Solar for shops and clinics in Zirakpur: savings and payback

Shops, showrooms and clinics in Zirakpur are among the best fits for rooftop solar in Tricity. They use most of their electricity in daylight, when panels produce, and unlike homes they get no free units, so every unit the panels make is a unit not bought from PSPCL. This guide works through the savings and payback for typical Zirakpur businesses, and the points to check before you commit.

Why daytime businesses save the most

Solar output peaks between roughly 10 am and 4 pm. That is when a showroom on Patiala Road runs its air conditioning and lighting, when a clinic’s equipment and fridges are working, and when an office on VIP Road is full. Most of the power is used on site, straight away, replacing units you would otherwise buy.

On days you are closed, the panels keep producing and the surplus goes to the grid through the net meter. Those units are set against what you use on working days.

What a business pays PSPCL in 2026-27

For a non-residential connection with a sanctioned load of up to 20 kW, PSPCL’s energy charge in 2026-27 is:

• ₹6.10 a unit for the first 500 units a month
• ₹7.10 a unit above 500 units

Fixed charges and electricity duty come on top. Solar reduces the units you buy. It does not reduce the fixed charge on your sanctioned load.

Two worked examples

These use PSPCL’s 2026-27 rates, generation of 3.6 to 4.2 units per kW a day, and a typical 2026 price for business systems of ₹45,000 to ₹60,000 per kW including GST. Your own figures depend on your bills, roof and working days.

A clinic using 1,000 units a month

A showroom using 2,000 units a month

These paybacks are before tax benefits, which shorten them further for most businesses.

Tax: depreciation and GST credit

A business recovers part of the cost through tax:

• Depreciation. Solar plant has long been in the 40% depreciation block of the income-tax rules, which brings a large part of the tax benefit into the first year or two for a profitable business. The Income-tax Act, 2025 came into force in April 2026, and the exact treatment depends on your business structure and when the system is commissioned, so confirm the current rate with your chartered accountant.
• GST input credit. A GST-registered business using the solar power for its business can generally claim input tax credit on the GST paid. Your CA can confirm this for your case.

We provide the invoice break-up and technical details your CA needs.

Points to check in Zirakpur

Who owns the roof? Many shops and clinics in Zirakpur are in SCO buildings, where the roof may belong to the top-floor owner or be shared between floors. Confirm your right to use the roof in writing before anything else.

Is the premises rented? Solar is still possible with the owner’s written consent. Check that the electricity connection is in your name, and compare the remaining lease period with the payback period. If the lease is short, it may make more sense for the owner to install the system.

Sanctioned load. Since PSERC’s amendment of April 2026, a system on a shop, clinic or other non-domestic connection can be as large as the sanctioned load or contract demand, up to 500 kW. The earlier limit of 70% no longer applies. If the system your bills justify is larger, the load has to be increased. For systems of up to 10 kW, PSPCL carries out the increase with the solar application, and you pay the load-extension charges.

Shade. Taller neighbouring buildings, hoardings and water tanks can shade part of a commercial roof. Shade is the main thing we check at the survey.

Working days. A business open six or seven days a week uses more of its own generation directly and gets the best return. Size the system to working-day use rather than to the whole roof.

Power cuts and generators

An on-grid system switches off when the grid fails, to protect linemen working on the lines. If you run a diesel generator during cuts, the solar system can be set up to work alongside it with an additional controller, which reduces how much diesel you burn. If billing, lighting and CCTV must stay on without a generator, consider a hybrid system with a battery. Our guide to on-grid or hybrid solar for power cuts explains the choice.

No subsidy for businesses

The PM Surya Ghar subsidy is for homes only. A business recovers its investment through lower bills and tax benefits instead, which is why the paybacks above compare well with a home system even without the subsidy.

Next step

Send us your last 12 months of electricity bills, your working hours and a few roof photographs, and we will work out the system size, savings and payback for your premises, with every assumption written out for your CA. Our office is on Patiala Road in Zirakpur, so a site survey is quick to arrange. See solar for businesses and solar in Zirakpur, or try the savings calculator.

Common questions

How much does a 10 kW commercial solar system cost?

A typical 2026 price for a 10 kW on-grid business system is about ₹4.5 lakh to ₹6 lakh including GST, depending on the brands, the structure your roof needs and the cable run. A firm price follows a site survey.

What happens to solar power on Sundays when my shop is closed?

It is exported to the grid through the net meter and set against the units you use on working days, under PSPCL's net-metering rules. Sizing the system to working-day use gives the best return.

Can I install solar on a rented shop?

Yes, with the owner's written consent. Check that the electricity connection is in your name and that the remaining lease is longer than the payback period.

Do shops and clinics get the PM Surya Ghar subsidy?

No. The subsidy is only for residential connections. Businesses benefit instead from lower bills, depreciation on the solar plant and, where eligible, GST input credit.