solar scheme aims to up green power generation | Goa News - Times of India

Panaji: The cabinet approved the revised scheme for the promotion of grid-connected solar rooftop systems with net, group net, and virtual net meterin.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Budget 2024: Rooftop solar scheme to provide 300 units of free power per month

The scheme would enable 10 million households to sell their surplus solar energy and is projected to yield annual savings between ₹15,000 and ₹18,000 per household

www.livemint.com

 

[blr_p]

2024 budget have some proposals for solar power implementation, checking those options may help reduce costs ?

Revised solar scheme aims to up green power generation | Goa News - Times of India

Panaji: The cabinet approved the revised scheme for the promotion of grid-connected solar rooftop systems with net, group net, and virtual net meterin.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Budget 2024: Rooftop solar scheme to provide 300 units of free power per month

The scheme would enable 10 million households to sell their surplus solar energy and is projected to yield annual savings between ₹15,000 and ₹18,000 per household

www.livemint.com

These are at the federal level. State level is a different story and depends which state. If there is one escom and no private players whatever offered isn't worth it.

 

[enc0dex264]

Ideally you should be only looking at the top end brands such as EXIDE or Luminous.. because other local/chinese brands will do anything in there power to deny warranty claims.. they might be cheaper now but will be costly in the long term.

I would advise go with Luminous.. they are constantly introducing new panel models in the market and have the most complete solar lineup warranty and product catalogwise.. atleast in the big brands.

Warranty is important because unlike other products.. solar runs 24/7 whether the sun is out or even if its not out.. the batteries output and mains still run through the inverter 24/7.

Also Luminous and Exide's battery are known to have 1200 cycles in them.. which is roughly atleast good for upto 5 years of use. Nobody knows what the local brands are putting in.

 

[iPwnz]

One thing regarding the warranty, sadly it may be irrelevant, unless the company agrees to take a special case and do it which likely may not happen. Tier 3/4 towns like ours have no such services anyway. Local sellers are usually hands-off and you know how long authorized centers take. It usually depends on the local sellers. And most consumers don't like the hassle of waiting associated with it.

What will the load be?

100w max. Even 50w will do. Only for lighting purposes. Most households use only 2-3 of 7-9w bulbs and that too very conservatively. The most common size of the panel is about a 1'x1'. What is the Ah suggestion for this?

For how many days of the year?

If "load-shedding" occurs then every night. 5PM-5AM max. Nowadays we have 3/7 days of power issues.

Exide costs more because they are the heaviest. More weight means more lead. Now, the trick is to get them within 3 months of manufacture date as that way they won't sulphate much and deliver the longest run times.

I don't think the battery will have the weight mentioned on the box or do they? We also don't have a huge catalogue so it will not be easy to check the weight everytime. People just ask how much bulb does it support and for around how much and what the price is and then decide. I just want the villagers money to not be wasted and get the best they can.

I'd like two options:
1. The bare minimum, of 1x 7w
2. The next upgrade for those who can afford. 3x 7w with option to support upto 5x 7w.

So companies which offer such options would be ideal.

After we've decided we'll raise some funds and put in bulk order request. Will likely order from Guwahati.

Btw, I'm a bit surprised that we don't seem to have anyone in this field seeing as how things like EV and "solar energy revolution" seem to be so hyped in the media by both govt agencies and private players alike.

 

[blr_p]

One thing regarding the warranty, sadly it may be irrelevant, unless the company agrees to take a special case and do it which likely may not happen. Tier 3/4 towns like ours have no such services anyway. Local sellers are usually hands-off and you know how long authorized centers take. It usually depends on the local sellers. And most consumers don't like the hassle of waiting associated with it.

Then go with Exide. Luminous is a distant second.

100w max. Even 50w will do. Only for lighting purposes. Most households use only 2-3 of 7-9w bulbs and that too very conservatively. The most common size of the panel is about a 1'x1'. What is the Ah suggestion for this?

Can't answer this unless you answer the next

If "load-shedding" occurs then every night. 5PM-5AM max. Nowadays we have 3/7 days of power issues.

I was asking how many days of the year do you get clear sun. There is an additional factor here. For how long will battery be needed after 5pm with presumably a 50w load.

I don't think the battery will have the weight mentioned on the box or do they?

It should if it comes from a reputed company. It's the dry weight that matters here. Check the thread I mentioned for how to determine that.

We also don't have a huge catalogue so it will not be easy to check the weight everytime.

This is where you will get conned if you go with cheaper options.

People just ask how much bulb does it support and for around how much and what the price is and then decide. I just want the villagers money to not be wasted and get the best they can.

I'd like two options:
1. The bare minimum, of 1x 7w
2. The next upgrade for those who can afford. 3x 7w with option to support upto 5x 7w.

So companies which offer such options would be ideal.

You will have to do the sums yourself or get some one to do them for you.

Btw, I'm a bit surprised that we don't seem to have anyone in this field seeing as how things like EV and "solar energy revolution" seem to be so hyped in the media by both govt agencies and private players alike.

What subsidies are available depends on where you live.

Was chatting with a friend who got an e-bike by a company called e-pure and he returned it after 6 months.

The promise was 120km with 150kg load. He only got that range for the first two months. After that the range gradually decreased to 40km before needing a recharge. He'd got it looked at but they only 'repaired' and never replaced the battery. That is for a battery with so called 3 year warranty. After three times of this repairing he got rid of it.

Until lithium batteries are made in India, import duties will just kill whatever value lithium offers. A new battery for the bike was 50% cost of the bike. They aren't using quality batteries but the cheapest they can get from China.

 

[indy1811]

Then go with Exide. Luminous is a distant second.

Can't answer this unless you answer the next

I was asking how many days of the year do you get clear sun. There is an additional factor here. For how long will battery be needed after 5pm with presumably a 50w load.

It should if it comes from a reputed company. It's the dry weight that matters here. Check the thread I mentioned for how to determine that.

This is where you will get conned if you go with cheaper options.

You will have to do the sums yourself or get some one to do them for you.

What subsidies are available depends on where you live.

Was chatting with a friend who got an e-bike by a company called e-pure and he returned it after 6 months.

The promise was 120km with 150kg load. He only got that range for the first two months. After that the range gradually decreased to 40km before needing a recharge. He'd got it looked at but they only 'repaired' and never replaced the battery. That is for a battery with so called 3 year warranty. After three times of this repairing he got rid of it.

Until lithium batteries are made in India, import duties will just kill whatever value lithium offers. A new battery for the bike was 50% cost of the bike. They aren't using quality batteries but the cheapest they can get from China.

Solar panels don't require "clear sun" to generate energy. They work efficiently in diffused and reflected light. They can capture a broad range of the solar spectrum – the red and the blue wavelengths.

 

[rockyo27]

How about adding a windmill also to it. It can give charge or electricity at night also. Though i don't know how good or bad it is but i guess worth looking at it. Even small hydro plants like using single motor if there is downhill water flowing.
Have seen videos on YouTube, people using old washing machine motors repurposed to make a generator.

 

[blr_p]

Solar panels don't require "clear sun" to generate energy. They work efficiently in diffused and reflected light. They can capture a broad range of the solar spectrum – the red and the blue wavelengths.

Sure but at lower efficiency. Now imagine the whole day is overcast. How many days in the year is it like that?

Not everyone gets this fabled 300 days of sun in India

 

[anmolbhard004]

I have a 6kw solar rooftop at home from Waree Solar and they are pretty good . Its been 8 months and no issues till now.
@blr_p
Solar Industry doesnt exactly work on brand names.
Also for diffused sunlight as mentioned above , I got monoperc panels installed and not the usual polyones which are outdated and generate less electricity.
OP should register itself at MNRE https://solarrooftop.gov.in/customer/apply website and their he will get all the vendors available in his area and then he can compare .
For solar inverters go with WAAREE, GROWATT, SOLEX, LUMINOUS ONLY..
I would suggest on grid only these storage battery ones are a mess.

 

[nullpc]

I have a 6kw solar rooftop at home from Waree Solar and they are pretty good . Its been 8 months and no issues till now.
@blr_p
Solar Industry doesnt exactly work on brand names.
Also for diffused sunlight as mentioned above , I got monoperc panels installed and not the usual polyones which are outdated and generate less electricity.
OP should register itself at MNRE https://solarrooftop.gov.in/customer/apply website and their he will get all the vendors available in his area and then he can compare .
For solar inverters go with WAAREE, GROWATT, SOLEX, LUMINOUS ONLY..
I would suggest on grid only these storage battery ones are a mess.

What was the cost estimate for this setup? Would appreciate if you could share a breakdown. Would also love to hear about your usage/requirements.

 

[nitin_g3]

Just to give an idea about ongoing price per kw. It's around 53k per kw including everything, that's like nothing else to be paid out of pocket apart from this.

 

[sauravghosh]

https://solarrooftop.gov.in/customer/apply

What's the benefit of registering yourself here?

 

[anmolbhard004]

What was the cost estimate for this setup? Would appreciate if you could share a breakdown. Would also love to hear about your usage/requirements.

got it installed last june costed about 3.3 L for 6kw plant this is after subisdy.
the cost would be covered in 4-5 years for me.
now for bills I used to get monthly bills of rs 3000-4000/month now its reduced to 700-1000
usage is just for my home.

currently its generating 30-32 units daily

https://solarrooftop.gov.in/customer/apply

What's the benefit of registering yourself here?

those who want to get a subsidy from the central govt. need to register there.

 

[sauravghosh]

those who want to get a subsidy from the central govt. need to register there.
View attachment 194930

What would the cost be if you didn't get the subsidy?

 

[iPwnz]

got it installed last june costed about 3.3 L for 6kw plant this is after subisdy.
the cost would be covered in 4-5 years for me.
now for bills I used to get monthly bills of rs 3000-4000/month now its reduced to 700-1000
usage is just for my home.

currently its generating 30-32 units daily

6kw is huge. What appliances do you run and can the system do them 24*7? Can you share some pics of your setup?
I don't know if you'll have heard of it but I really like Jackery ones.