Rooftop solar installation

Members may install a rooftop solar system on their building’s terrace for personal, non-commercial use, subject to the rules below and a signed Terrace Space Lease Agreement with the society.

1. Applying for permission

Send a written application to the Managing Committee at cloverwatergarden@gmail.com. Include:

technical drawings and plans certified by your solar installation vendor
a timeline for the installation, with a start date
a wind test report for the structural design, from your vendor

The committee considers:

whether space is available on the building terrace
possible interference with existing or future installations
compliance with society rules and local regulations

Once approved, the member signs the Terrace Space Lease Agreement with the society.

2. Space and rent

Item	Terms
Maximum space per member	300 sq ft of terrace
Rent	Rs 3 per sq ft per month (Rs 900/month for 300 sq ft)
Billing	Quarterly in advance, with the maintenance invoice
Rent review	Fixed for the first 15 years, then reviewed by mutual agreement
Taxes on the lease	Shared equally by the society and the member

The space limit lets as many members as possible get a fair share of terrace space.

3. Design and installation standards

The installation must meet Pune structural safety rules for solar installations. Your vendor can confirm this.
Minimum 7 ft clearance between the panel structure and the terrace floor, so people can move across the terrace freely.
The structure must sit only on civil/RCC blocks. No drilling, boring or chiselling into the terrace floor, waterproofing or roof slab. Use ballast or other non-penetrative fixings.
Leave enough clearance to maintain your own and neighbouring installations.
Do not block access to water tanks, fire exits or other essential terrace areas.
Do not keep cabling, storage, fencing or anything else under the panels that gets in the way of people moving across the terrace.
Electrical cabling to your flat must follow a route approved by the committee, run through neat conduits, and must not interfere with common electrical, plumbing or fire-safety systems. Inform the society electrician about all wiring.
Install a proper earthing system. Earthing strips may use the existing chambers, but must be properly sealed. You must repair, at your own cost, any damage to the chambers.
You are responsible for obtaining approvals from the electricity distribution company and any other authority.

4. Panel cleaning

To avoid many different vendors using the terraces, lifts and common areas with ladders and equipment:

Panels are cleaned only by the society’s solar cleaning vendor, twice a month. Members may not use another vendor or clean the panels themselves.
Members pay a pro-rata cleaning charge per sq ft, billed quarterly with the rent. At the time of writing, this is about Rs 13.89 per sq ft per year, roughly Rs 4,166 a year for 300 sq ft. The charge goes down as more members share the cost and up if the vendor’s rates rise. Members get 30 days’ written notice of any change.
Automatic cleaning exemption: if you install an automated cleaning system (fixed jet spray or robotic cleaner) that needs no one on the terrace, you don’t pay the cleaning charge. The committee must first approve its design, water source and drainage in writing, and it must not cause water to run off onto other residents’ property.

5. Maintenance and repairs

Members keep their installation in good, safe condition at their own cost.

Inform the Managing Committee at least 24 hours in advance of any maintenance visit.
Maintenance is allowed only between 8 am–2 pm and 4 pm–7 pm.
Collect the terrace key from the CWG office. Lock the terrace and return the key immediately afterwards.
Make sure no water leaks onto the terrace or into the floors below, and that no tools, debris or equipment are left behind.
The society may ask for a maintenance report, no more than 12 months old, signed by your vendor or a licensed professional, certifying that the installation is safe.

6. Deposits

Deposit	Amount	When refunded
Installation deposit	Rs 10,000	Within 15 days of completing installation, less the cost of any damage
Security deposit	Rs 20,000	Within 30 days of the lease ending and the panels being removed, less any dues or restoration costs

Both deposits are refundable and interest-free.

7. Costs and liability

The member pays the full cost of installation, maintenance, repair and removal.
The member is fully liable for any damage to the terrace, building, common property, other residents or third parties. This includes leaks or waterproofing damage, which must be fixed within 15 days of notice, and any damage if the structure falls or breaks.
Insurance against fire, theft and natural calamities is up to the member. The society is not responsible for any loss of or damage to the installation.

8. Term, transfer and ending the lease

15-year protection: the society will not end the lease or ask for removal during the first 15 years, except for a material breach by the member.
The member can end the lease at any time with 60 days’ notice.
The society can end the lease after 15 years with 90 days’ notice.
Rent default: if rent is unpaid for 2 consecutive months, the society may end the lease after 15 days’ notice.
Material breach: examples include drilling or damaging the waterproofing, unauthorised structures, sub-letting, using an unauthorised cleaning vendor, selling electricity, or not paying rent for more than 6 months. If the breach is not fixed within 30 days of notice, the lease is terminated and deposits may be forfeited.
Removal: when the lease ends, remove the installation and restore the terrace within 30 days. If you don’t, the society may remove it at your cost.
Selling your flat: the lease passes to the new owner once they are admitted as a member and agree in writing to its terms. Give the society 30 days’ notice of the sale.
Redevelopment: if the General Body approves redevelopment that includes the leased space, the lease ends once reconstruction begins.

9. Other conditions

Electricity generated is for your own flat only. It must not be sold or supplied to anyone else.
No sub-letting or transfer of the space without the society’s written consent.
The lease gives you no exclusive possession of the terrace. Other residents and society staff can still use the rest of it, and walk under and through your space.
No unauthorised access to the terrace. Only authorised personnel with the member, or society staff, may go up for site visits, installation or maintenance.
The committee may inspect installations at any time. Members who do not follow these rules may be penalised.
Disputes go to the Managing Committee, and members must follow its decisions.