Guide to Choose the Right Solar Developer

If you are considering renewable energy to cut down electricity bills or to do your bit for the environment, a rooftop solar solution is the answer to your needs. If your existing business premise has ample space to install rooftop solar, and there are various solution providers that offer you customized solar power solutions as per your needs to help you realise your sustainability goals, moreover it helps you to monetize your existing area, like rooftops or parking areas, by enhancing its value.

And you’ve made it to the point of seeking out developers, then the chances are you’ve toyed with the idea of installing solar for a while. That said, you might still be struggling on how to choose the right solar developer. Selecting the right solar developer might make all the difference between an exceptional power source and a failed investment. Even though the solar power story in India is barely 10 years old, there have already been cases of poor power plant construction.

While you can’t expect yourself to become an expert on renewable energy overnight, below are some of the key listed points that an organisation may need to look into and figure out before purchasing a solar rooftop system. Let’s discuss them.

Build or Buy?

One key question to consider is whether to invest in building the solar plant yourself (“capex model”) or to simply buy solar power from a solar developer which will set up the plant on your roof at their investment (“opex” or “build-own-operate” model). In case you are not sure which model to opt for, you can reach out to us at [email protected] or get in touch with us at Contact Us.

While each model has advantages, most large corporates world-wide have opted for the build-own-operate model, for a few key reasons:

• Non-core investment: Large corporates typically prefer to invest their capital in their core business, and not in power generation
• Pay for outcomes, avoid risks: Why take the technical risks of plant performance and longevity, when you can instead pay only for power received?
• Incentive alignment: Solar developers are well incentivised to make the right technical and operational decisions, since they earn only from power revenue, and pay for all equipment replacement

Look for a one stop solution and not à la carte

Another advantage of the build-own-operate model is that the solar developer will manage the entire design, engineering, execution and operation and maintenance of the plant, right down to cleaning the solar panels. Rather than adding another responsibility to its facilities or maintenance teams, most large corporates have found that a better approach is to outsource to a single, professional solar developer which will manage financing, designing, feasibility study etc. Not only will this help you save efforts and resources, but also aid with better coordination and will improve the performance of the solar plant.

Also, an organisation who wants to install rooftop solar power plant must take a call on whether to opt for a grid-connected solar system which is the easiest and most popular way to get started. Battery-backed energy storage systems can be useful in specific circumstances, but are very costly and require more maintenance and space.

Maintenance: a key component

Effective operation and maintenance will maximise the output from a solar power plant and also extend the system life. There are two ways of approaching the maintenance part. In the “capex model” , you will need to sign an operations and maintenance contract, and set up your own team to monitor the contractor. If you are looking for maintenance-free solar plant, you can reach out to us at [email protected] or get in touch with us at Contact Us.

In the build-own-operate model, the solar developer will maintain the plant on your behalf, and you can just sit back and reap the benefits.

How you can monitor a plant’s performance

A qualified solar developer will have a sophisticated remote monitoring system that closely tracks the plant performance and alerts it to any problems. A solar plant has no moving parts and is low-maintenance equipment, but it is still critical to closely monitor the cleaning cycle and immediately respond to any outages or under-performance.

Talk to an existing client

Last but certainly not the least, ask for references. Do not just go by what the solar company tells you! Always speak with people who have previously dealt with the developer. Look for testimonials and feedback on the company website. An existing client’s feedback is much more valuable than all the marketing collaterals and presentations by a sales executive. You can Click here to refer to some testimonials of our existing clients.

Once you have the above points sorted, installing a solar plant will be a smooth sail. It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s free. And most of all, it’s a very smart and green thing to do!

Rooftop Solar Plant Installation Videos

These process videos will demonstrate simplified steps of an actual installation of a rooftop solar power plant , to give you a feel for how a rooftop solar installation really works.

The videos will not only help you understand the simplicity of the process, but they will also clear certain misconceptions surrounding the project installation and additionally, it will showcase our operational excellence in commissioning solar plants.