Ask around your neighbourhood WhatsApp group about solar, and you’ll hear a dozen confident opinions — most of them wrong. These myths aren’t harmless; every year they talk homeowners out of savings they were entitled to, or push them toward oversized, overpriced systems “just to be safe.” Here are the 10 that cost West Bengal homeowners the most, and what’s actually true.
Myth 1: Solar Panels Don’t Work in Kolkata and Howrah’s Monsoon
This is the single biggest myth stopping people here specifically. Solar cells respond to daylight, not direct sunshine — on an overcast monsoon day, panels still generate roughly 15–35% of their clear-day output from diffused light scattering through cloud cover. Combined with West Bengal’s long, sunny pre- and post-monsoon stretches, your system still delivers strong annual output even accounting for the rainy months.
Myth 2: Solar Panels Need Constant, Expensive Maintenance
In reality, a properly installed system needs quarterly cleaning and one annual technical check — that’s it. Realistic upkeep runs roughly ₹1,500–₹3,000 a year for an average home system, not the recurring drain people imagine.
Myth 3: You Need a Big House or Big Roof for Solar to Be Worth It
A 1–2 kW system fits comfortably on a modest rooftop and still meaningfully cuts a typical household’s bill. Solar scales down just as well as it scales up — you don’t need a mansion-sized roof to see real savings.
Myth 4: Every Solar System Needs a Battery to Work
Most homes in Kolkata and Howrah install on-grid systems, which run without any battery at all — they draw from the grid at night and export surplus back through net metering. Batteries only matter for off-grid setups, which very few homeowners here actually need. We cover the real difference in our on-grid vs off-grid comparison.
Myth 5: Extreme Summer Heat Damages Panels or Kills Output
Heat and sunlight aren’t the same thing. Yes, panel efficiency dips slightly — roughly 0.3–0.5% per degree above 25°C — but summer’s longer daylight hours and stronger direct sunlight more than make up for it. Summer months are typically among the highest-output months of the year, not the lowest.
Myth 6: The Subsidy Process Is Too Complicated to Bother With
The actual PM Surya Ghar Yojana process is six straightforward steps handled largely by your installer — registration, DISCOM-equivalent approval, installation, net metering, inspection, and direct bank transfer. We’ve laid out the entire process, timeline, and required documents in our West Bengal solar subsidy guide — it’s far simpler than the rumor mill suggests.
Myth 7: Solar Panels Emit Harmful Radiation
Solar panels generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect — a passive, chemical-free process. They emit no radiation and no electromagnetic fields beyond what any ordinary household appliance produces. There’s genuinely nothing to worry about here.
Myth 8: Heavy Rain or Hailstorms Will Crack Your Panels
Modern panels use tempered, impact-resistant glass specifically tested against hail and strong wind loads. Properly sealed junction boxes and correctly routed cabling — standard on any professional installation — also prevent water ingress during heavy monsoon downpours.
Myth 9: Every Solar Company Offers the Same Quality and Support
This is the myth that costs people the most, because it’s the one that leads to picking a vendor purely on price. Panel brands, warranty terms, installation quality, and after-sales support all vary enormously between installers. If you’re comparing vendors, our buyer’s checklist for choosing a solar company in Kolkata and Howrah walks through exactly what to verify before you sign anything.
Myth 10: Once Installed, Solar Panels Are “Set and Forget”
A system that’s quietly underperforming — a loose connection, a shaded panel, a fault the inverter isn’t flagging — can go unnoticed for months without basic monitoring. A quick monthly glance at your generation app, or an annual check from your installer, catches problems early instead of letting them quietly eat into your savings.
Curious What Solar Actually Costs You?
Myths aside, the only number that really matters is your own. Our solar calculator takes your average monthly bill and gives you a real, personalized estimate — recommended system size, subsidy amount, final cost, and payback period — in under a minute.
As an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) solar company serving Kolkata and Howrah, Apris Solar handles design, sourcing, and installation as one accountable team, so the facts above hold true for every system we install, not just in theory.
📞 WhatsApp us or visit apris.in/solar-company-contact-us for a free, no-pressure site assessment.