Which Solar Panel to Buy for Rooftop Solar Installation

A rooftop solar installation is a significant investment that will benefit you in the long term. To get the most out of your investment, you must consider factors such as the type of panel you will buy, whether installing them will make you eligible for government subsidy, and the cost of installing the system. Your state government may also run a subsidy scheme for rooftop solar installations.
Factors to Consider Before Buying Solar Panels for Rooftop Solar Installation
Here are some of the factors you should consider before buying solar panels:
1. DCR-Certification and ALMM-Listing of Solar Panels
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has introduced eligibility criteria in the form of DCR and ALMM for the inclusion of rooftop solar installations in government schemes. The government has introduced these criteria to promote India’s domestic solar industry.
DCR stands for “Domestic Content Requirement”. For a panel to be DCR-certified, its components, including the solar cells, must be made in India.
ALMM stands for “Approved List of Models and Manufacturers”. It is a list of solar panel manufacturers and their models which meet the standards expected by the MNRE.
Why are ALMM and DCR important? They are important eligibility criteria to avail of the PM Surya Ghar subsidy. Under the scheme, you can get a solar panel installation subsidy of up to Rs. 78,000. You can get the subsidy only if your solar panels are ALMM-listed and DCR-certified.
2. Type of Solar Panel
The features, efficiency, and price of solar panels vary according to their technology. For example, most solar panels have poor productivity if they are partly under a shadow. But an exception to this is a solar panel with half-cut cells. Even if a shadow covers a part of the panel, the rest of the panel produces electricity.
Similarly, while monofacial panels can capture sunlight from one side, bifacial panels can capture sunlight from both directions. This makes a bifacial panel more productive than a monofacial one.
Here’s how efficient solar panels are according to technology:
Type of Solar Panel Efficiency
Polycrystalline 13-17%
Mono PERC 20-21%
Mono PERC Half Cut 20-21%
Mono-PERC Half Cut Bifacial 20-21%
TOPCon Bifacial (N Type) 22-23%
Here’s how much different solar panels cost:
Type of Panel Average Capacity Cost of Panel (DCR) Cost of Panel (Non-DCR)
Polycrystalline 335 W Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000 Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 11,000
Mono-PERC 550 W Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 14,000 Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000
Mono-PERC Half-Cut 550 W Rs. 17,000 to Rs. 19,000 Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 17,000
Mono-PERC Half Cut Bifacial 550 W Rs. 18,000 to Rs. 20,000 Rs. 17,000 to Rs. 19,000
TOPCon Bifacial (N Type) 570 W Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 Rs. 17,000 to Rs. 19,000
3. Solar Installation Subsidy
You can get the PM Surya Ghar subsidy for installing a rooftop solar system. Under it, you can get a subsidy of up to Rs. 78,000. In addition to this, your state government may also be running a subsidy scheme for encouraging solar system installations.
For example, according to the West Bengal solar policy, a subsidy of up to 40% of the MNRE benchmark cost was available for solar systems of up to 3 kW. The West Bengal government ran this scheme till 23 July 2022. The scheme is subject to revision.
4. Cost of Solar System
The cost of a solar system depends on the capacity of the solar system. Accordingly, here’s a breakdown of the cost of installing a rooftop solar system:
Rooftop Solar Capacity Installation Cost PM Surya Ghar Subsidy Cost After Subsidy
1 kW Rs. 90,000 to Rs. 1,30,000 Rs. 30,000 Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 1,00,000
2 kW Rs. 1,40,000 to Rs. 1,80,000 Rs. 60,000 Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 1,20,000
3 kW Rs. 1,90,000 to Rs. 2,30,000 Rs. 78,000 Rs. 1,12,000 to Rs. 1,52,000
4 kW Rs. 2,40,000 to Rs. 2,80,000 Rs. 78,000 Rs. 1,62,000 to Rs. 2,02,000
5 kW Rs. 2,90,000 to Rs. 3,30,000 Rs. 78,000 Rs. 2,12,000 to Rs. 2,52,000
6 kW Rs. 3,40,000 to Rs. 3,80,000 Rs. 78,000 Rs. 2,62,000 to Rs. 3,02,000
8 kW Rs. 4,40,000 to Rs. 4,80,000 Rs. 78,000 Rs. 3,62,000 to Rs. 4,02,000
10 kW Rs. 5,40,000 to Rs. 5,80,000 Rs. 78,000 Rs. 4,62,000 to Rs. 5,02,000
5. Watt-Peak of Solar Panels
Watt-peak refers to the maximum capacity of a solar panel to generate electricity. It is measured under laboratory conditions. A panel with a greater watt-peak will generate more electricity than a panel with a lower watt-peak.
You can use the watt-peak to determine the number of panels needed for a solar system. For example, if you want to install a 3 kW system with 550 W mono-PERC half-cut panels, you will need 3000/550 = 5.45 panels. Thus, you need 6 panels for a 3 kW system.
6. Reputation of Manufacturing Company
The solar company which manufactured the solar panels must have a solid reputation. Only then can you trust the quality of their products. A company with a good reputation is much more likely to honour the product and performance warranties. The warranty will be wasted if you buy solar panels from a new brand and the manufacturing company shuts down.
After buying the panels, the next step is to install the solar panels. To get the best solar installation quotations, you can enquire at Das Energie Private Limited. It is India’s 1st online platform for getting quotations for installing solar systems.
You must scrutinise several factors for a successful rooftop solar installation. From the type of panels installed to the shadow falling on the roof, the output of a solar system depends on a lot of factors. Ultimately, you must know your goals to install the right solar system for your home.