How to create a solar and inverter incentive program
A household asks the local dealer or electrician which inverter and battery to buy, and on rooftop solar it relies on the installer or EPC partner for almost every choice. These are the people an incentive program has to reach, and every unit they install carries a serial number that can prove it.
To create a solar and inverter incentive program, reward installers, electricians and EPC partners for every inverter, battery and solar system they install, using the serial QR scan at installation as proof and as the warranty registration. Pay installers instantly by UPI, run dealer slabs and exchange schemes on invoices, add project-linked incentives for rooftop solar, and pilot through one summer before national rollout.
Step 1: Separate the three businesses
Home inverters and batteries, rooftop solar, and larger commercial solar behave differently. Home backup is a counter sale influenced by dealers and electricians, often with an exchange of the old battery. Rooftop solar runs on projects of days or weeks, with an installer or EPC partner choosing panels, inverter and structure. Commercial projects are longer still. Decide which you are designing for first.
| Business | Who decides | Reward basis | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home inverter and battery | Dealer and electrician | Per unit installed, tiers for electricians | Serial scan at installation |
| Battery replacement and exchange | Dealer, sometimes the electrician | Per exchange, dealer exchange scheme | Serial scan of new unit, old battery recorded |
| Rooftop solar (residential) | Installer or EPC partner | Per kW or per project, milestone rewards | Serial scans of panels and inverter at commissioning |
| Commercial solar | EPC partner and buyer | Project-linked incentive | Project invoices and commissioning scans |
| Dealer and distributor | Stock, credit, local reach | Slabs, growth, exchange, collection | ERP invoices |
Step 2: Use serial numbers as proof and warranty
Inverters, batteries and panels already carry serial numbers. Printed as a QR code, each serial can be scanned at installation to credit the installer and register the warranty in the customer's name. The first valid scan binds the unit; repeats are blocked. For batteries, where warranties often run for years and pro-rata replacement is common, a registration at the right date avoids many later disputes. Scans also let installers and customers verify genuineness, which matters with counterfeit and grey-market batteries.
Step 3: Set rewards
Pair rewards with what you want: combined inverter and battery installations, a new lithium range, or a higher-capacity system. Rooftop solar suits per-kW rewards with milestones, because projects are fewer and larger.
Be careful with the exchange case. When a dealer swaps a customer's old battery, both the dealer and the electrician may claim a part in the sale. Decide in advance who earns what: for example, the dealer earns through his exchange scheme on invoices, and the electrician earns only if he scans the new battery at installation. Clear rules prevent the same sale being paid twice.
Decide what counts as a valid installation
Write down the conditions: the scan must happen within a set number of days of the dealer's invoice, at a customer address rather than the shop, and only once per serial. For rooftop solar, define commissioning, for example all panel and inverter serials scanned and the system switched on. These rules protect the budget and give installers clarity.
Step 4: Design dealer schemes
Dealers want simple, visible slabs. Add a pre-summer stocking scheme sized on each dealer's history, an exchange scheme for old batteries, and collection-linked rewards. Rooftop solar dealers and channel partners may need project-based targets instead of monthly slabs. Write every scheme as a rule so it can be calculated daily from invoices.
Step 5: Payouts and catalogue
Installers and electricians prefer instant UPI for routine installations. Use the catalogue and gift cards for milestones such as a tool kit or safety gear at a tier. Settle dealer schemes by credit note or as your finance policy requires.
Step 6: Training, languages and tax
Installers value product training, especially on solar and lithium products. Run training alongside the program and use scan data to invite active installers. Support installers in their own language, by voice where they prefer. Confirm TDS under section 194R and GST treatment of rewards with your tax advisor.
Step 7: Pilot through a summer
Demand for backup peaks with summer heat and power cuts, so a pilot that spans a summer shows real behaviour. Choose one state with a few distributors, a few hundred dealers and their installers. Track installation scan rate, warranty registrations, combined inverter-plus-battery share and cost per unit.
Worked example: one home installation (illustrative)
An electrician installs an inverter and a tubular battery bought from a local dealer. He scans both serials at the customer's home: ₹100 plus ₹150, plus the ₹200 combined bonus, ₹450 by UPI within minutes. The warranty for both units is registered to the customer that day. The dealer's purchase of the pair already counted towards his summer slab. When the battery needs service in two years, the brand knows who installed it and when.
How Unotag supports solar and backup brands
Unotag provides serial-linked QR scans on WhatsApp or app with first-scan binding and duplicate blocking, warranty registration and anti-counterfeit verification by scan, instant UPI payouts, a 10,000+ product catalogue, tiers and meets, voice support in Indian languages, and dealer scheme calculation on 16 scheme kinds. See the solar and power backup industry page.
Key takeaways
- Design separately for home backup, battery exchange, rooftop solar and commercial projects.
- Use the serial scan at installation as both reward proof and warranty registration.
- Reward combined inverter and battery installations, and use per-kW rewards for rooftop solar.
- Run pre-summer, exchange and collection schemes for dealers, written as rules.
- Pilot through a full summer before rolling out.
Frequently asked questions
What is a solar and inverter incentive program?
A set of rewards an inverter, battery or solar brand gives installers, electricians, EPC partners and dealers for recommending, selling and installing its products, proved by serial scans and invoices.
How should rooftop solar installers be rewarded?
Usually per kW commissioned or per project, with milestone rewards, because projects are fewer and larger than home inverter installations.
Why register battery warranty at installation?
Battery warranties often run for years with pro-rata terms. Registering at installation records the correct start date and links the unit to the installer and customer.
What is a battery exchange scheme?
A dealer scheme that rewards selling a new battery against the customer's old one, often with the old battery recorded at the time of sale.
When should a solar and inverter program pilot run?
Through a summer, when backup demand peaks, so the pilot reflects real behaviour.
Is TDS applicable on installer rewards?
It may be under section 194R depending on structure. Confirm with your tax advisor.