With their homestay nestled in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded by pine trees and the Himalayas, adopting a nature-friendly lifestyle was a way of life for Kartik and Anuradha Kanwar Budhraja.

When building their current residence and the Saroga Woods homestay, minimizing their carbon footprint was at the top of their list. In line with their commitment and troubled by frequent power cuts, the couple switched to clean energy.

The result? They are not just living an eco-friendly life; they have saved ₹200,000 (~$2,326) in electricity bills over the past five years.

“Our first annual billing pre-solar at Saroga Woods was close to ₹50,000 (~$582) per year, but now it’s reduced to about ₹12,000 (~$140.5),” said Kartik.

Asked why the couple decided to make the green switch, Anuradha said, “Firstly, we wanted to reduce our carbon footprint and maximize usage of a cleaner, greener power source; that’s something we did at every stage of our house build.”

Secondly, the couple wanted to reduce their electricity bills, and solar energy was their go-to source for saving money.

“We have already recovered the cost of installation since we shifted to solar,” said Kartik.

Another reason the couple opted for solar was poor connectivity. “Our village is at the end of a line from the main transformer and is atop a hill. The power line has to come at a very steep angle through a jungle, and therefore, we have intermittent outages four to five times daily on a good day. On a bad windy day, it could be for much longer or last overnight.”

The couple installed an 8.4 kW system through Delhi-based Communication and Systems Engineering, consisting of 24 panels, each with a capacity of 350 W.

“It cost us ₹218,000 (~$2,553), which includes government subsidy. The policies have since been updated, so current costs and subsidies would differ for everyone,” Kartik said.

Most of our panels are west-facing, and some are east-facing to get the morning sun. We do not have an optimal south-facing location, and our roof also has some shaded areas; the output could be twice as much if we had those ideal conditions,” he said.

Power generation is higher in the summer and significantly lower in the winter.

While their system is currently connected to the grid, the couple plans to go off-grid soon. Anuradha said, “For the future, we may replace the grid-tie inverters with hybrid inverters that can work off-grid as well as during a power cut and can offload excess power to a lithium iron phosphate battery system, so it can help power the house through longer outages.”

“The battery costs have come down substantially abroad, but our tariff regime and re-certification process mean domestic consumers do not yet have access to it; hopefully, in the future, we will,” added Kartik.

The couple’s transition to clean energy exemplifies a commitment to a greener lifestyle while also taking advantage of the various government subsidies.

The commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, particularly the hospitality industry, can take inspiration from the couple’s green switch.

Mercom has also reported that Nashik-based Grape County Eco Resorts and Spa installed a 183 kW ground-mounted solar system, which fully meets its energy needs. The off-grid system, installed at a cost of ₹9.1 million (~$105,695), generates 174,000 units of power annually.

If you are looking for expert advice on switching to clean energy, Mercom India C&I Clean Energy Meets is a must-attend. Our events offer a great opportunity for C&I consumers to meet industry experts who are eager to help them transition to clean energy.

The next C&I meet will be held in Coimbatore on June 13, 2025.