Mid-life crisis: From buying a bike to installing a rooftop solar system?

During a mid-life crisis, people do strange things like buying a sports bike or a convertible car, change jobs, go on a world tour, or learn something new like skydiving or scuba diving. Why? These are some of the things we wanted to do since we were kids, we fantasized about while growing up, or we just saw in a movie where Tom Cruise is flying an F-18 destroying the enemy’s uranium plant underground (those who have not watched the latest Top Gun-MUST Watch).

My mid-life crisis came early in life thanks to the pandemic. With little work or travel, I had all the time to think and curate my mid-life crisis. I thought about all of the above options and did end up buying a bike (Enfield Bullet, Classic 350). So typical... Being born and brought up in Punjab, the bullet is the pride of any young Punjabi, and finally, I did it.

But the reason I am writing this article is to share another mid-life crisis experience, which gave me a radiant perspective on my life.

Amplus, one of the leading solar rooftop companies in India, launched a product called "Homescape" for houses and apartments in India. It is a very interesting concept where you can install solar panels on pillars at 10-15 ft and cover 50-80% of the roof space. I ended up installing a 4.6 kW system. I have a 1500 sq. ft. house and a 4.6 kW system covers approximately 50% of my rooftop space, and I can still use the whole of my roof because solar is on an elevated platform with the help of pillars.

But, once again, what is the link with a mid-life crisis? After solar rooftop installation, one thing led to another.

I put more than 100 big pots for plants on the rooftop under the solar rooftop system for decoration and converted the rooftop into a solar rooftop garden and bar. Now, I have a bed, a bar, and growing tons of vegetables and fruits on my roof. I never knew I loved gardening and fell in love with the different colors of flowers right away. So, if I did one productive thing in the pandemic, it was the rooftop solar garden and bar.

Of course, because of my profession also, it was natural for me to go for solar rooftops, but for those who are not convinced, I would like to share the cost economics and try to convince them. A typical 5kW rooftop solar system in Delhi (with government subsidy) would pay for itself in about 3 years and save about INR 55,000 per year on electricity bills.

Let me also accept that, despite working in the energy sector, it took me several years to install a solar rooftop on my own house. Can you imagine? And once it happened, it was one of the best things I ever did in my life.

Today the World Bank has approved a new project of $165 M for residential solar rooftops in India in partnering with the State Bank of India. The project will democratize the adoption of rooftop solar by making it affordable to consumers. It will help citizens and ordinary people take charge of contributing to a less warm world by participating in the energy transition revolution that is taking shape in the country. 

So, the moral of the story, unlike me - don’t wait for a mid-life crisis, install a solar rooftop right away.