SolarTown Lit Homes when neighbourhood Went Dark During Chennai Floods

CHENNAI: When the whole of Chennai went dark and people remained incommunicado for more than three days during the recent floods, there were some who were leading a normal life with bright homes,fully charged mobile phones and UPS batteries. These were the lucky few who were using solar powered electrical system provided by SolarTown Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (SolarTown).

SolarTown, a pioneer in solar rooftop systems for residential, commercial and industrial customers, has helped Chennai customers with its off-grid solar systems to remain online and provided critical support to them and neighbourhood communities when the State Electricity Board suspended power supply following the devastating floods early December.

Soon after the grid shut down, communications to and from the city had failed, cell phone batteries went dry and that of other personal electronics were depleted. Off-grid solar systems from SolarTown was the sole source of electricity for citizens in Chennai in many areas. SolarTown's customers were able to assist neighbours too by charging their phones and helping them connect with their loved ones. 

“Occurrences like the recent floods in Chennai demonstrated the need for off-grid power sources which can provide critical power during natural disasters,” said Vikram Dileepan, CEO of SolarTown.

The SolarTown's off-grid solar rooftop systems were fully operational during all three days of the grid shutdown in Chennai. They continued to operate even with cloudy conditions, Vikram said.

“Committed to constant innovation, SolarTown has developed a hybrid solution which includes solar microinverters, solar PV, and battery which can work on-grid as well as off-grid during power shutdowns,” said Vikram. SolarTown has successfully implemented this technology into a rooftop solution for residential and small commercial installations throughout Chennai.

Vikram further said that hybrid technology helps customers cut electricity cost considerably. Most of SolarTown off-grid customers have purchased solar system and took advantage of accelerated depreciation tax benefits, with payback periods as low as five years. In addition to purchasing a solar system, SolarTown offers home-owners and businesses the ability to lease a solar rooftop system with no down payment and a fixed monthly lease rate guaranteed to be lower than the DISCOMs, shielding them from rising electricity rates.

With over 100 installations, SolarTown has an impressive customer base of some of India’s top corporates, such as Infosys, Renault-Nissan, Plant Engineering and Aachi Group, and can meet the demand from 1 kW to 300 kW.

SolarTown Installs Solar PV Rooftop Systems at RBL Bank Branches in Chennai

CHENNAI: SolarTown Energy Solutions, a pioneer in installation of solar rooftop systems for residential, commercial and industrial customers in India, has installed solar rooftop systems at an initial ten branches of RBL Bank. 

RBL Bank, formerly The Ratnakar Bank Limited, is estimated to save Rs 146,000 annually by opting for solar PV rooftop systems at ten of its sites in Chennai. Each branch will feature a minimum 3 kW system which will offset a major part of the business’ energy consumption and more than 70 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of the solar installation.

“It’s a privilege to provide our solar PV systems to one of the fastest growing commercial banks in India,” said Vikram Dileepan, founder and CEO of SolarTown, who further added, “It gives us immense satisfaction to know RBL Bank will generate clean power and also save on electricity costs.”

RBL Bank entered into a no upfront costs, 10-year lease agreement with SolarTown. The installations will enable an uninterrupted supply of clean power at a fixed cost over the length of the lease, which also includes maintenance services. SolarTown installed the rooftop solar power systems including inverters and batteries, as a backup for brownouts.

SolarTown is one of the first to offer a zero-down lease and unique purchase options for residential and commercial customers in the 1 kW to 300 kW size in India, ideal for homes and small commercial buildings with monthly usage between 400 kWh and 40,000 kWh. 

SolarTown’s solar PV rooftop systems completely eliminate the dependence on diesel-based generators, the hassle of maintaining the systems, and pollution derived from burning diesel fuels. The fixed monthly lease option, lower than DISCOM rates, shields the customer against increasing electricity and diesel prices. SolarTown’s lease option makes solar PV systems highly accessible and empowers customers to take control of their power generation without straining their bottom line.