Questions, answered properly
Everything we get asked, including the answers that don’t flatter us. If something’s missing, ask and we’ll add it.
Products and services
What’s included in a SunKraft solar package?
Every stage of the system. Site survey and design, supply of all equipment, structure fabrication, installation, DISCOM liaison and net metering, subsidy filing, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance.
You deal with one company from the first call to the twenty-fifth year.
Can I buy equipment on its own, or only as a full system?
At the moment we supply equipment as part of work we carry out, rather than as an over-the-counter sale. That way the hardware and the installation carry one warranty between them, instead of two you have to argue between.
We are looking at online ordering for the energy-efficient range. If that is what you want, tell us and we will let you know when it opens.
Do you supply replacement parts?
Yes, for systems we installed and for systems we have taken on under an AMC. Warranty replacements for modules and inverters are processed by us directly with the manufacturer, so you are not chasing a brand’s call centre yourself.
If another company installed the system, bring us whatever paperwork you still have and we will tell you what is actually claimable.
Choosing a system
How many panels do I need?
It depends on your consumption, your roof area and how much of the bill you want gone. As a rough guide, 1 kW needs about 70 to 90 square feet of unshaded roof and generates roughly 4 units a day here, so a 3 kW system produces around 360 units a month.
Compare that against your bill for a first estimate, then use our calculator, then let us survey the roof for the real number.
On-grid, off-grid or hybrid. Which is right for me?
Reliable grid and you mainly want savings: on-grid, which is cheapest and the only type eligible for subsidy. Reliable grid but outages you can’t tolerate: hybrid, which keeps the subsidy and adds backup. No usable grid connection at all: off-grid.
A complicated, shaded or multi-pitch roof points towards micro-inverters whichever type you pick. Our survey answers this properly, and we’ll tell you when the cheaper option is the right one.
Can I expand the system later?
Yes, but plan it early. Once you’re on net metering your approved capacity is tied to your DISCOM agreement and sanctioned load. Adding panels beyond it without revising that agreement can put the whole arrangement at risk.
Tell us at design stage if an expansion is likely. We’ll size the inverter, structure and cabling to accept it, which makes the later addition far cheaper.
Should I add a battery?
A battery stores what you don’t use, so you have power during a cut. We recommend it where outages genuinely disrupt you. Someone working from home, elderly parents, a clinic, refrigeration, or a household currently running a generator.
Batteries add meaningfully to the cost and they’re the shortest-lived part of the system, so we don’t recommend them by default. Tell us what has to stay on and we’ll price both options side by side.
Installation
Can panels go on a flat roof, or on the ground?
Both. Flat terraces take an elevated tilted frame, which sets the correct angle and leaves the roof usable underneath. Ground mounting suits properties with spare land and is standard for larger commercial projects.
One thing to know about flat installations: panels at a shallow angle collect more dust and need cleaning more often than steeply tilted ones.
Do I need to fix my roof before installing solar?
If the roof is likely to need replacing within about five years, do it first. The panels will outlive several roofs, and removing and refitting an array later is a real cost you can avoid by getting the order right.
We fabricate trusses and re-roof ourselves, so we can quote both together and tell you honestly whether yours needs it.
Which direction should the panels face?
In India, south-facing is optimal, at a tilt roughly equal to your latitude. That’s around 10 to 15 degrees in Kerala and 12 to 15 in most of Karnataka. East and west are good alternatives and lose relatively little.
Because both states sit close to the equator, even a north-facing roof is workable. If your roof faces several directions at once, micro-inverters let each panel perform independently instead of dragging a string down.
How long does installation take?
Most homes take TODO: days on site. Larger commercial systems above 100 kW typically run two to four weeks depending on structure and site access.
The longer part of the timeline usually isn’t the installation. It’s the DISCOM approvals and meter change either side of it, which we handle.
What affects the installation cost?
Four things, mostly. Roof type, because a metal sheet roof is quicker and cheaper to mount on than tile or a ground mount. Storage, because a battery raises the cost significantly. Structure, because an elevated frame or a roof needing strengthening adds work. And access, because narrow approaches and upper floors need more labour.
Our quotation itemises all of it, so you can see what each element costs.
Maintenance and support
How long do solar panels actually last?
Over 30 years in most cases. Panels don’t stop working when the warranty ends. Their output declines gradually to a point where replacement becomes worthwhile.
Modules we supply carry a TODO: years product warranty and a 25-year performance warranty, so the generation you were promised is contractually backed for a quarter of a century.
How much maintenance does a solar system need?
Very little. Panels have no moving parts. What they need is to be kept reasonably clean and checked periodically. We recommend cleaning one to three times a year. Steeply tilted panels shed dust and monsoon rain better and need it least. Flat-mounted panels, or anything near a road, a coconut palm or a dusty site, need it most.
Every installation includes TODO: number complimentary cleaning visits in the first year, plus monitoring for the life of the system so a drop in output gets investigated rather than quietly accumulating on your bill.
What if my roof leaks after installation?
If the leak was caused by our installation, we fix it at no cost under our workmanship warranty. If it turns out to be a pre-existing problem unrelated to our work, that isn’t covered, but we’ll tell you exactly what we found and quote the repair, since roofing is work we do.
Our survey flags roof condition before installation precisely so this conversation happens beforehand.
Do you offer extended warranties or maintenance contracts?
Yes. Inverter warranties can typically be extended to TODO: years, and we offer annual maintenance contracts covering scheduled cleaning, electrical safety checks, inverter servicing and priority fault attendance.
Full detail on our Warranty and AMC page.
Do panels generate on cloudy and monsoon days?
Yes, but less. Output falls on overcast days and through heavy monsoon, which is why we size systems on annual generation rather than on a bright day in February.
A properly designed system already accounts for the monsoon months in its payback figure. If a quotation you’ve received never mentions seasonal variation, ask how it was sized.
Subsidy, net metering and money
How much subsidy will I actually get?
Under PM Surya Ghar, residential rooftop systems receive ₹30,000 at 1 kW, ₹60,000 at 2 kW and ₹78,000 at 3 kW and above. The structure is 60 per cent of benchmark cost up to 2 kW and 40 per cent of the additional cost between 2 and 3 kW, so ₹78,000 is a ceiling however large the system.
It’s paid into your bank account after commissioning and verification. Commercial and industrial systems aren’t eligible and use accelerated depreciation instead.
Is there a state subsidy in Kerala or Karnataka as well?
For residential rooftop, the central assistance is what applies. Kerala’s earlier Soura programme no longer operates as a consumer subsidy channel, and state support in both states changes with each tariff order.
We check what’s in force on the day we quote, and we never put a benefit into your payback calculation unless you’ll receive it. TODO: re-verify with ANERT and current KERC / KSERC orders
What is net metering, in plain terms?
Your meter runs both ways. During the day your system powers the building and pushes the surplus into the grid, recorded as export. At night you draw from the grid, recorded as import. You’re billed on the difference, and remaining credit carries forward to be settled with your DISCOM.
It means you don’t need a battery to benefit from power you generate at midday and use in the evening. In Kerala this runs through KSEB under KSERC. In Karnataka through BESCOM or your local ESCOM under KERC.
Can I get a loan?
Yes. Residential systems up to 3 kW are eligible for collateral-free loans of up to ₹2 lakh at concessional rates through public sector banks under PM Surya Ghar. Rates differ by bank and get revised, so check the current figure with the lender.
Because savings start immediately, the EMI on a well-sized system is often close to or below the bill it replaces. See Finance and EMI.
What do I pay upfront?
Nothing. No booking amount, no design charge, no deposit. Your first payment falls due after installation and approval.
The site survey and proposal are free whether or not you go ahead.
Why does equipment have to be BIS-certified and ALMM-listed?
Because your subsidy depends on it. PM Surya Ghar requires a registered vendor using approved, certified equipment. A system built from uncertified modules may generate power but won’t attract the assistance, and its warranties are frequently unenforceable in practice.
Every quotation we issue names the exact make and model, so you can verify the listing yourself before signing.
What happens if I sell the house?
The system stays with the property. Module and inverter warranties are tied to the installation, and the net-metering arrangement transfers with the connection once the new owner applies to the DISCOM.
We hand over the full document set at commissioning, so a future buyer’s questions get answered with paperwork rather than assurances.
Still not sure?
Send a recent electricity bill and whatever question is on your mind. We answer properly, and we’ll tell you if solar isn’t worth it for your situation.