Meet Mr. S Ramani, an ecologically conscious citizen of Chennai (India) who has installed solar panels at his home and has been actively harnessing the power of the sun, over the last 4 years. Mr. Ramani is a retired IPS officer and he takes German language classes in his free time, now. You can see the solar (thermal) water heater and the solar (PV) panels installed on the rooftop of his house, in the above photo.
When he told me that he bought the solar panel system before four years, the first question I asked him was, 'Oh, it should have been quite expensive back then?' Yes, it was. He smiles and tells me that his (almost) 1 KW system costed him almost 2.5 Lakhs (Including batteries, inverter, electrical cabling/ accessories, etc.) and the delivery/waiting period was very long. While the cost of solar panels might have come down now, he asks, 'One can buy Rolls Royce cars off the showroom today, but is there any showroom around this locality where one can walk in, see a demonstration and buy solar panels?' Valid question, that.
The solar panel system has been producing electricity consistently over the last four years and all the fans, lights (and TV) in his home primarily run using the power stored in the batteries, which are fed by the the solar panels. But what if there is a storm and there is continuous rain for a few days? He says that solar panels can produce some power even during rains, and the batteries are connected in a way that enables them to be charged through the mains (grid) when solar power runs out.
I ask what motivated him to buy the solar panels? He says he was inspired by an article written in a German magazine. In fact, he shows me that article (written in German) and a few photos of solar panels taken during one of his visits to Germany! Germany, for your information, has made huge strides in solar power, in spite of not being located anywhere close to the equator!
How about the electricity bills? Have they come down post installation? Yes, on an average, the bi-monthly electricity bills which were around Rs. 2000, have decreased to around Rs. 900. He actually shows me the electricity bills to prove his point :)
While there is a substantial monthly saving, the ROI (Return On Investment) might take a long time? Especially at the price he bought them, back then? Yes, but he asks me to consider the cost of non-availability of electricity and voltage fluctuations. Besides, the electricity he produces/saves, provides additional electricity to others. And yes, solar power is green - It generates no pollution/carbon emissions, unlike diesel generators.
Solar panels do not require much maintenance, but he cleans them once in a while (even that may not be required as they are designed for self-cleaning during rains, etc). But some maintenance might be required for batteries. He checks for, and fills distilled water in batteries, once in every two months. That's still less maintenance than a car, which might need to be filled with petrol/diesel every now and then!
He took me to the UPS room and showed me the batteries and inverter. Using the LCD display in the inverter, one can see the amount of power being generated, voltage, current and other vital parameters of the solar power system. There are three indicators that indicate no solar generation, medium solar generation and good solar generation, respectively.
He says that the batteries maybe the weakest link in the solar panel system as they may need replacement once in every 5 years (approx). A well maintained battery might last longer and it is advisable to keep the batteries/inverter as close as possible to the solar panels, and away from rain/water.
He has also installed a solar water heating system that gives hot water 24 x 7. He suggests that people could look at using the hot water in their kitchens, in addition to using it for washing/bathing. Hot water will reduce amount of fuel that is required to cook food, when compared with normal (cold) water.
He says that the batteries maybe the weakest link in the solar panel system as they may need replacement once in every 5 years (approx). A well maintained battery might last longer and it is advisable to keep the batteries/inverter as close as possible to the solar panels, and away from rain/water.
He has also installed a solar water heating system that gives hot water 24 x 7. He suggests that people could look at using the hot water in their kitchens, in addition to using it for washing/bathing. Hot water will reduce amount of fuel that is required to cook food, when compared with normal (cold) water.
While we were in the terrace, he showed me how much terrace space is available in each house in the locality. One could use all that space to generate their own electricity! In fact, solar panels need not be mounted on the terrace, but could also be fixed on the wall (as he has done).
Did he get any form of subsidy from the Government for installing the solar panels? No, not a single rupee. He feels that it maybe better for the Government to give income tax rebate on the capital expenditure (for solar panels), instead of making people go through a laborious process of claiming subsidies. Excellent point!
Did he get any form of subsidy from the Government for installing the solar panels? No, not a single rupee. He feels that it maybe better for the Government to give income tax rebate on the capital expenditure (for solar panels), instead of making people go through a laborious process of claiming subsidies. Excellent point!
He says that it will be better if solar panel manufacturers give a user guide/manual for their solar panels - he received nothing! Of course, re-sellers/installers (In this case, RM SOLAAR) maybe aware of the best installation practices, but some instructions/guidance from the solar panel manufacturer (Reliance Industries Solar Group) might have been more helpful. Altogether, he is happy with his solar panel system and says confidently, 'There is no excuse for not installing solar panels at home'. Absolutely!
If you have installed solar panels at your home/office in Chennai and want me to visit the site and write about it in this website, please send a mail to solarwindhydroenergy[at]gmail[dot]com. I may not be able to visit all of them, but I will definitely try to visit a few of them and showcase it here.
