This document discusses findings from a study on the consumer experience with residential rooftop solar PV installations in five Indian cities. The key issues identified include: 1) A need for better alignment between various government agencies involved in solar installations. 2) Limited capacity and knowledge of implementing entities. 3) An absence of customized financial offerings. 4) A lack of clear, credible, and easily accessible sources of information for consumers. The document provides recommendations to address these issues such as standardizing costs, improving online processes, enhancing capacity building, and improving awareness campaigns.

1. TIRTHANKAR MANDAL, AMALA DEVI, UTTARA NARAYAN
Findings from household surveys in five Indian cities
CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
WITH RESIDENTIAL
ROOFTOP SOLAR PV

2. THERE IS A NEED TO FOCUS ON RESIDENTIAL
ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS
• Indian rooftop segment has a
steep target to meet and is
currently experiencing slow
adoption
• Existing studies have identified
various issues and concerns—
few have focused on the
residential consumers’
experience
• Structured, evidence-based
approach to documenting
consumer experience and
issues faced in installing rooftop
solar
131 377
20000
5000
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
2015 2017 2022
(original
target)
2022
(SRISTI
target)
2015 2017
2022 (original target) 2022 (SRISTI target)
Targets and installed capacity in MW
Source: Bridge to India 2015, 2017.,MNRE SRISHTI Draft 2017

3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• What is a residential consumer’s outlook towards rooftop solar in
Indian cities? What promotes or prevents them from installing
rooftop solar?
• What are the current experiences of the residential consumers
who have installed, or considered installing rooftop solar in India?

4. METHODOLOGY
• Desk research on secondary publications that have addressed
residential rooftop solar PV
• Selection of 5 Indian cities – Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai,
Nagpur, Jaipur based on criteria developed using desk research
Secondary
research
• Identify and collaborate with local, city-level civil society
organisations working on residential electricity and consumer
awareness. Partnerships include CUTS International (Jaipur), CAG
(Chennai), Consumer Association (Chandigarh)
Local partner
identification
• Design the survey and analytical framework
• Develop survey questionnaire and run a pilot to iterate
questionnaire
• Conduct survey
Survey
• Data analysis using the analytical framework
• Identify and categorise consumer pain-points around key themes
to be taken up as next steps to enhance residential consumer
experience
Analysis

5. STUDY SCOPE
• 1,808 households surveyed across 5 cities
– Approximately 360 households per city
33
6
1
3
3
348
360
307
309
339
6
1
12
52
12
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Bangalore
Chandigarh
Chennai
Jaipur
Nagpur
No. of dwellings of each type
surveyed
Apartment
Apartment in gated complex
Independent house
Single house in gated complex
Households that installed solar
PV
325
Households that considered
installing solar PV, but not
installed
223
Households that did not even
consider installing solar PV
1,260
Total 1,808

6. CONSUMERS’ EXPERIENCE AND KEY ISSUES
Motivation ExperienceAwareness
Encountering different
sources of Information
Being aware
about solar
PV
Considering
installing
Solar PV
Gathering information about vendor services, financing, regulatory
processes
Evaluating
vendor
services
Accessing
sources of
finance
Applying for
subsidies (if
applicable)
Applying for
permissions &
complying
with
procedures
Experiences
during and
post-
installation
Lack of clear, credible, and easily
accessible sources of information
Need for greater
alignment between
government
agencies
Time
Limitations in
institutional capacity
to implement
Absence of
customized
financial offerings

7. 1. NEED FOR BETTER ALIGNMENT BETWEEN VARIOUS
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
• Utility perceives promotion of rooftop solar in conflict with traditional
grid-based power supply: the case of net metering in Chennai
• Respondents reporting delays in processing from the utility the highest in Chennai
at 58%
• Over 90% specifically mentioned delays in getting “net-meters”
• Delays range from 2-6 months
• Lack of alignment between Energy and other Government
Departments: the case of the Urban Planning dept. in Chandigarh
Building Rules stipulate provisions that are difficult to implement
•Current specifications for roofs with solar PV systems acts as a deterrent
•Height restrictions which affect cleaning of the panels and their efficacy
Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban) 2017

8. 2. LIMITED CAPACITY AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE
IMPLEMENTING ENTITIES
2.1 Need for a mandate, resources, personnel, expertise
47% of people who
installed solar faced
challenges in dealing with
the respective utility or
State Nodal Agency
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Bangalore Chandigarh Chennai Jaipur Nagpur
% of people who faced challenges in dealing
with institutions by city
SNA- delay in subsidy
Utility- billing
Utility- delay in processing
Utility- officials don't give proper info, lack capacity, need multiple visits

9. 3. ABSENCE OF CUSTOMIZED FINANCIAL
OFFERINGS
Cities
Difference in avg.
payback period with
and without subsidy
(in years)*
Bangalore 1
Chandigarh 6
Chennai 4
Jaipur 2
Nagpur 2
3.1 Financial offerings not customized by cities: Subsidy and loan uptake
influenced by different cost structures and payback periods

10. 3. ABSENCE OF CUSTOMIZED FINANCIAL
OFFERINGS
3.2 Financial offerings not customized for residential sector: Problems
with collaterals (no resale value, disproportionate mortgages)
[11] Bangalore workshops; [2] Bangalore and Chandigarh workshops
4 0 0
8
2
0
5
10
15
20
Bangalore Chandigarh Chennai Jaipur Nagpur
Applied for loans
Applied for loans
• No re-sale value
• “This is a risk for banks, should a system fail or consumers’ default on loan
repayment” [1]
• Disproportionate collateral
• “Consumers are not willing to mortgage their homes for a solar system which is
worth a few lakhs” [2]

11. 4. LACK OF CLEAR, CREDIBLE, & EASILY ACCESSIBLE
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
• Awareness levels are currently low, but awareness is
important for decision-making
• There is a lack of clear, credible information
• Clear, credible information is not always accessible

12. 4. LACK OF CLEAR, CREDIBLE, & EASILY
ACCESSIBLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION
4.1 Awareness levels are currently low, but awareness is important
for decision-making
• Improving awareness is the most
cited recommendation by people
who considered but did not install
46%
8%
5%1%
40%
Improving
awareness
Vendors
Financial
Institutions
Regulators and
policy makers
Others
• Awareness related issues stated
among the top reasons for not having
considered solar
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Don't know about solar Know about solar but not details
Not value for money Heard bad reviews
Physical constraints Others

13. 4. LACK OF CLEAR, CREDIBLE, & EASILY
ACCESSIBLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION
4.2 Information is not clear and credible
• On an average, 45% of installed consumers relied on vendor for
getting information

14. 4. LACK OF CLEAR, CREDIBLE, & EASILY
ACCESSIBLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION
4.4 Clear and credible information is not always accessible
• On an average, only 19% of
the respondents used the
internet to get information
• The Government has
several initiatives in the
form of ARUN app, SPIN
website
• 47% of those who have
installed solar and 56% of
those who considered PVs
relied on references from
friends, family and
neighbors.
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Bangalore Chennai Chandigarh Jaipur Nagpur
% of people using internet for information on
vendor services, subsidy, loan, regulations
Vendor services Subsidy Loan Regulations

15. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS: CONSUMER
EXPERIENCE NEEDS TO BE ENHANCED
• Unlike grid-based electricity supply, rooftop solar requires proactive
consumer engagement.
– Consumer-centric approach crucial
• Experiences are contextual to different cities
– Current top-down approaches should be complemented with
bottom-up initiatives
• Addressing consumer issues can catalyse uptake
• SRISTI Scheme
– Greater role for utilities: enhanced local capacities
– Reliance on online portals and applications to connect with
consumers

16. SUGGESTIONS FROM CONSULTATIONS (1/2)
Suggestions Theme
Introduce automated net-metered billing systems including at
local levels
Capacity
Migrate billing and approval processes online to reduce need
for multiple physical visits
Capacity
Enhance capacities of local-level officials to address issues of
residential consumers
Capacity
Enhance capacities for bank officials to address issues of
residential consumers
Capacity,
finance
Introduce consumer-friendly measures like standardization of
benchmark cost across all banks
Finance

17. SUGGESTIONS FROM CONSULTATIONS (2/2)
Suggestions Theme
Strategies to involve RWAs to support SNAs in spending their
campaign budgets
Awareness
Innovative and multimedia/outreach for supply of sources of
information
Awareness
Ensure clarity of information Awareness
Ensure credibility by getting Govt. or Industry Associations to
certify vendor and technology standards
Awareness
Ensure accessibility through options like media coverage,
workshops and awareness events
Awareness

18. THANK YOU