The short answer
If your home or business has a normal electricity connection in Indore, choose on-grid unless power cuts are a real problem for you. On-grid gives you the most savings per rupee and is the only type that works with net metering and the central subsidy.
Side-by-side comparison
| Item | On-grid | Hybrid | Off-grid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected to grid | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery | No | Yes | Yes (essential) |
| Works during power cut | No (shuts down for safety) | Yes, from battery | Yes |
| Net metering | Yes | Yes | No |
| PM Surya Ghar subsidy | Yes, with DCR modules | Generally tied to the grid-connected rooftop system | No |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Medium–high | Highest |
| Maintenance | Very low | Battery care | Battery care |
| Best for | Most homes and businesses | Homes with frequent outages, clinics, home offices | Farms, remote sites |
How an on-grid system works
- Panels turn sunlight into DC electricity.
- The inverter converts DC to AC and synchronises with the grid.
- Your home uses solar power first.
- Surplus flows out through a bi-directional net meter and is credited.
- At night you draw power from the grid against those credits.
The grid effectively acts as a free, infinitely large battery. That is why on-grid systems pay back fastest — see net metering in Indore.
Why on-grid shuts down in a power cut
On-grid inverters are required to stop exporting when the grid fails — this is called anti-islanding. It protects linemen repairing what they believe is a dead line. So a pure on-grid system will not power your home during an outage, even on a sunny day.
When a hybrid system makes sense
- You face frequent or long power cuts and currently rely on an inverter-battery.
- You run a clinic, home office or equipment that must not stop.
- You want to use more of your own solar in the evening.
A hybrid inverter charges a battery from solar and still exports surplus to the grid. Lithium (LFP) batteries last longer and are more compact than lead-acid, but cost more. We size the battery to the loads you actually need during an outage — usually lights, fans, Wi-Fi, a refrigerator — not the whole house.
When off-grid makes sense
Only where there is no reliable grid: farmhouses, remote pump houses or sites awaiting a connection. Off-grid systems need oversized panels and batteries for cloudy monsoon weeks, which makes them the most expensive per unit of energy.
Our recommendation for Indore
| Your situation | Recommended system |
|---|---|
| City home, occasional short outages | On-grid |
| Home with daily outages or a home office | Hybrid with 3–5 kWh battery |
| Housing society | On-grid for common areas |
| Factory or office | On-grid, sized to daytime load |
| Farmhouse without reliable grid | Off-grid or hybrid |
Not sure? Use the savings calculator and ask us to price both on-grid and hybrid options side by side.