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First-time buyer guide

Solar, battery, or grid — what's right for you?

You have three options to power your home or business. Each makes sense in some situations and not in others. This guide walks through the three paths in plain English — and a 60-second quiz at the bottom picks one for you.

01

Grid only

The default for most Indian homes.

Works when

  • Monthly bill under ₹3,000
  • Few power cuts (under 1 h/day)
  • Cheap state tariff (under ₹6/unit)
  • No rooftop / terrace space

Watch out for

  • Bills rise 8–12%/year with tariff hikes
  • Zero protection during outages
  • No control, no resilience

Stay on the grid if costs are low and outages are rare.

02

Solar only

Saves daytime electricity. Doesn't help at night.

Works when

  • Bill ₹3,000–10,000/month
  • Good rooftop / terrace exposure
  • State allows net metering (most states)
  • Outages are rare or short

Watch out for

  • Generates nothing after sunset
  • Net metering caps limit return above 10 kW
  • Doesn't help during power cuts

Solar alone is the cheapest way to cut a moderate bill — if your state still pays for export.

03

Solar + Battery

Cuts your bill 70–90% and runs through outages.

Works when

  • Bill ₹5,000+/month or commercial load
  • Outages frequent (3+ h/day)
  • State has curtailed net metering
  • You plan to stay 5+ years

Watch out for

  • Higher upfront capex (₹2L+ for residential)
  • Payback 4–6 years vs solar-only's 3–4

The best long-term economics. The right answer in most Indian states from 2025 onward.

The shift

Why grid-only stopped working for most Indian buyers.

Three things changed in the last 24 months: peak tariffs hit ₹11–13/unit in metros, net metering got curtailed in major states, and rooftop solar capex dropped below ₹40/Wp. The combination flipped the economics.

₹11–13/unit

Evening peak tariff in metros (₹/kWh)

10 kW

MSEDCL Maharashtra net-metering cap

₹2–3/unit

Effective cost from solar + battery

₹78,000

PM Surya Ghar subsidy on 3 kW solar

60-second quiz

Three questions. One recommendation.

No email needed. The answer just appears below.

Question 1 of 3

What's your monthly electricity bill?

Progress · 1/3

Frequently asked

Common questions, answered.

Do I need a battery if I already have solar?
Not always — but in most Indian states the math now favours it. If your state allows generous net metering, solar alone saves 60–70%. If your state has curtailed it (Maharashtra above 10 kW, Tamil Nadu zero-export for commercial), the battery is the only way to capture daytime solar for evening use. Frequent power cuts also tilt the case toward a battery.
Can I just stay on the grid?
If your monthly bill is under ₹3,000 and outages are rare, yes — neither solar nor BESS pays back fast enough. Above ₹5,000 or with 4+ hours of outages a day, the math turns quickly.
Which is the cheapest entry point?
Solar alone is cheaper to install and pays back fastest if your state has net metering (~3–4 years). Battery alone (no solar) only makes sense if you have severe power cuts and want backup, not savings — payback 8–12 years. Solar + battery has the best long-term economics.