Guides · Faisalabad, Lahore, Punjab
Building a New House? Make It a Solar Ready House
Short answer
A solar ready house is planned during construction so panels, wiring, inverter, battery and EV charger can go in later without breaking walls or the roof: a clear south-facing roof area, a slab designed for the extra load, empty conduits from roof to inverter spot to main DB, space in the DB, a three-phase connection from the start, and a cool, ventilated spot for the inverter and battery. These items cost little while the house is being built and a lot to add afterwards.
This guide is for families building a new house in Punjab, whether they install solar on move-in day or a few years later. Bring it to your architect and contractor before the roof slab is cast.
Why plan solar before the house is finished
Retrofitting solar onto a finished house is common, and it works. But it usually means surface-mounted cable trays down the outside wall, drilling through a waterproofed roof, a DB with no spare ways, and an inverter fixed wherever there happens to be space. A few early decisions avoid all of that. Most of them are about space and empty pipes, not equipment.
Solar-ready new house
Roof
Clear space, access and anchor points
Conduits
Cable routes from roof to inverter
Room
Shaded, ventilated inverter spot
1. The roof: layout, load and anchors
Keep a clear, south-facing area
Panels work best facing true south with a tilt near your latitude; our guide to solar panel angle and direction in Punjab has the details. On a new roof you can protect that area:
- Place the stair room (mumty) and water tanks on the north side of the roof where possible, so their shadows fall away from the panels. In winter the sun is low and shadows are long; see how shading cuts solar output.
- Keep parapets modest on the south side, or plan an elevated structure that lifts panels above them.
- Avoid scattering vents, dish mounts and pipes across the best roof area.
- Decide early if you want to use the roof underneath. If the family uses the roof, an elevated structure may suit better than a low frame. Compare options in L2, L3 and elevated structures.
For a rough idea of how much roof a system needs for your plot size, see solar system size for 5 marla, 10 marla and 1 kanal houses.
Tell the structural engineer about solar
A solar array adds weight, and an elevated frame also adds wind load at its feet. Ask your structural engineer to allow for it in the slab design, especially if water tanks will sit on the same roof. Our guide will my roof hold solar panels? explains the loads involved.
Plan the anchor points
For an elevated structure, the column positions can be agreed before casting so that the slab has suitable points to carry them, such as pedestals or embedded base plates, located over beams or columns where the engineer chooses. This avoids heavy drilling later and keeps fixings away from hidden pipes. The exact detail is a structural decision for your engineer and the solar designer together.
Waterproofing in the right order
Every fixing through a roof is a potential leak. Agree the anchor detail first, then waterproof around it. See roof leaks and waterproofing with solar.
2. Conduits: the low-cost item that saves the most work
Lay empty conduits during construction, with pull wires left inside:
| Conduit run | Purpose | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Roof to inverter location | DC cables from the panels | Use a separate conduit from AC wiring; size it with spare room for a second string or inverter later |
| Inverter location to main DB | AC output and grid input | Keep the run short by placing the inverter near the DB |
| Inverter to battery space | Battery cables and communication cable | Short and direct; battery cables are thick |
| Main DB to car porch or garage | Future EV charger circuit | Size for a cable suited to a 7 kW single-phase or 11/22 kW three-phase charger |
| Inverter location to router | Monitoring data, if Wi-Fi is weak there | A small data conduit is enough |
| Earth pit locations to DB and roof | Earthing conductors | Agree pit positions before landscaping and flooring |
Where conduits exit onto the roof, plan a proper weather-sealed entry point rather than a hole cut later.
3. The electricity connection: three-phase from day one
New houses often start on a single-phase connection and then convert. If you expect several ACs, an EV charger, induction cooking or net billing, apply for three-phase supply with an adequate sanctioned load when the connection is first requested.
- Under NEPRA's 2026 net billing rules, the applicant must have a three-phase 400 V or 11 kV connection, and system size cannot exceed the sanctioned load. See our net metering and net billing guide.
- Converting later means a separate DISCO process and rewiring. Our guide to single-phase to three-phase conversion explains what that involves, and how to increase your sanctioned load covers the load side.
- Ask your electrician to spread circuits evenly across the three phases in the house wiring.
4. The distribution board (DB)
- Leave spare ways in the main DB for the solar AC breaker, surge protection and a future EV charger circuit.
- Split essential loads onto their own DB. Lights, fans, the fridge, the router and a few sockets on one board can be fed from the hybrid inverter's backup output during load-shedding, while heavy loads stay on the grid side. Our guide to the backup loads panel explains how this is wired.
- Label circuits properly. It makes later solar wiring faster and safer.
5. The inverter and battery space
Choose the spot on the drawings, not after the plaster is done. A good location is shaded all day, dry, ventilated, close to the main DB, on a solid wall, out of children's reach and away from gas cylinders and the kitchen. Our guide on where to install your inverter and battery lists the checks. Leave floor or wall space for a battery even if you are not buying one now, so a later addition does not mean moving the inverter.
Plan proper earthing at the same time; see solar earthing and surge protection.
6. The EV charger point
Even if you do not own an electric car yet, run a conduit from the DB to the porch and leave space for a dedicated breaker. When the time comes, the charger can be fitted without chasing walls. Most homes use a 7 kW single-phase wall charger; three-phase homes can use 11 or 22 kW chargers if the car supports it. Our EV charger installation page explains the options, and the all-electric home guide shows how solar, battery, charger and cooking fit together.
7. Check society and authority rules
Many housing societies and development authorities have rules on rooftop structures, height and setbacks. Check them before you design an elevated frame.
Stage-by-stage checklist
| Construction stage | Solar-ready action |
|---|---|
| Architectural drawings | Roof layout with clear south area; stair room and tanks to the north; inverter and battery space marked |
| Structural design | Solar load allowed in slab; anchor points for any elevated frame agreed |
| Before slab casting | Roof conduit entry and anchor details in place |
| Brickwork and wiring | Conduits laid with pull wires; essential-loads DB planned; EV charger conduit |
| Connection application | Three-phase supply and sanctioned load sized for future loads |
| Waterproofing | Done around agreed anchors and entries |
| Finishing | Earth pits located; inverter wall clear; circuits labelled |
What it costs
| Item | Typical scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Solar-ready design consultation and drawings | Roof layout, conduit and anchor plan, inverter location | WhatsApp for today's rate |
| Elevated structure anchors set during construction | Per anchor point, as designed | WhatsApp for today's rate |
| Complete home solar system installed later | Panels, inverter, structure, cabling, protection, installation | WhatsApp for today's rate |
Conduits, DB ways and the three-phase application are normally handled by your own building contractor and electrician as part of the house; the cost is small next to retrofitting later.
How Solar Works Pakistan can help
Our engineers design systems in-house, including AutoCAD layouts, and can review your house drawings to mark the panel area, structure anchors, conduit routes and inverter space. Structures are designed by our engineering team and fabricated and assembled by our own teams on site, with a 3-year structure warranty. We install home systems from about 6 kW upward, and we also install EV chargers. Small projects can normally be completed in about a week once the site is ready, subject to payment and stock. Read how we work on our solar installation services page and why in-house design matters. Building a factory instead? See planning solar for a new factory building.
Get today's price or a free site survey
Send us your architectural drawings or a sketch of the roof, the plot size and the loads you plan (ACs, EV, cooking).
- WhatsApp or call: 0336 666 4321
- Email: info@solarworks.pk
- Head office: Main Boulevard, Sargodha Rd, Block F FDA City, Faisalabad
- Lahore branch: 2nd Floor, Jeff Heights, Gulberg, Lahore
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, daily
We serve all of Punjab, and site surveys are normally free. See our Faisalabad and Lahore pages, or contact us online.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a house solar ready?
A clear, unshaded south-facing roof area, a slab designed for the extra weight, empty conduits from the roof to the inverter location and the main DB, spare DB ways, a three-phase connection with enough sanctioned load, and a cool, ventilated spot for the inverter and battery.
When should I involve a solar company in a new house?
At the drawing stage, before the roof slab is cast. That is when the roof layout, anchor points and conduit routes cost least to plan.
Should I get a three-phase connection for a new house?
If you expect several ACs, an EV charger, induction cooking or net billing, usually yes. Net billing requires a three-phase connection, and converting later means a separate DISCO process and rewiring.
Can I install solar a few years after building?
Yes. A solar-ready house simply makes it faster and neater: the cables go through the conduits you already laid, and the roof, DB and inverter space are waiting.
Where should the water tank go on a solar-ready roof?
Ideally on the north side of the roof, so its shadow falls away from the panels, especially in winter when shadows are long. If that is not possible, an elevated structure can lift panels above it.
Do I need an EV charger point if I do not own an electric car?
A conduit from the DB to the porch costs little during construction and avoids breaking walls later. The charger itself can wait until you buy the car.
Does a solar-ready house need a stronger roof?
The slab should be designed with the solar load in mind, especially with water tanks or an elevated frame on the same roof. Your structural engineer decides the design; tell them solar is planned.
Sources
- Net billing eligibility (three-phase 400 V or 11 kV) and the sanctioned-load cap are carried over from our net metering and net billing guide, which lists its own sources, including the NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026, SRO 251(I)/2026: https://ke.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8.-NEPRA-Prosumer-Regulations-SRO-251I2026-09-02-26.pdf