Guide to Solar Panel Generation System
In today’s time, with increasing global warming, it makes complete sense to utilize what ever technological advancements Solar Panel Power Generation has to offer. The returns will only get better with time.
All the questions you might have regarding your home solar panel power generation system have been answered here. This includes
- Solar panels
- Price
- Installation details
- Pitfalls
- Power ratings
- Certifications
- Tips
Review of 10Kwh Solar Panel Sky Electric Power Generation Solar System
This is also a perfect, no BS review of a 10 KWh Sky Electric Photo Voltaic (PV) solar panel system because they are the leaders in home solar power systems right now.
Solar Power Generation Statistics
Just to set the mood, you should know that by 2050, 15% of the world will be on solar power.
Cost-benefit of a 10 KWh Sky Electric solar panel system
The total return on investment of a 10KWh Sky Electric system with 32x 10KWh Solar Panels, 10 KW inverter, 10KWh Li-Ion phosphate Batteries and reverse metering is 1% per month on an investment of Rs 2,000,000. This translates to the investment breaking even around the 8th year, at this tariff rate.
Is Grid Supply better or Solar Panels?
The Government keeps raising tariffs’ every year and drops the USD-PKR rate like it’s their mother in law. Sky Electric or any Solar System, will be immune to tariff increase and foreign exchange drop if you configure it properly.
How to maximize benefits from a 10KWh Sky Electric Solar system?
Negotiate accurate price, time of installation, and configuration thoroughly before signing the proposal. The lesser the installation price, the quicker you’d break even.
Why not buy a smaller system than a 10KWh Solar system?
A smaller system does not come with reverse metering, NOC services, or Li-ion Batteries that are vital for your project’s success.
Is Reverse Metering with Lithium-ion Phosphate Battery necessary?
Definitely go for reverse metering on the system as you would want to see an immediate return on your investment show up on your next bill.
Is the 24 hours Network Operational Centre Fee necessary?
Network Operation Centre (NOC) monitors your system 24/7, as there will always be surplus electricity generated in off-peak hours that you’d want to sell and the NOC ensures minimum downtime of the system that helps your break-even projects. Every day spent finding solar system technicians is a financial loss.
Competitors of Sky Electric Pantera Energy in Solar Panels
Sky Electric claims that no other Solar System installer, including Pantera Energy, uses Li-ion batteries; the kind they use in Smart Phones, for longer capacity time, recharging cycles, and lesser space requirements. I couldn’t verify the battery claim. If it’s true then that’s quite something.
What is the Second Best Option?
An alternate option is not to install batteries at all and have the system export all its electricity to the grid.
You’d need to install a 5 KWh solar system for this option. This system would give a 0.5% rate of return per month on an investment of Rs 1,300,000 that translates to roughly 10 years to break even.
This rate of return is half of that of Sky Electric because using the electricity generated by your solar system translates to better profits if it is utilized within the home, instead of exporting it.
Price of 10 KWh Sky Electric Solar Panel System
Rough prices of Solar Panels, 10 KW inverter and installation (minus batteries) is :-
3KW – Rs 1,300,000
5KW – Rs 1,700,000
10KW – Rs 2,300,000
Cost of 10 KWh Sky Electric Solar Panel System with 10 KW Li Ion Batteries
10 KW Li Ion batteries cost around Rs 15 Lakh, so the full system with batteries would cost Rs 32 Lakh
The disadvantage of low startup cost (minus batteries)
The drawback of such a system is that you’d not have electricity for your air conditioners in peak summers when the DISCOs conduct load shedding and voltage fluctuations. Also, your electricity bill will hardly ever go into negative.
Also, the government keeps raising tariff for peak hours and only Li Ion Batteries can mitigate this cost.
What to connect to Solar Panels system besides outdoor lights?
Try to convert all your air conditioners to DC inverter types to reduce current input, the bane of solar systems everywhere.
Also, you’d have to place all your
- Fridges
- Deep freezers
- Electric motors
- Kitchen appliances
- Gas-electric hybrid heaters
- Bulbs and fans
- Solar Outdoor lights
Whatever Sky Electric engineers telling you, these have to be connected.
This will translate to better profits in the long term, with minimal damage to your solar system. You might break even in the 7th year this way.
Caution for better Solar Panel Performance
- Keep the Tree branches clear of the Solar Panels
- The Solar Panels should be washed every week
Also see,
PRO TIP 1
You can utilize your existing UPS wiring on the new solar system and it works perfectly fine.
Using a 3 KWh UPS with a Grid Tied Solar Panel System
Lots of homes have adopted this relatively low cost solution as an alternative to buying the expensive Li Ion Batteries.
A 3 KWh UPS with Hi Capacity batteries can be hooked up to the Grid Tied Solar Panel system for as low as 2.5 Lakh Rupees and it can handle one floor of a 500 sq yards house.
Making Solar Panel system at home?
Sky Electric has a reputation to uphold in the market, so they charge a minimum of 20% profit in the total cost of installation. It’s a minor cost to pay for a reasonably professionally run solar system import and installation company in Pakistan.
Otherwise, it’s a huge risk to import all the major assemblies, which is possible, and have it put together at your home. You’d likely lose out on reliability and maintainability cost. Not everyone is an electronics whizz. Every day without electricity is money wasted.
How is Sky Electric Management?
Judging from the company management reviews, and my personal experience, the company is profitable and works.
What is the drawback of the Sky Electric system?
The only drawback of a Sky electric system is the very high initial cost that has to be paid in full. There are solutions provided by Banks like Al-Falah, JS Bank, but because the KIBOR in Pakistan is KILL-BOR, the break-even gets extended to twice the years.
How to sidestep the drawbacks?
The only way to reduce initial payment is to
- Reduce allied charges like labor, and fees
- Lower cost of AC / DC earthing
- Reduce internal load balancing and wiring adjustment
- Pay less for meter name change
- Rishwat for net metering demand notice
- Sanction load change for reverse metering.
- Hire your own exceptional electrician
These allied charges, plus inverter ACs and hybrid heaters could be 15% of the total cost of a 10KWh system. So, spend some time with the details before signing the Sky Electric proposal. Your estimates should be spot on.
PRO TIP 2
Try to extend the NOC servicing two years further to 4 years, so that it is compatible with the system warranty that Sky Electric gives.
When will I start zero electricity bills?
You’d most likely start seeing zero electricity bills in the second month of reverse metering starting.
Return on Investment ROI on Solar Panels
The real return on investment starts the day your reverse metering rolls. This could be up to 4 months from the day you sign the Sky Electric Proposal document.
This is essential because your surplus electricity would be wasted for the 4 months in-between getting approvals and installing the net metering, which Sky Electric takes no responsibility for.
How is the Solar System use with Air Conditioners (ACs)?
Restrict your AC use to the time when there is bright sunlight. A 10 KWh system can easily handle 3 one-ton inverters ACs together in bright sunlight, but the cost of electricity from the Grid spirals out of control after sunset.
The Sky Electric Li-ion battery of 10KWh capacity can handle one AC in peak hours between 6 pm to 10 pm for 1.5 hours only. So, save this battery and shift to one room in high tariff hours.
Spinoffs of Installing Solar Panels?
A great spin-off from the solar panels that you install on your roof is that the top story temperature falls 5 0 C at least during peak summers, because of the panel shade, spread all across your roof.
PRO TIP 3
Do try to check for the Tier-1 certification of solar panels and inverter manufacturers, which they do not promise.
Are Solar cells and Invertor made in Western Countries?
No, Canadian Solar, like many other manufacturing industries have shifted their base to China, under license. So you get a Chinese manufactured Solar Cell but certified by Canadian Solar and Invertor certified by another Chinese OEM. But I would say that’s fine, as you need to keep the cost low.
Comparison with other solar systems in the market
Other solar systems installers in a Pakistani market do an equally fine job, at a lower price but the NOC is a 24 hours facility not everyone gives. NOC is vital to your profitability ratios.
Also, you don’t want to be waiting for WAPDA to switch on the grid or for your inexperienced electrician not being able to fault diagnosis.
Also, the small size Li-Ion Battery that Sky Electric says no one else gives is a huge bonus for high tariff hours and load shedding.
PRO TIP 4
When the WAPDA grid if off, there can be no electricity export. So, configure your system and appliances in such a way that you utilize all your electricity in the house, instead of exporting.
Essential information to be kept in mind
The maximum load per phase that a 10KW Sky Electric system can sustain is 3.3 kW, 6.6 Ampere in your home.
When WAPDA’s voltage is low in peak summers, you’d also have to shed at least one invertor AC out of the three that you can use at one time, because of low voltages in Grid.
You’d need 1100 square feet of space on your roof to accommodate the solar panels that are a total quantity of 32 in two rows.
The Levelized Cost of Electricity LCOE that Sky Electric claims is around Rs 11 per kWh where the comparable cost from the WAPDA grid is Rs 18 per kWh.
Wattage and Quantities of Electric appliance
These are the electric appliances that you can use with a 10KWh Sky Electric system with battery:-
Appliance | Wattage | Quantity |
1.5-ton inverter AC | 1800 Watts | 3 (only one during peak hours for 1.5 hours tops) |
Fridges | 450 Watts | 2 |
Freezers | 450 Watts | 1 |
LED TV | 150 Watts | 2 |
Lighting | 20 Watts | 50 |
Fans etc. | 120 Watts | 10 |
If you want to see how the beautiful a zero electricity bill looks like, check this out:-
I must admit, I am a sucker for technology, so, in conclusion, get a 10 KWh solar system for your house that has at one Kanal area and least 7 residents and three Air conditioners.
Conclusion
Sky electric is a good service especially their 24 monitoring minimizes down time, which others do not cater for.
How do Solar Panels work?
The Photo Voltaic Cells are made with cakes of Sand and when the Sun shines upon them, they create an electric charge with then starts a current flow in response to an internal field.
This electricity is used in homes and offices
Good info but some is untrue.(maybe cause it is specific company sponsored)
1/ avg cost is 1.25 lac per KWH
2/ there is no bty with reverse metering unit
3/ you have to install a seperate inverter unit for bty operations. Although some inverters support both options but they are very inefficient
4/ better option will be to retain your existing UPS +bty system and charge ups bty on solar
5/ not all ESCOS support net metering although it is a provision by law so need to verify prior to investment otherwise it will just be a solar syatem without reverse metering
Thank you for reading our blog and No, we are not company sponsored
3. You maybe right on the inefficient invertors, but as long as you get cheap battery power in peak tariff hours, its still a good deal
4. exising dry batteries donot have the capacity to run airconditioners in the peak hours, therefore, Li Ion battery is very useful
5. All big DISCOs in big cities support net metering
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Great inputs…
two questions …
1. who owns or runs the NOC in pakistan? With location centres please?
2. any plans for domestic production of solar panels, Li-ion batteries or DC powered domestic appliances ?
Thank you for reading our post
1. Only Skyelectric Islamabad owns a NOC and is only based in Islamabad for the time being
2. Skyelectric has offices in Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan and Karachi; whereas, all of Pakistan is covered by teams
3. Domestic Solar Cells are not being manufactured, but Solar Panels do get assembled here.
4. Li Ion batteries are not being made in Pakistan
5. DC powered domestic appliances are AC appliances with invertors and a few categories are being manufactured here like ACs, Fridges, washing machines, micro wave ovens etc
ACs of Gree, Daiken and Mitsubishi are generally preferred.
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