Most Kerala plots have trees, and trees mean shade. A single shaded module can pull down an entire string, so shade is worth ten minutes of attention before you sign.
Do a real shade check
Visit the roof at 9 am, noon and 3 pm. Note where shadows fall. A good installer uses a shade tool or sun-path app, and shows you a simple layout with the shaded zones marked.
Design options
- Move the array: sometimes the other roof slope or a different part of the terrace is clear.
- Raise the structure: a taller stand clears low shade from walls and parapets.
- Optimisers or microinverters: they stop one shaded panel from dragging down the rest, at a higher cost.
- Trim carefully: frond-cutting twice a year is usually cheaper than losing 10% of output.
Ask for it in writing
Put the expected annual generation in the quote and ask which assumptions it uses for shade. It makes comparing installers much easier.
