Every rooftop solar system is one of three types. Choosing right depends on one question above all: do you need power during a grid outage? Here's how they compare.
On-grid (grid-tied)
Connected to the utility grid, no battery.
- How it works: solar powers your loads by day; surplus is exported and credited via net metering.
- Pros: cheapest per kW, simplest, best payback, qualifies for the residential subsidy.
- Cons: no backup — for safety, on-grid inverters shut off during a grid outage, so you lose power when the grid is down.
- Best for: areas with a reasonably stable grid, where the goal is to cut the bill.
Off-grid (standalone)
Not connected to the grid; runs on solar + battery only.
- How it works: solar charges a battery bank that powers your loads day and night.
- Pros: full independence; works where there is no grid or a very unreliable one.
- Cons: most expensive (large battery bank), needs careful sizing, batteries wear out and need replacement, no net-metering income, typically no residential subsidy.
- Best for: remote sites, farms, or locations without reliable grid access.
Hybrid
Grid-tied and battery-backed — the best of both.
- How it works: solar runs loads and charges a battery; surplus can export for net-metering credit; during an outage the battery keeps essential loads running.
- Pros: bill savings plus backup during cuts; can prioritise essential circuits.
- Cons: higher cost than on-grid (you're paying for the battery and a smarter inverter).
- Best for: homes and small businesses with frequent outages that still want net-metering savings.
A quick decision guide
- Stable grid, want savings: on-grid.
- Frequent outages, want savings + backup: hybrid.
- No/unreliable grid: off-grid.
Batteries are the costliest, shortest-lived part of any system. Add them only where you truly need backup — and size them for essential loads, not the whole house.
What to check either way
- Confirm net-metering availability (for on-grid/hybrid) with your DISCOM.
- Insist on standard-compliant panels, inverter and (if any) batteries.
- Right-size to your consumption and backup needs.
Whichever you pick, the panels are a 25-year asset. If upfront cost is the constraint — especially for hybrid systems with a battery — clean-energy financing through regulated lenders (which IndiaCard helps arrange) can spread it over the savings.