What Actually Happens on Solar Installation Day

Most people researching solar read about subsidy amounts and payback years long before anyone tells them what installation day itself actually looks like. Here is the sequence, in the order it happens.

Before the team arrives: the site survey

Installation does not start cold. A site survey checks roof orientation, shading through the day, roof strength for the mounting structure, and the cable route to your meter box. This is also when sanctioned load and any load-enhancement need get confirmed against your actual connection, not just your bill.

Mounting the structure

The mounting structure — rails and clamps that hold the panels at the right angle — goes up first, fixed to the roof in a way that is weatherproof and rated for wind load. This is the part of the job where roof type matters most: a flat concrete roof, a sloped tin roof and a shed roof all need different mounting approaches.

Panels, wiring and the inverter

Panels are fixed to the structure and wired in series or parallel strings depending on the system design, then connected to the inverter. DC wiring from the panels, and AC wiring from the inverter to your distribution board, are run and properly earthed — earthing is not optional, it is a safety requirement.

ACDB, DCDB and protection devices

The AC and DC distribution boxes house the protective devices — fuses, surge protection, isolators — that keep the system safe to operate and safe to service later. This is unglamorous but important work; a system that skips proper protection devices is the kind that causes problems years later, not on day one.

The net meter and PSPCL’s role

For an on-grid or hybrid system, PSPCL fits the bi-directional net meter and inspects the installation before it can legally export power. This step is outside our direct control on timing — it depends on PSPCL’s own schedule — but we file the paperwork and coordinate it as part of the job, not as a separate hassle for you to chase.

Commissioning

Once the net meter is fitted and inspected, the portal issues a commissioning certificate. This is also the trigger point for the PM Surya Ghar subsidy process to move forward — see our subsidy guide for what happens next with the bank transfer.

What we ask you to have ready

Clear roof access, someone available to let the installation team in, and your electricity bill and connection details on hand. The rest — the sequence above — is our job to manage in the right order.