Que: PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has boosted rooftop solar adoption. How is the PM Surya Ghar scheme accelerating demand for battery storage in North and East India?

Ans: The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is significantly accelerating rooftop solar adoption across India, particularly in North and East India, where households often seek reliable alternatives to grid-dependent power. As installations rise under the scheme, demand for residential battery storage is also increasing.

In states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Assam, many households adopting rooftop solar are exploring hybrid solar-plus-storage systems. Battery storage enables users to store surplus solar power generated during the day and use it during evenings or power outages, an important advantage in regions where grid reliability can vary.

Another key driver is the ability to maximise solar self-consumption by use of Hybrid Inverters and Battery Storage. While surplus power can be exported to the grid, many homeowners prefer storing excess energy for later use, helping reduce grid dependence and ensuring uninterrupted power during peak hours.

From TRONTEK’s perspective, this shift is reflected in growing enquiries and deployments of lithium battery storage solutions linked to residential solar. Good solar irradiance, more and more renewable integrations by all solar rooftop systems exporting power back to grid at same peak sun time sometimes makes grid volt and frequency out of deviation limits to cause nuisance trip of grid tied inverters hence the shift towards Battery Storage along with Hybrid Inverter is become necessity in near future to utilise the maximum power from PV.

Additionally, collateral-free loans at ~5.75 percent interest are making integrated solar-plus-storage systems more financially accessible , particularly across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Que: How are consumers moving from focusing solely on lower electricity bills to prioritising energy independence and reliable backup?

Ans: Indian consumers are gradually shifting from viewing solar purely as a way to reduce electricity bills to seeing it as a tool for energy independence and reliable power backup. While cost savings remain important, increasing awareness of power reliability, rising electricity tariffs, and the growth of distributed renewable energy systems are changing consumer priorities.

According to research on clean energy adoption in India, households increasingly value energy security and uninterrupted power supply, particularly in regions where grid reliability can fluctuate or where demand peaks strain supply. Solar systems paired with battery storage allow consumers to store excess daytime generation and use it during outages or evening hours, reducing dependence on the grid.

Policy support and financing mechanisms have also made advanced systems more accessible, enabling households to invest in integrated solar-plus-storage solutions rather than standalone solar panels. As awareness grows, consumers are recognising that the long-term value of clean energy lies not just in lower bills, but also in greater control over their energy supply and resilience against grid disruptions. Group net metering facilitated by various government agencies further influence the consumers to go for clean energy consumption.

Que: What are the key drivers for installing storage systems: power backup, managing peak loads, time-of-day savings, or complete energy independence?

Ans: The adoption of battery storage systems is primarily driven by the need for reliable power backup, followed by the ability to optimise energy usage and improve cost efficiency. In many parts of India, consumers are installing storage solutions to ensure uninterrupted power during outages or better power quality against grid voltage fluctuations, particularly in areas where grid reliability can vary.

Another major driver is managing peak electricity demand. Battery storage allows households and businesses to store excess solar energy generated during the peak sun shine when all photovoltaics are generating power at their max and use it during evening peak hours, helping reduce reliance on grid electricity when tariffs are higher. This capability is increasingly relevant as utilities move toward time-of-day (ToD) tariffs, where electricity prices vary by time of use.

Additionally, consumers are looking at storage as a step towards greater energy independence. By combining solar with batteries, users can maximise self-consumption of renewable energy and reduce exposure to rising electricity prices. As awareness of distributed energy solutions grows, storage systems are becoming a key component of resilient and flexible energy infrastructure for both residential and commercial users.

Que: How does Trontek differentiate its residential lithium-ion storage systems in terms of safety, battery life, and efficiency?

Ans: Trontek differentiates its residential lithium-ion energy storage systems by prioritising advanced safety architecture, use of the best quality of materials, engineered for reliability, able to manage critical inverter peak inrush current demands, long battery lifecycle, self-diagnostics, user information by smart BMS and high operational efficiency, which are critical factors for solar-plus-storage adoption in homes.

From a safety standpoint, Trontek integrates multi-layer SMART Battery Management Systems (BMS) that continuously monitor voltage, temperature, and charge cycles to prevent risks such as over-charging, overheating, or short circuits. The systems are built using high-stability lithium battery chemistries such as LiFePO₄, which are widely recognised for superior thermal stability and highly safe compared with conventional lithium-ion variants concerning to fire hazards.

In terms of durability, Trontek’s storage solutions are designed to deliver long cycle life and consistent performance across daily charge-discharge operations, which is essential for households relying on solar generation and backup power. The Total Cost of Ownership is far better by using Trontek’s residential battery vs Lead Acid batteries. The design life of battery can exceed 10 years.

Que: What steps are taken to ensure safety, thermal stability, and compliance with standards in residential installations?

Ans: Carrying the legacy and experience of more than two decades in batteries, Trontek designs its residential energy storage systems with safety and reliability as a priority. Our solutions incorporate an advanced battery management system (BMS) to monitor temperature, voltage and current in real time, using multi point NTC for temperature sensing, ensuring thermal stability and preventing overcharge or overheating. All products are engineered to comply with national and international safety standards for lithium-ion batteries, including protection against short circuits and fire hazards. Trontek has in-house engineering team who is highly experienced and competent to design, engineer, and validate each sub component for safety, reliability and compliance to certifications. The Cells used are also pre-certified as per IEC and UL standards.

The experience of more than 20 years in batteries and millions of batteries already in field for solar, e-mobility, drones, homes and the effect of India harsh environment conditions, is leveraged to design the batteries for residential application.

Que: In North and East India, do most households install hybrid solar-plus-storage systems from the start, or do they add storage later?

Ans: In India today, rooftop solar adoption is growing rapidly thanks to initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which has supported nearly 4,950 MW of residential installations nationwide through subsidies and streamlined processes. However, most residential rooftop systems installed under current schemes are still focused primarily on solar generation rather than integrated storage, as battery storage has historically been costlier and less subsidised than solar panels alone.

As a result, in many cases households tend to install solar panels first and may consider adding battery storage later once costs come down or backup needs increase. Specific patterns of storage adoption, especially comparing North and East India can vary based on local grid reliability, awareness, and financing availability.

This can be further demonstrated by data, as the current market share of Hybrid Inverters and battery storage is gaining rapid traction in residential and commercial sectors, having already reached over 20 percent, compared to the highest share currently held by GTIs. However, this equation is expected to change very soon with a shift toward greater adoption of Hybrid Inverters and battery storage.

Que: What partnerships, manufacturing plans, or R&D initiatives are you pursuing to support future growth?

Ans: We are actively exploring collaborations across Inverter OEM, EPC, PV and Cell manufacturers, and the clean energy ecosystem to drive innovation and accelerate the adoption of advanced lithium-ion battery solutions.

On the manufacturing front, we are strengthening our capabilities to meet rising demand across mobility and stationary energy storage, while continuing to invest in R&D to enhance performance, safety, lifecycle, and efficiency. Trontek is always ahead to explore, evaluate various battery chemistries and bring first in the market to our esteemed customers. Safety, Quality, Reliability and Value for Money always remain the primary values drivers to Trontek’s engineering team. To enhance this value chain, Trontek is about to launch Transformerless On-grid Inverter (TOI) and Hybrid Inverters, engineered for seamless compatibility between residential batteries and inverters, enabling optimised efficiency, performance, and safety.