Rooftop Solar Awareness Workshop, Our Lady of Perpetual Health Church, Dhandeeswaran Nagar, Velachery
Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) organised a Rooftop Solar PV Awareness Workshop on Sunday, 08 June, 2025, at Our Lady of Perpetual Health Church, Dhandeeswaran Nagar,Velachery. The event, held from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, saw the participation of 30 residents from Velachery.
Workshop Overview
Consultants from CAG, Ms. Aleena and Mr. Kaarmuhil, led the workshop, providing comprehensive information on rooftop solar PV systems. The session was attended by 30 participants, consisting largely of individual homeowners interested in reducing electricity costs. Participants received IEC materials covering system fundamentals, installation processes, financial requirements, and available incentives.
The session began with a welcome address from Fr. Ronald Richard, Madras-Mylapore Archdiocese. Ms. Aleena, Consultant, CAG welcomed the gathering by introducing CAG, and the workshop's objectives.
During the introductions, participants provided information about the types of housing they lived in (villa, apartment, or individual residence). Nearly all the attendees resided in individual houses and were keen on adopting solar energy to reduce their electricity expenses.
Aleena ,CAG, explaining about the rooftop solar PV systems.
Mrs. Aleena delivered a comprehensive overview of rooftop solar PV systems, covering all essential aspects such as:
1. Types of systems: on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid, along with their components
2. Determining system capacity and area requirements
3. Economic aspects: investment, subsidies, and payback period
4. Key installation guidelines and checklists
Participant Queries
The workshop included a question-and-answer segment that generated significant participant engagement. Attendees actively sought clarification on multiple aspects of rooftop solar implementation, including:
- Site-specific installation requirements
- Criteria for selecting and assessing local vendor availability
- Safety protocols and risk mitigation strategies
- Technical specifications and system compatibility considerations
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Financial investment and return-on-investment.
CAG researchers responded with detailed explanations covering the technical, economic, and safety dimensions of each inquiry leading to an engaging and informative discussion with the attendees.
Some of the topics discussed following participant questions were:
1. Loan options available when installing a rooftop solar PV system:
Explanation: Under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, a loan facility is available for the residential category. The national portal of this scheme is integrated with Jan Samarth Portal. Consumers can submit their loan application after login into the national portal. In the portal (https://pmsuryaghar.gov.in/#/), under the finance options for consumers, loan options offered by various banks are provided.
2. Choice of vendor:
Explanation: A vendor can be chosen from the National Portal for PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The portal provides a list of registered/empanelled vendors. All the vendors registered on the National Portal will be given a vendor rating depending on the size and scale of installations done, quality of equipment, quality of workmanship, quality of service and other criteria
3. Rooftop area requirement of the solar PV system:
Explanation: 1 kW PV system requires 80-100 square feet of shade-free roof space. A 1-3 KW rooftop solar PV system fits easily on small terraces.
4. Availability of subsidy for hybrid systems:
Explanation: subsidies are available for hybrid systems under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. Consumers can get up to Rs. 78,000 subsidy under PM Surya Ghar Yojana.
5. Energy generated by solar PV system:
Explanation: 1 kW solar PV system in India can generate anywhere between 4 to 6 units of electricity in a day.
Next Steps & Conclusion
The workshop provided valuable information through interactive sessions, offering crucial insights to potential consumers. Most attendees expressed interest in rooftop solar installation.
Ms. Aleena concluded the session, and participants expressed their appreciation for the initiative. The participants were asked to contact CAG in case of any doubts or queries. For further details, CAG has prepared an SOP for rooftop solar installations. You can access the English version here and the Tamil version here.