Cost Benefit Analysis of Roof Top Solar Power (RSTP) Generation Vs.

Smart
Metering Demand Response (DR) Function
One of the biggest challenges before India today is the power crisis. According to World Bank data, more than 300
million Indians have no access to regular electricity. In 2012-13, Indias power sector could supply just 124,000
megawatts for a country of more than 1.2 billion people. By contrast, Britain generated a maximum of 55,000
megawatts for a country of just 60 million. Even for those who have access to electricity in India, the supply is not
regular. Blackouts and load-shedding interrupts irrigation and manufacturing across the country.
Solar rooftop systems for captive consumption can be
integrated with the existing electricity infrastructure to offset
a major part of our energy needs. Rooftop solar arrays are
best installed on a large and flat-roof where direct sunlight
without shadow from the surrounding structures is available.
If there is shadow on a part of the terrace during the day,
PV solar panels are unable to harvest the suns energy for
that period of time. Let us look at the key considerations
while evaluating solar rooftop options.
First, it is important to have a basic understanding of the
components of a solar power system and how these
generate electricity. See List (PV Solar System Components

PV Solar System Components

1. A set of PV panels that convert sunlight (photons) into
direct-current (DC) electricity
2. A racking system that firmly holds the panels to the roof,
exposing these to the sun at an advantageous angle
3. Inverters that convert DC electricity into alternating current
(AC) electricity
4. Wiring that connects everything
5. A storage battery (in the case of a grid-fed power plant, a
large-sized battery is not necessary to store and use that
power after sunset)
6. A variety of means to tilt the panels toward the sun to
generate more electricity
7. Energy meters to record the energy that is supplied to the
grid
8. Junction boxes
9. Earthing kits Solar rooftop systems for captive
consumption can be integrated with the existing electricity
infrastructure to offset a mayor part of your energy needs.

In India Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE),

Govt. of India and many states are significant providing
financial incentives to house owners to install roof-top solar
panels. This can include capital grants for equipment, tax
write-offs and /or Feed-In-Tariffs, etc., with the objective
being to ensure uninterrupted power supply to domestic consumers. So to know how much load is required for
domestic household (see table 1.0) and to generate 1kilo-watt power in domestic area, 1, 25,000 is currently
market cost approximately that is required and to generate 3 to 4 units of energy per day for only critical loads
(green color) and non-critical loads (red color) (see table 1.0).

Appliance

Tube (Flo.)
Fan
Television
Refrigerator
Cooler
Water Pump
Wash Machine

AC
Geyser

No. of
Appliances

Wattage
Appliance

Hour usage
/ Day

No. of Units
consumption / Day
(kWh)

No. of Units
consumption /
Month
(kWH)

No. of Units
consumption
/ Year
(kWh)

Consumption
(Amps)

5
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

40
70
70
200
180
400
2000
2500
1500

15
10
10
24
8
1
1
8
1

3
1.4
0.7
4.8
1.44
0.4
2
20
1.5

90
42
21
144
43.2
12
60
600
45

1080
504
252
1728
518.4
144
720
7200
540

0.91
0.64
0.32
0.91
0.82
1.82
9.09
11.36
6.82

Table 1: List of Critical and Non Critical Loads

The critical load requirement is only 2-3 Amps per day (24X7) and hence the excess power whatever generated by
the panels has to be stored in the battery bank and their (battery) maintenance is a critical job to the house hold
consumers and alternatively if consumers prefer maintenance free batteries then they have to change them every 4
months, while if they prefer lead acid batteries, distilled water levels should maintained for 6 months properly. With
many hidden costs and maintenance issue prevalent is the Roof Top Solar Power (RSTP) Generation in domestic
sector worthwhile especially in urban areas?
The answer is a big NO, because in urban domestic areas to arrange the array of solar panel is challenging due to
lack of flat space. Secondly, the scheduled load shedding (power cuts) are typically prevalent only during the
summer four months post which due in monsoon with hydel power generation coming into play sufficient power is
generated and distributed by the utility. Ergo RTSP plants are suitable only for rural areas where there is acute
power shortage and with plenty of flat surface availability. So, how do we address the power shortage and supply
the power for 24X7 to urban domestic consumers?
To address and mitigate the energy shortage and make 24x7 availability Demand Response (DR) solution will come
into play. So what is
A Brief Comparison between RTSP generation and Smart Metering DR Function
Demand Response?

to provide uninterrupted power supply to the urban domestic consumers

Demand response is enduse electric customers
reducing their electricity
usage in a given time period,
or shifting that usage to
another time period, in
response to the demand
increases and supply or
generation became low. Just
by installing a cost effective
SMART Meter with Smart
Metering features we can
mitigate the expensive
RTSP plant.

S.No.

Secondly, by implementing
Smart Metering Solution, the
consumers can avoid
investment on inverters
which costs approximately
18000/- to 25000/- for their
homes.

08

01
02
03
04
05
06

Feature
Power Generation
Prepayment
Browning
Remote Operations
TOU/TOD Billing
Import / Export

07
Infrastructure
includes:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Roof Top Solar

@ urban Domestic

X
X
X
X

(separate Meter)
Solar panel
Charge Controller
Battery Bank
Invertor
Import/Export Meter
Billing System

Smart Meter
RF Terminal Unit
DC
MDA
MDM

Rs.8000/- Single phase

Rs.12000/- Three Phase
Rs.15000/- LTCT
-NA-

Approximate cost

10

Maintenance
(Batteries)
Energy Audit

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

120,000/- per kW
09

Smart Metering

There are many other features that a smart meter can address to the current challenges that utilities and consumers
are facing alike and to know more please contact:

winAMR Systems Pvt. Ltd.

#209, MyHome Tycoon
Begumpet, Hyderabad
Telangana 500016
(T): +91-40-6678 7773, 6678 7774
(E): info@winamr.com
(W): www.winamr.com