|
Solar Home Power
The three most common types of solar-electric systems for homes are the on-grid, on-grid with battery backup, and off-grid (stand-alone). Each has distinct applications and component needs.
On Grid Solar-Electric Systems
Also known as grid intertied, grid-tied, or utility-interactive (UI), On Grid solar-electric systems generate solar electricity and route it to the electric utility grid, offsetting a home’s or business’ electrical consumption and, in some instances, even turning the electric meter backwards. Living with a grid-connected solar-electric system is no different than living with grid power, except that some or all of the electricity you use comes from the sun. In many countries, the utility credits a homeowner’s account for excess solar electricity produced. This amount can then be applied to other months when the system produces less or in months when electrical consumption is greater. This arrangement is called net metering or net billing.
The following illustration includes the primary components of any on-grid solar electric system.
On-Grid Solar-Electric Systems with Battery Backup
Without a battery bank or generator backup for your on-grid system, when a blackout occurs, your household will be in the dark, too. To keep some or all of your electric needs (or “loads”) like lights, a refrigerator, a well pump, or computer running even when utility power outages occur, many homeowners choose to install an on-grid system with battery backup. Incorporating batteries into the system requires more components, is more expensive, and lowers the system’s overall efficiency. But for many homeowners who regularly experience utility outages or have critical electrical loads, having a backup energy source is priceless.
The following illustration includes the primary components of any on-grid solar electric system with battery backup.
Off-Grid Solar-Electric Systems
Although they are most common in remote locations without utility grid service, off-grid solar-electric systems can work anywhere. These systems operate independently from the grid to provide all of a household’s electricity. That means no electric bills and no blackouts—at least none caused by grid failures. People choose to live off-grid for a variety of reasons, including the prohibitive cost of bringing utility lines to remote home sites, the appeal of an independent lifestyle, or the general reliability a solar-electric system provides. Those who choose to live off-grid often need to make adjustments to when and how they use electricity, so they can live within the limitations of the system’s design. This doesn’t necessarily imply doing without, but rather is a shift to a more conscientious use of electricity.
ECOSOLAR ™ offers on and off- grid solar home power. The beauty of our solution is that in the likely event where all the appliances are AC, our ever efficient Three Sixty Power inverters come into bear.
These inverters convert DC current from our solar applications into AC current that is useful to the electrical appliances in the house.
With our affordable home solution, the discomfort of the Utility Company’s erratic power becomes a thing of the past especially in developing countries with acute power problems like Nigeria.
|
