Solar for Schools and Clinics in Punjab

Schools and clinics rarely feature in solar advertising, but they suit solar better than most buildings, and for more reasons than the bill.

Their loads run when the sun is up

A school’s heaviest draw, from classroom lighting, fans and sometimes a computer lab, comes during school hours, and those line up closely with the hours solar generates. Clinics are similar, with reception, examination rooms and equipment mostly in use through the working day. The timing matters, because a solar unit used the moment it is generated is worth more than one exported to the grid under net metering.

No subsidy, same as any other commercial connection

Schools and clinics are billed on the same commercial tariff structure as other business premises, and they get no PM Surya Ghar subsidy, since that scheme is written for homes and housing societies. They do pay from the first unit, with no free-usage line to work around, so the calculation is different from a home’s without being any worse.

For clinics: what happens in a power cut

Like every on-grid system, a clinic’s on-grid system shuts down when PSPCL supply fails, as a safety measure. If losing power mid-procedure isn’t an acceptable risk, a hybrid system with a battery bank sized to the critical equipment is worth the extra cost. You don’t need to back up the whole building. Work out what can’t lose power, and size the battery around that.

A case beyond the bill

A working solar installation on a school roof is also something students see every day. It isn’t the main reason to install one, but some institutions value it alongside the financial case.

Getting a real number

Send us the institution’s monthly bill. We’ll size a system to its daytime load and tell you whether a battery is worth the cost for a clinic’s critical equipment, or whether a plain on-grid system covers the need.