Are you concerned about rising electricity bills and considering a switch to solar energy? If you’re unsure where to start, we have got you covered.

Homes across India are utilising their rooftops to install solar panels, leading to substantial savings in electricity bills. Here are five such homes:

1. Abhishek Mane’s family home Worried about the escalating electricity bills, Abhishek decided to install solar panels in his home. Supporting a family of five, Abhishek installed 10 panels of 330 W each, generating 2.5 kW of energy daily.

The energy is stored in four lead-acid batteries with a capacity of 12 V & 200 AH. All their needs, including appliance usage and charging electric vehicles (EVs), are met with solar panels.

Abhishek notes, “Earlier, our electricity bill was a minimum of Rs 5,000 per month. Now, we pay only Rs 70 monthly.”

2. Srini and Sushma’s sustainable abode Bengaluru-based IT couple Srini and Sushma had a clear vision in their mind for their home — it should be sustainable and spacious. Made with mud plaster, Burma teak wood, cement oxide flooring, terracotta blocks, and Kota stone, the house runs 100 percent on solar energy.

The house has eight solar panels of 1 m x 1.6 m that produce 2 kW of power to run the entire house. There are two other panels for the water heating system.

3. Reva Malik’s mud house Reva Malik’s home was designed and constructed by Mahijaa, a design consultancy firm. This mud house — which harvests 10,000 litres of water and runs on solar panels — is made using recycled and locally available materials.

All their energy needs from charging their devices to running the home are done using solar energy. Cherry on the cake? Reva even cooks their meals on the solar cooker installed inside the home.

4. Ashis Panda and Madhulika’s dream home College sweethearts Ashis Panda and Madhulika decided to build their dream home in rural Rajasthan, away from the hustle of metros. They studied homes and sustainable designs for 10 months before starting to work on their dream home, built with lime and stones.

They installed solar panels of 3 kW capacity to support the electricity needs of the house. “We rely on solar energy during the day, the extra units are funnelled into the grid which we utilise during the night,” Ashis says.

5. Sanjay Deshpande’s solar home and office Sanjay Deshpande was pursuing his studies in architecture in Mumbai when he came across his friend’s home that harvested solar power. Inspired, he decided to do the same in his home too.

In 2002, when Sanjay returned to his family home in Hubli, he decided to install solar panels. Starting small with a 1 kW solar panel, he now has 165 W 36 V solar panels. His home office too has 3 kW panels that help him save nearly Rs 2 lakh per year on electricity bills.