The most common mistake in residential solar is sizing to the roof: "I have a big terrace, give me the biggest system it fits." Under net metering that usually means paying for generation you will never use efficiently. Size to consumption first, then check the roof can host it.
Open your JdVVNL bill and find the units consumed figure, not the rupee total. Look at the last twelve months if you can, because Jodhpur consumption is strongly seasonal — summer AC load can be several times the winter baseline, and sizing off a January bill will leave you short.
| Average monthly units | Typical system size |
|---|---|
| 250–400 units | 3 kW |
| 450–700 units | 5 kW |
| 700–1,000 units | 7–8 kW |
| Above 1,000 units | 10 kW |
The straightforward case. You own the roof, you control the shading, and the meter is yours. Most independent houses in Jodhpur can host 3 to 10 kW comfortably. The main variables are the water tank position, the stairwell mumty shadow and whether the slab is new enough to take a penetrating structure.
Larger bungalows sometimes run two sanctioned connections. If that is you, say so early — net metering is applied per connection, and which meter the array is tied to changes the economics.
Harder, and honesty helps here. In a multi-storey building the terrace is usually common property, so an individual flat owner cannot simply install on it. Realistically you need either a society resolution permitting your installation, or a society-level system on a common connection with the benefit shared.
If you own a flat and want solar, the first conversation is with your society committee, not with an installer. We are happy to attend a society meeting and explain the options — but we will not sell you a system for a roof you do not have the right to use.
Including us. If an installer is uncomfortable answering these in writing, that is information.
It will reduce the units you buy from JdVVNL, credit you for exports under net metering, and keep doing so for decades with modest maintenance.
It will not take your bill to zero as a rule — fixed charges, meter rent and any consumption beyond what your array generates still appear. It will not power your home during a grid outage without a battery. And it will not perform as estimated if the array is shaded or left dirty.
Anyone who tells you your bill becomes ₹0 is selling, not advising.