Is Domestic Solar Usage Worth?

Solar energy is the energy source emitting from the Sun as Sunlight. An hour of solar energy that hits the earth is more than what we consume in one year. It is therefore worth contemplating the usage of using Solar energy. Moreover, with the Indian government making continuous efforts to popularize solar energy usage India, adopting this alternative source of energy serves multiple purposes. Solar energy scores as an alternative source of energy since it is available throughout the year. Also a non-depleting source of energy, it is a green energy and therefore eco-friendly. Adopting solar energy has its own perks as the government has made a lot of provisions to benefit solar power users.

With the present government of India initiating the big push for Solar power, a lot rides on Solar power adoption. With the government resolute to electrifying most of India and an announcement of 100% electrification of the country, Solar power will need to be the source that everyone will have to revert to, ultimately. In the near future, Solar power will be the power that will prove to be the reliable source of electricity supply. Probably with this belief, the government planned to achieve 100 GW of solar power installation by 2022 as the deadline.

Depleting Coal Reserves: Another aspect of Solar power that makes it worth an option for household consumption is the depleting coal reserves. The Indian electricity sector is 60% coal driven. Demand for usage is increasing by the day, whereas coal production has come to a standstill, with steadily depleting mines. Solar power is as reliable a source of electricity as coal is. Though this might be debated with counter pointers about geographical locations, feasibility and affordability, it still remains the only feasible option. With the government making provisions for those adapting solar energy, a rethink is a must.

Earned Credits for Solar Power Adoption: Under the wings of the ministry of New and renewable energy, many schemes have been launched to benefit the solar power users. As of today, the southern part of India along with Rajasthan is leading the solar installation ranking. Gujarat was leading the trend way back in 2012-13.

Households opting for solar powered electricity production benefits in many ways. These also help the state governments to save on a lot of wastage because of which subsidies and credits are given back.

Net Metering: This is one of the provisions that help households producing solar energy avail of. The homes using the on-grid solar systems are connected to the state solar power grid via net metering. This helps the excess or surplus solar energy produced to be directed back to the state grid. This has a twofold benefit :

1) It helps the households to pool in and add more energy to the solar grids. This enables the grids to provide power to the households during the nights and the less Sunny days.

2) The amount of surplus energy sent to the grid is compensated for by a lower electricity bill for the household.

With a solar panel at home producing electricity, a house produces its own electricity, locally. This renders any kind third party dependency neutral. Hence if there is a Independent Power production power cut, a home lit by Solar powered electricity will still have its own supply of power for everything to keep working. This may be from the grid or the battery storage of the solar system. Moreover, Solar grids are a network. If one of the grids has lesser power, the other grid which is always close by, chips in. That way solar-powered home is quite independent on their own.

This characteristic of a solar system also benefits the government in a big way. When it is coal-powered electricity that is used, the production plants are not nearby the homes. For the power to reach the households, it needs to be transported. This is where the loss occurs while transporting. This can cost a lot since the loss of power while transportation translates to mean less capacity to meet the demands of all the households.

Extremely Low Maintenance: Every household wants to control and minimize expenses at all costs. Electricity bills contribute to one of the major bills to be paid for every month. Adding a maintenance bill to the already building bills is the last straw, that one needs. A solar panel is extremely low on maintenance. A good wash with water is all that is needed for the panels to be cleaned. Moreover, all it takes is a quarterly checkup of a solar panel to ensure no glitches in maintenance. Most importantly, solar power system lessens electricity bills by a considerable amount.

Years of Warranty: Solar panels come with a 25-year-old warranty. Inverters have a 5-year-old warranty. These are perks that are available only for solar systems. This is a major advantage that solar systems have.

Conclusion: Solar power usage is worth every penny. The ROI that households get back is almost instant. Moreover adopting to solar systems helps every individual household to give back to the environment adapting to green energy.