Rooftop Solar Andhra Pradesh

Wish to have a rooftop solar power plant in or around Andhra Pradesh?

Use this State-specific guide from Kleancell Technologies to get an overview of
solar power potential for Andhra Pradesh, and things to watch out for while
installing a rooftop solar power plant in this region.
Highlights
Average annual radiation in Andhra Pradesh is 5.3 kWh/m2/day with about
295 sunny days.

Usable AC power generated by solar plants in A.P is 4 kWh/kW/day or

more, on average over a year.

A.P industrial and commercial energy consumers pay grid tariff of Rs. 6.0 8.5, or more. At Rs. 4-6/kWh or less, solar may be cheaper than grid power
for some consumers, and cheaper than diesel power of Rs. 18/kWh for all
consumers

Overview
Andhra Pradesh is situated about 17 North of the Equator and has an
abundance of sunlight. Combined with unreliable utility power and rising cost of
diesel power, it is no surprise that the city is seeing solar panels on an increasing
number of rooftops. Industrial and commercial units here can benefit greatly from
the advantages of solar power but should also keep in mind several constraints
when designing the solar system. We will be discussing both below.

Solar Energy Generation in A.P

Average annual radiation in A.P is about 5.3 kWh/m2/day with about 295 sunny
days in a year. This table provides the monthly values.

www.kleancelltechnologies
kleancelltechnologies@gmail.com

Radiation Data for Andhra Pradesh

Month

Radiation Incident On An
Equator-Pointed Tilted
Surface (kWh/m2/day)

Number of nonsunshine days

Jan

5.72

4.85

Feb

6.31

4.66

Mar

6.58

1.92

April

6.46

3.94

May

5.99

June

4.64

July

4.16

6.53

Agu

3.99

4.92

Sep

4.36

5.68

Oct

4.88

7.24

Nov

5.09

6.29

Dec

5.44

6.46

Annual
Average

5.3

67.49

Source: NASA Atmospheric Science Data Center

This radiation is converted into DC power by the solar panels and is then
converted into AC by the inverter. Some of the energy is lost in this process.
Typically, usable AC generation of 4 kWh per day per kW of solar plant capacity is
the average for A.P over the course of a year i.e., a 100 kW rooftop solar plant
will deliver about 400 units of electricity per day on average.

Solar Power Advantages for Andhra Pradesh

Energy security Rooftop solar plants can deliver power during load-shedding,
ensuring that critical loads are always running in the commercial/industrial facility
Not all solar plant configurations can deliver power during load-shedding.
Cost-effective Rooftop solar power has a levelised cost of Rs. 4.5 -5/kWh (or
less), considerably lower than diesel power at Rs. 18/kWh (or more). Additionally,
your energy cost is now fixed for the next 25 years, unlike diesel power which
keeps increasing Grid power tariff is about Rs. 6.5 - 7.4 for Industrial and
www.kleancelltechnologies
kleancelltechnologies@gmail.com

Commercial consumers in A.P. If penalties are imposed for excess consumption

the effective tariff is even higher. Rooftop solar power may be cheaper than even
grid power, but this varies on a case-to-case basis.

Reliable A rooftop solar power plant has no moving parts, ensuring reliable
power over 25 years
Minimal maintenance A solar plant requires very little maintenance from the
energy consumer Cleaning the solar panels once in every months is
recommended to ensure that sunlight is not blocked from reaching the solar cells.
Flexible configurations Solar panels can be installed on different kinds of
roofs, including parking lot roofs, as long as the structure/mounting points can
bear the weight of the panels. They are also highly scalable, with rooftop plants
ranging in capacity from less than 1 kW to more than 1 MW.

Constraints for Solar Power in Andhra Pradesh.

Rooftop space The capacity of the solar plant that can be installed may be
constrained by lack of sufficient shadow-free rooftop space. Roof requirements
are discussed in detail here; a rule of thumb is that you will need about 100 Sft of
shade-free roof area for 1 kW of solar panels. Insufficient roof area will mean that
the capacity of the solar plant on your roof may be sufficient to meet only part of
your electrical load.
When estimating the available roof area any alternate uses of the roof
should be considered. Elevated mounting structures may be used if the
alternate use of the roof is to continue.
Infirm power Solar power is dependent on the sun shining, and output varies
depending on meteorological conditions e.g., passing clouds can temporarily
reduce the solar plants output; monsoon rainfall can also reduce the solar plants
output. Therefore, solar power for critical equipment should be used in
conjunction with another source of power.
Daylight power Solar power is only available when the sun shines. Therefore,
night time applications will require other sources of power, or need to plan for
bigger grid connected solar plant with Net Metering.
Inverter weight The DC power output from the solar panels needs to be
converted to AC via an inverter which can be very heavy: a 100 kW inverter will
weigh about 1,000 Kgs but occupy only a few square feet of space. If the
construction cannot support this weight the inverter may need to be placed on the
ground floor, with appropriate cables chosen to compensate for energy loss.
Wind Factor As Andhra Pradesh is in a cyclone prone area, the mounting
structures for the solar panels should be designed to withstand wind speeds of
www.kleancelltechnologies
kleancelltechnologies@gmail.com

120-150 kph
Salt corrosion As Vishakhapatnam is a coastal city, the solar panels chosen
should have cleared salt mist corrosion testing (IEC 61701/IS 61701 compliant)

Our Recommendation for Rooftop Solar in Andhra Pradesh

Based on the above discussion, Kleancell Technologies recommendation for solar
plants in A.P is
Multiple power source integration As the output from a rooftop solar plant
varies, it must always work in conjunction with other sources of power, typically
utility grid power and diesel power. This is achieved using
Hybrid inverter A rooftop solar PV system that utilizes a hybrid inverter allows
the solar plant to integrate with a diesel generator in addition to the utility grid.
The solar plant serves to reduce diesel bills by supporting part of the overall load.
Integrating a rooftop solar plant with a diesel generator involves several
challenges that need to be overcome with careful design and sizing of the solar
plant.
OR
Based on the annual consumption need to assess the size with Net Metering
facility.
Corrosion resistant panels Only panels that are IEC 61701/IS 61701
compliant (salt mist corrosion testing) should be used in coastal cities.
Cyclone rated mounting structures Mounting structures that can withstand
120-150 kph wind speed should be used.
Cost of a Rooftop Solar Plant - The cost of a rooftop solar plant is discussed in
detail here and returns from substituting diesel with solar are discussed here. As
a rule of thumb, a 1 kW solar plant that generates 4 kWh of solar power per day
(on average) will cost Rs. 1 lakh (including installation charges but excluding
batteries).

www.kleancelltechnologies
kleancelltechnologies@gmail.com

For Further Clarifications OR Discussions feel Free to

CALL US ON: +91 8019388019
OR
Write to us at: kleancelltechnologies@gmail.com

www.kleancelltechnologies
kleancelltechnologies@gmail.com