A ground-mounted solar system is a photovoltaic (PV) installation where solar panels are mounted on structures fixed to the ground, rather than on rooftops. These are common for large-scale solar farms, open land parcels, agricultural land, commercial/industrial plots, etc.

Here’s a detailed look at what they are, how they work, cost, benefits, trade-offs, and whether such a system might be a good fit depending on your circumstances (for India, but many points apply globally).

What is a ground-mounted solar system

Panels are installed on frames or racks anchored to ground foundations: poles or concrete footings.
The tilt and orientation can be optimised: panels can be fixed tilt, or use tracking (single-axis or dual-axis) to follow the sun.
Connections to inverters, wiring, cabling, and grid or off-grid infrastructure work similarly as rooftop, but may need more land and more civil works (foundations, site preparation)

Cost of ground-mounted solar in India

Here are ballpark numbers & what contributes to the costs. Actual price depends on location, land cost, capacity, quality of equipment, soil, terrain, etc.

• Per kW installed cost :- ₹ 45,000 to ₹ 70,000/kW for ground-mounted systems.
  
• For 2 kW system :- ₹ 2.16-2.40 lakh
  
• For 10 kW system :- ₹ 6.96-7.68 lakh
  
• Higher scale (30-100 kW and more) :- Costs scale up; per-kW cost somewhat less at large scale but land & civil works add up. Example: 30 kW ≈ ₹ 14.4-16.2 lakh, 50 kW ≈ ₹ 24-27 lakh, 100 kW ≈ ₹ 48-54 lakh in some estimates
  

What drives the cost:

• Land acquisition or lease costs.
• Site preparation: clearing land, leveling, grading, drainage, soil testing, foundations.
• Mounting structures and their foundations (metal frame, steel/aluminium, poles, etc.). More robust structure needed for trackers, wind loads, etc.
• Wiring, cabling, inverters, grid‐connection, transformers if needed. Longer cable runs tend to cost more.
• Permits, regulatory approvals, land use permissions
• Maintenance: cleaning, vegetation control, etc. More frequent than rooftop in many locations.

Subsidies / Incentives

• Often, rooftop solar gets more direct subsidy support (e.g. under schemes like PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana). Ground-mounted solar for homes typically does not get the same subsidies.
• For large scale / agricultural / industrial ground-mount or solar parks, there may be other incentives: tax benefits, accelerated depreciation, or special policies

Benefits of ground-mounted solar

Here are the advantages:

• Better performance / more flexibility :- Can orient panels optimally (tilt & azimuth) without rooftop constraints. Possibility to use solar trackers to increase energy yield. Better cooling and airflow reduces losses due to heat. Panels on ground have more air behind and under them.
  
• Scalability :- Easier to scale up (bigger plants) if you have land. You are not limited by roof area or structure strength
  
• Easier maintenance / accessibility :- Access for cleaning, repair, monitoring is easier than on high/unsafe rooftops
  
• Land use options :- Can use unused land, fallow fields, non-arable land, etc. Possibility of agrivoltaics: combining solar generation with agriculture under or around panels. (Though that adds design complexity.)
  
• Potentially lower cost per unit of electricity (Levelised Cost of Energy, LCOE) :- Because of higher yield, better orientation, possibly economies of scale, the cost per kWh generated can be lower over time.

Trade-offs / disadvantages

Ground-mounted systems also have some downsides:

• Higher upfront cost: due to civil works, land costs, foundations, permits. Generally more expensive per kW vs rooftop (for small residential size).
• Land requirement: you need sufficient open land. If land is expensive or scarce, that is a limitation.
• Regulatory / land permissions: may require agricultural land clearance, environmental clearances, land-use change permissions, etc. These can delay things and add cost.
• Maintenance burdens: vegetation management (weeds, grass), cleaning (dust, accumulation), protection from animals. If trackers are used, mechanical/electrical complexity increases maintenance.
• Environmental / site issues: soil stability, risk of flooding, erosion, wind loads, shading issues etc.
• Subsidies may be limited: As mentioned, many residential/household subsidy programs focus on rooftop installations. Ground-mounted may not qualify, or may qualify under different rules