Planning to Invest in a Home Solar System? Here are 4 Points to be Mindful About

Home solar systems have emerged as a popular means to save on monthly energy bills and to reduce dependence on fossil fuel-based power plants that add to our planet’s environmental woes. But despite these obvious benefits of home solar systems, there are many who are yet to take the plunge. We, therefore, spoke to a few residential property owners and asked them what was stopping them from going solar. To our surprise, we found out that many of them wanted to go solar but were not sure as to where to start. And that’s when we decided to come up with this post that talks about the key things one must keep in mind when going solar.

1. The different types of home solar systems.

There are two main types of home solar systems available in the market – On-Grid (or Grid-Tied) and Off-Grid home solar systems. An On-Grid home solar system is connected to the local grid so that it can draw power from the grid when the solar panels are unable to produce sufficient power to fulfill a household’s power requirement. Off-Grid home solar systems, on the other hand, rely on a solar battery array for backup in similar situations.

Between the two types, it is advisable to go for an On-Grid home solar system as one doesn’t have to invest in cost-intensive solar batteries. Also, On-Grid home solar systems allow the transfer of unused energy (produced by solar panels) to the local grid, and the same gets adjusted in the monthly bill. But if your local grid is not very reliable and offers an erratic power supply then you should consider going for an Off-Grid home solar system.

2. Your power requirement.

Once you are sure which home solar system is right for your property, you need to determine your power requirement. This will help you buy the right home solar system with the right VA Rating. In case you don’t know what VA Rating is – it’s a measure of the output capacity of a solar inverter (a major component of a home solar system) and is measured in Volt Amperes.

To calculate your power requirement, you need to add up the power consumption of all the appliances that you use, or you can use the load calculator available on Luminous India’s website.

3. Unique Features

There are so many different inverters from different brands available out there in the market. How does one decide which one’s best for us? Well, one of the ways to differentiate between different inverters of different brands is to compare the features that they have to offer. That’s because two or more home solar systems may offer the same VA Rating but every inverter would offer some unique features that other inverters don’t. We suggest that before you make a final buying decision, check out the Luminous India inverters that come with unique features such as Anti-islanding protection, Remote monitoring and more.

4. Warranty

A home solar system has different components such as solar panels, solar inverters, solar batteries, and more. The warranty might differ from one component to another. The warranty on solar panels, for instance, may range anywhere between 15 to 30 years whereas the warranty on solar batteries is much lower (around 3 to 5 years). But warranty is a very important point to consider when looking for a home solar system as it gives an assurance that come what way, the manufacturer is there to back their product. Also, read online reviews to find out what the customers have to say about the manufacturer’s after-sales support. That’s because simply buying a home solar system with a generous warranty is not enough, one also needs to ensure that the manufacturer offers excellent after-sales support.

Go for a Reputable Brand

If you don’t want to stress too much about choosing the right home solar system and its installation then you should leave it to a trusted brand like Luminous India that will make the whole process seem seamless. It is one of the most reputable names in the solar product space in India and has been around for more than three decades now. In fact, talk to a friend, or anyone you know, who has used Luminous India’s solar products and we are sure you will get positive feedback.