Summer bills in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru often cross ₹10,000 for a single month. That number can make anyone stare at the fan and wonder if it runs on diesel instead of electricity. Solar power offers a real fix for this, and a 5 KW rooftop system sits in the sweet spot for many Indian homes.
How Net Metering Cuts Your Bill
Net metering is the reason solar works so well for homes. During the day, your panels send extra power to the DISCOM grid. At night or on cloudy days, you draw power back from that same grid. At the end of the month, the company bills you only for the net difference between what you used and what you sent back. If you gave more than you took, that credit rolls over to the next month.
What a 5 KW System Can Save You
Take a home that uses around 600 units a month. Without solar, the bill lands close to ₹6,000. Add a 5 KW system, and it can generate about 650 units a month. That covers the full consumption and leaves 50 extra units as credit. The energy charge drops to zero, and you're left paying only fixed charges and taxes, roughly ₹450 to ₹500. A ₹6,000 bill turning into a ₹500 bill is not a small win.
How Much Power Does a 5 KW Panel Actually Produce?
On average, a 5 KW system generates 20 to 25 units a day. This depends entirely on your local weather. Summers can push this up to 25-30 units, while winters or cloudy days bring it down to 15-20 units. In India, 1 KW of solar capacity produces roughly 120 to 150 units a month, and this number helps decide what size system fits your home.
Choosing the Right System Size
- Bill of ₹3,000-4,000, usage 350-450 units: go for a 3 KW system, needs about 300 sq ft of roof.
- Bill of ₹6,000-8,000, usage 700-900 units: a 5-6 KW system works well, needs 500-600 sq ft.
- Bill of ₹12,000-15,000, usage 1,400-1,700 units: a 10 KW system fits, needs about 1,000 sq ft.
- Bill above ₹25,000, usage over 2,800 units: a 20 KW or larger system is the right call, needs 2,000 sq ft or more.
Why the Bill Never Hits Zero
Even with solar, a few charges stick around. These include the fixed charge based on your sanctioned load, net meter rental, and local taxes or cess. These charges are unavoidable, but they are small compared to what you used to pay. A ₹12,000 bill dropping to ₹400-500 is close enough to zero for most families to stop worrying about it.
Solar Output Changes With the Seasons
Solar generation moves up and down through the year, and the credit system smooths this out. In March and April, a 5 KW system can produce around 700 units while a home uses only 400, building a credit of 300 units. In May and June, output stays near 750 units, but AC use can push consumption to 1,000 units, so the saved credit comes in handy. July and August bring monsoon clouds, dropping output to about 450 units against a 600 unit consumption, again pulling from the credit pool. By October and November, output climbs back to 650 units against 400 units of use, adding a fresh 250 unit credit. Since most states calculate net metering across the full financial year from April to March, the sunny months end up carrying the cloudy ones.
Sizing Solar for Your AC
- 1 ton AC needs a 2 KW system
- 1.5 ton AC needs a 3 KW system
- 2 ton AC needs a 4-5 KW system
The actual requirement shifts based on how often you run the AC, how many other appliances you use, and how much sun your rooftop gets.
Why Solar Makes Sense
- Cuts electricity bills by 80-100%
- Keeps working for 25 years
- Protects you from rising power tariffs
- Reduces your carbon footprint
- Comes with government subsidy support
This is why so many Indian households are moving to rooftop solar, trading a monthly shock of a bill for something they barely notice anymore.
