Off-Grid
Off Grid Solar Power Systems
An off-grid residential system is completely disconnected from the traditional electric power grid.
Without a connection to the utility grid, batteries are essential to balance periods of excess production and excess demand. In addition to batteries, these systems almost in all cases, will require supplemental power such as Generator. This is to protect the batteries against shortfalls of power when the solar system is under-producing and the batteries are discharged, especially in Winter months and or when there is not enough Sunlight available.
Off-grid solar systems differ from grid-tied systems in the sense that solar is the primary source of electricity to the structure. This requires some adjustment of when and how the power is used to live within the design of the system.
For example, the battery banks can store enough electricity for a household for 1 to 3 days (or more, depending on the battery size). If there is a longer stretch of cloudy days and the sun energy is running low, a back-up generator would need to provide power. For these reasons, off-grid solar systems are a primitive or “remote-only” alternative to more common solar setups.
Can you install an off-grid solar system in the city? Technically this is possible but doing so would exclude you from most government incentives offered to homeowners who switch to solar. Some federal tax credit is available for off-grid systems, but there are no incentives from the utility company. So, while you can be off grid, it usually doesn’t really make financial sense in an urban setting.
Off-Grid system are also most complex and require detail analysis to design proper system, otherwise if system too small system for customer load requirement that can cause no power at critical time and a very unhappy customer. The oversize system can be very expensive since the off-grid system cost much more than typical grid-tied or grid-tied with storage and perhaps the costliest in all type of systems as dollar per watt system cost.
The are several brands of off-grid system are available, most reliable systems are Outback Power, SolArk and Schneider inverter system. All these system work with all types of batteries including Lithium Ion.
Within each type of system there are some variations in design that effect efficiency, convenience, and budget. To determine which system is best for you, a professional installer such as Solora Solar, that has expertise in all of these types of systems, can guide you through the detailed choices of specific systems that best match your needs.