Solar Installation Guide

Phase 1: Planning & feasibility

Start with the question: what are you trying to offset? Your annual electricity consumption (kWh) and roof area determine your system size. A family using 300 kWh/month needs roughly a 2.5-3 kW system. A home with 2 ACs running daily needs 5-6 kW.

• Run our Appliance Load Calculator to estimate kW needed.
• Measure your roof with our Roof Area Calculator — you need ~70 sq ft per kW of clear south-facing area.
• Budget check: 3 kW ≈ ₹1-1.1 lakh net of PM Surya Ghar subsidy. See our Payback Calculator for 25-year ROI.
• Shortlist 2-3 MNRE-registered installers (BL Solar Solutions is registered — see our credentials).

Phase 2: DISCOM & subsidy applications

Before any hardware arrives, you need paperwork done. PM Surya Ghar runs a single-window portal at pmsuryaghar.gov.in that coordinates subsidy application, DISCOM feasibility, and vendor selection in one place.

1. Register on the portal with your mobile number and electricity consumer ID.
2. Upload last 3 months' electricity bill to verify connection authenticity.
3. DISCOM runs a technical feasibility check (grid capacity at your location): 3-7 business days.
4. Select your vendor from MNRE empanelled list.
5. Sign installation contract — verify DCR panels, warranties, timeline.

Phase 3: Site survey and engineering

Before any panel reaches your roof, the installer performs a site survey. Expect 2-4 hours on-site covering:

• Roof structural assessment: Load-bearing capacity, anchor points, waterproofing layers.
• Shadow analysis: Measure morning, noon, and evening shadow patterns to design panel layout.
• Cable routing: DC run from panels to inverter; AC run from inverter to distribution panel. Minimize length to reduce voltage drop.
• Earthing location: Two separate earth pits — one for the system and one for panels. Distance from water points.
• Inverter placement: Shaded, ventilated indoor or shed location within 20m of panels.

The installer produces an engineering drawing (panel layout, single-line diagram, bill of materials) that becomes part of your contract and DISCOM submission.

Phase 4: Physical installation (2-4 days)

Phase 5: DISCOM inspection & net meter

1-2 weeks after physical completion, DISCOM dispatches an engineer for final inspection. Checks include:

• Grid synchronization verification (inverter anti-islanding test).
• Earthing resistance (≤5Ω).
• DC and AC isolator operation.
• Surge protection compliance.
• Panel DCR certificate verification.

On passing, DISCOM installs your bi-directional net meter (replacing your old meter). This meter records both imports (when you draw from grid) and exports (when you push to grid) — your bill is settled monthly on the net difference.

Phase 6: Commissioning and subsidy payout

Inverter synced to grid, first units exported — celebrate quietly. Two parallel tasks now:

1. Submit subsidy claim — upload commissioning report, invoice, bank details, and installation photos to PM Surya Ghar portal.
2. Track subsidy status — central subsidy arrives 30-45 days post-claim. UP state subsidy (₹15k/kW up to ₹30k) follows 60-90 days later.
3. Activate monitoring (RMS) — your system should be generating 1,400-1,500 kWh/kW/year in UP. Alert thresholds for underperformance.
4. Schedule first cleaning — 4-6 months post-install, before monsoon or after dusty season.

Post-installation maintenance

Solar is low-maintenance but not zero-maintenance. Budget ₹2,000-5,000/year for AMC:

• Panel cleaning: Every 3-6 months (more frequent in dusty/polluted areas). Water + soft brush.
• Inverter check: Annual — filter cleaning, firmware updates, error log review.
• Cable inspection: Annual — check for rodent damage, UV cracking, loose connections.
• Earth resistance: Re-measure every 2 years. Top up chemical earthing if > 5Ω.
• Warranty claims: Keep installation invoice + panel serial numbers safe for warranty triggers.