Expert Answers to Critical Questions on Solar Power Plants
Solar Mango is the #1 Solar Guide.
In this special publication titled Solar Expert Papers, experts from Solar Mango have provided, in great detail, answers to specific questions about solar power.
What is a Solar Expert Paper?
Experts at Solar Mango have provided detailed answers to 18 critical questions, each as a Solar Expert Paper.
For those investing in solar power plants, authentic, expert answers to such critical questions will be invaluable.
You might ask: Why should I pay a price to purchase answers when answers to any question on solar power plants is available free in thousands of web sites.
Good question.
While there indeed are many places online where answers are available to any question on solar, most of them are written by amateurs or folks who have read it elsewhere. Very few sites provide authentic data and perspectives written by experts who have been assisting live solar power plant installations for many years now. And even those sites that do provide authentic information do not provide in a user-friendly, investor-friendly way.
Effectively, we are saying this: When you are planning to invest at least a few thousands of dollars (tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in many cases) on a product with a 25 year lifetime, is it not a good idea to get expert opinion on critical aspects?
And at a price that is way less than what you would have paid during a single trip to McDonalds or Starbucks?
Because, each Solar Expert Paper costs just $5!
For more details on each Expert Paper, Click on the below (+) icons
There are multiple business models and revenue models available for an investor in solar power plants. You can invest in a solar power plant for self-consumption, sale to an electric utility, or sale to another company.
Read Solar Expert Paper 1 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 1 Provides Insights on:
- The three main business models, viz., Sale to Utility, Sale to a Private Company, Captive Consumption. The Solar Expert Paper 1:
- Provides insights on the pros and cons of each of the above business models
- Provides trends of how each of these business models is faring worldwide
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 1: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
With solar power becoming cheaper, it is becoming more tempting to use all our rooftop space to generate solar power.
However, only in select cases can the solar panels from the rooftop alone supply all the power required by the commercial or industrial establishment. So, what portion indeed can you expect to get from your rooftop solar power plant, based on your rooftop area and other aspects related to your rooftop – such as shading, slope of roof, etc.?
Read Solar Expert Paper 2 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 2 Provides Insights on:
- Percentages of energy contribution from rooftop solar for the following sectors:
- Residential buildings
- Commercial facilities
- Industries
- Real-life case studies on energy consumption met through rooftop solar in various segments and associated challenges
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 2: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
You will be aware that using diesel as a backup fuel to generate power using diesel generators is a costly option. Use of rooftop solar can indeed reduce the amount of diesel you use.
But to what extent can solar power plants reduce diesel consumption?
Read Solar Expert Paper 3 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 3 Provides Insights on:
- Diesel reduction possible through solar integration – according to various system architectures
- Estimates on overall savings expected out of diesel-solar integration – covering reduced operational expenses and other benefits
- Optimal sizing of solar for integration with diesel – taking into account parameters like loading of the diesel generator, reverse current issues and quality of diesel generator output
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 3: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
It is critical to get a good estimate of the expected solar power generation from your region before you invest in a solar power plant. You surely do not wish to have an unpleasant shock after the installation, do you?
How can you determine this estimate of generation reliably?
Read Solar Expert Paper 4 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 4 Provides Insights on:
- Basic components of solar radiation you need to be aware of
- Reference chart on expected generation from solar based on your location
- Estimates provided based on authentic data from NREL and MNRE
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 4: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
Solar panels need a good amount of space to generate the electricity you need. If you are a commercial or industrial entity keen on putting up a 500 kW system on your rooftop, you will need about 50,000 sq.ft of unshaded rooftop area – that is a lot for many companies.
What can be done in a scenario where going solar makes economic sense to you but you do not have sufficient rooftop area?
Read Solar Expert Paper 5 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 5 Provides Insights on:
- Different options to go solar when you don’t have enough rooftop area
- Pros and cons of the different options
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 1: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
While most roofs are suitable to have solar panels installed on them, some roofs are not.
So it is important that you determine the suitability of your rooftop for a solar power plant installation.
How do you determine the suitability?
Read Solar Expert Paper 6 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 6 Provides Insights on:
- Comparison between load bearing capacities of typical roofs and weight of solar power plants
- Feasibility of rooftop solar power plants based on the above comparison
- Red flags regarding solar power plant installation on certain roof types
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 6: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
Net Metering is a policy and process that can make a significant difference to the economic viability of your rooftop solar power plant. Such a metering ensures that very few, if any, units that are generated by your rooftop solar power plant are wasted.
What indeed is Net Metering and how does it affect the viability of your rooftop solar investment?
Read Solar Expert Paper 7 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 7 Provides Insights on:
- Basics on net metering – what it is and how it works
- The different approaches in which net metering is implemented in various parts of the world
- Implications of the net metering policy for various customer segments based on real-life case studies
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 7: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
High efficiency panels can generate more electricity from the same area than lower efficiency panels.
Does it mean that you should go for the highest efficiency solar panels always? In addition, given that high efficiency panels are much more expensive than average efficiency panels, do these high efficiency panels give a better or worse return on investment?
Read Solar Expert Paper 8 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 8 Provides Insights on:
- Actual area required by leading high efficiency panels and for standard solar panels
- Business case for high efficiency solar panels
- Indicative costs of solar panels of different efficiency ranges
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 8: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
It might surprise you, but many rooftop solar power plants cannot generate power during grid outages.
Why is this so, and what should you do to ensure that your solar power plant does generate power during grid power outages?
Read Solar Expert Paper 9 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 9 Provides Insights on:
- Descriptions of the different architectures possible for a solar power plant – offgrid solar power plant, grid-tied solar power plant, and hybrid-solar power plant with storage
- Effect of power outages on the operations of each of the different architectures
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 9: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
What is the current cost of solar power plants and of solar power? What are the components of these costs? How are the costs likely to trend in the near future?
Read Solar Expert Paper 10 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 10 Provides Insights on:
- Current costs of solar power in major regions worldwide
- Components of cost for solar power plants – both ground-mounted and rooftop solar
- Comparison between cost of solar power and power from the grid – for various sectors and for various scales
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 10: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
What are the payback periods and IRRs from rooftop and grid connected solar power plants?
How do these returns vary depending on the scale of the power plant and the business model?
Read Solar Expert Paper 11 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 11 Provides Insights on:
- Explanation of the factors that affect savings from solar power plants
- Trends in expected savings from solar – over the years, and in different countries
- Typical payback periods and return on investment for various scenarios
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 11: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
It is indeed possible for you to use solar power, and even have solar power plant on your rooftop, without having to invest anything upfront.
How does this model work? What are its pros and cons?
Read Solar Expert Paper 12 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 12 Provides Insights on:
- Introduction on the different business models that require no or little upfront cost – BOO/ BOOT models and Solar Leasing
- Cost-benefit analysis of choosing these models over the conventional model with upfront investments
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 12: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
With the cost of solar panels and solar power going down all the time, it appears that it is worth waiting for a while before you make your investment.
Or is it?
Read Solar Expert Paper 13 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 13 Provides Insights on:
- Recent trends in the costs of solar power plants and solar power in prominent countries
- Reasons for decrease in cost of solar power over the recent years
- Cost predictions for solar for the next five years
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 13: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
Will there be some significant breakthroughs in solar power technology in the near future that make it worth waiting for some time before you invest?
Given the amount of news you read about developments in solar power technology, you might think that it indeed is worthwhile to wait. The actual answer will surprise you.
Read Solar Expert Paper 14 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 14 Provides Insights on:
- Detailed inputs on the two main solar panel technologies – thin-film and crystalline – and why they have stayed sustained their dominance over the years
- Inputs on the emerging disruptive technology options for solar panels
- Perspectives and inferences on whether it is worth waiting for a technology breakthrough
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 14: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
What are the main components of a rooftop solar power plant, and how much does each of the components contribute to the final cost of the power plant?
Read Solar Expert Paper 15 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 15 Provides Insights on:
- Basic introduction of different components in a rooftop solar power plant
- Benchmark costs for the components in a rooftop solar power plant along with implementation costs
- Factors that can cause variations in the costs
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 15: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
What are the main components of a ground-mounted solar power plant, and how much does each of the components contribute to the final cost of the power plant?
Read Solar Expert Paper 16 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 16 Provides Insights on:
- Basic introduction of different components in a ground-mounted solar power plant
- Benchmark costs for the components in a ground-mounted solar power plant along with implementation costs
- Factors that can cause variations in the costs
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 16: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
What are the key parameters you should use to select your solar power plant installer/EPC?
Read Solar Expert Paper 17 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 17 Provides Insights on:
- Need for a rigorous evaluation of Solar EPCs
- Metrics to be used for evaluation of solar EPCs based on Solar Mango’s decade-long solar industry expertise
- Questions and clarifications you should seek from EPCs before finalizing them
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 17: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
What are the key parameters you should use to evaluate the components used in your solar power plant?
Read Solar Expert Paper 18 to find out more.
Solar Expert Paper 18 Provides Insights on:
- Need for a rigorous evaluation of the components of a solar power plant
- Metrics and tools available to enable easy evaluation of solar power plant components
Price for the Solar Expert Paper 18: $5. See details of pricing and how to purchase at the end.
Purchasing the Solar Expert Papers from Solar Mango
You can buy any number of Expert Papers. Buying multiple Expert Papers can enable you to purchase at lower unit prices.
| # of answers | Total price $ | Unit price ($) per Expert Paper, approx. |
| 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | 9 | 4.5 |
| 3 | 12 | 4 |
| 4 | 15 | 3.75 |
| 5 | 17 | 3.4 |
| 6 | 19 | 3.2 |
| 7 | 21 | 3 |
| 8 | 23 | 2.9 |
| 9 | 25 | 2.8 |
| 10 | 27 | 2.7 |
| 11 | 29 | 2.6 |
| 12 | 31 | 2.6 |
| 13 | 33 | 2.5 |
| 14 | 35 | 2.5 |
| 15 | 35 | 2.3 |
| 16 | 35 | 2.2 |
| 17 | 35 | 2.1 |
| All 18 | 35 | 2 |
Choose ( Check ) the Expert Papers you wish to buy and proceed for purchase.
Choose All
1. What are the various business models for solar power plants?
2. Can I run my factory or office on rooftop solar power alone?
3. Can I use solar to reduce my diesel consumption?
4.How much solar power can my region/location generate?
5.What are my options if I don't have rooftop area for solar?
6.Is my roof suitable for a solar power plant?
7.What is Net Metering and why should I care about it?
8.Should I go for high efficiency solar panels?
9.Can rooftop solar generate power during grid outages?
10.What is the cost of a solar power plant and of solar power?
11.What are the returns from a solar power plant?
12.Can I use solar power without any upfront cost?
13.Should I wait for the cost of solar power to come down further?
14.Should I wait until the next solar technology breakthrough?
15.What is the cost break-up for a rooftop solar power plant?
16.What is the cost break-up for a ground-mounted solar power plant?
17.What are the key parameters I should use to select a good quality EPC?
18.What are the key parameters I should use to select high quality components for a solar power plant?
