Which solar system do you need?
Five questions about the place, the connection, power cuts and your bill. You get a recommendation with the reasons, the subsidy position, and where to size it.
Our suggestion
An on-grid system
- It is the cheapest way to cut the bill: daytime solar runs the building and the net meter credits what goes out.
- It switches off in a power cut, by design, so it suits places where cuts are rare.
- Our on-grid systems start at 3 kW.
Subsidy
Qualifies for the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, if the panels are DCR and the system is no larger than your sanctioned load.
Next
Talk it through
Tell us about the place and send a recent bill. We confirm the right type before anything is sized.
Example: a home with a PSPCL connection, rare power cuts, more than 300 units a month, wanting a lower bill. Answer for your own place above.
How it works it out
The selector applies the same rules as our guide to on-grid, off-grid and hybrid, in this order:
- A tubewell or farm pump: a standalone solar pump.
- No reliable PSPCL connection: off-grid.
- A home under 300 units a month that does not need backup: no solar needed yet, since the bill is already zero.
- Frequent cuts, or backup wanted: hybrid.
- Otherwise: on-grid, the cheapest way to cut a bill.
It suggests a type, not a size. The calculator it links to sizes the system from your bill or your appliances.
Questions we are asked
What is the difference between on-grid, hybrid and off-grid?
On-grid is connected to PSPCL with no battery and cuts the bill. Hybrid is connected too, with a battery that keeps chosen circuits running in a power cut. Off-grid has no connection at all and runs everything from panels and batteries.
Which systems get the PM Surya Ghar subsidy?
On-grid and hybrid systems on a home, because both are connected and net-metered. Off-grid systems and business systems do not qualify.
Why might the answer be that I do not need solar?
A Punjab home using 300 units a month or less already has a zero bill, so solar has nothing to save. It only makes sense then if you want backup in power cuts, or your use is about to rise.