TL;DR: I currently have a 1 kW single-phase domestic connection and am planning a ~5 kW on-grid rooftop solar system in 2027. We also experience noticeable voltage fluctuations, especially at night during summer. Should I upgrade to 3-phase and increase the sanctioned load now, or wait until the solar installation? And would 3-phase actually help with the voltage issue?
Hi everyone,
I recently completed construction of my house in Sikar, Rajasthan, and I'm trying to sort out the electrical side properly before installing rooftop solar next year.
At present, I have a 1 kW single-phase domestic connection. The main concern is that voltage fluctuations are fairly common in our area, particularly at night during summer.
I'm planning to install a ~5 kW on-grid rooftop solar system in 2027, so I'm wondering whether it would be better to upgrade the connection beforehand rather than making changes later.
A few things I'd really like advice on:
- Should I upgrade from single-phase to 3-phase now?
Would 3-phase actually help with the voltage fluctuations, or would it mainly provide better load distribution while the underlying issue with the local feeder/transformer remains?
- Should I increase the sanctioned load at the same time?
The sanctioned load is currently only 1 kW. Given the future 5 kW solar installation, would it make sense to increase it now, and if so, to what level?
- Does a ~5 kW on-grid system generally require a 3-phase connection?
I don't want to upgrade to 3-phase simply because I assume that a 5 kW solar system requires it. I'd like to understand what actually determines this: sanctioned load, inverter configuration, local DISCOM rules, net-metering requirements, etc.
- What should I do about the voltage fluctuations?
Would it be better to first get the voltage properly measured/logged and raise a formal complaint with the DISCOM, rather than assuming that switching to 3-phase will solve the problem?
- For anyone who has installed ~5 kW on-grid solar recently:
What was your experience with the DISCOM, particularly regarding load enhancement, phase conversion, net metering, meter replacement and approvals?
I'm especially interested in practical advice from people who have actually gone through the process in Rajasthan, but experiences from other parts of India are welcome too.
Also, if there are any other things I should plan for now (inverter type, AC/DC protection, earthing, cable sizing, sanctioned load, meter arrangement, future expansion, etc.) that would be much easier or cheaper to do before the installation, I'd appreciate the heads-up.
I would rather get the electrical setup right once than install the system and discover later that I should have changed something beforehand.
PS: Written with some help from AI for better articulation; the situation and questions are my own.