Off-Grid Solar Battery System – Part 2

Off-Grid Solar Battery System – Hello everyone, part 2 of the solar power lecture series. We all talk about the different types of setups the on-grid system off-grid system, hybrid system, solar power system, basic design, and calculations. Part two of five solar power system setups. We have three main ways to set up our solar power system. You can read DIY Solar Power System – Part 1 here.

Off-Grid Solar Battery System

1. On-Grid System/Grid-Tie

The first type of setup is the on-grid system. It is the most common type of setup, due to its simplicity. It is also the cheapest to set up, and it has the fastest ROI or return of investment. As you are able to export your excess power back to the grid, you also don’t need a battery back, but the catch is, you still need to connect your system to the power grid. This is not applicable for remote areas here, in case of a power disruption, you won’t have power as well.

The reason being is that during blackouts, you should not be exporting power to the grid as the repairman from your Electric Company might get electrocuted.

PROS	CONS
As mentioned, the On-Grid system is still connected to the electric grid	On-Grid Solar Power Systems are not able to function during blackouts for safety reasons.
It is the cheapest set-up as it only constitutes two (2) main equipment; Solar Panels and Inverter
Energy demand will be complemented by the electric grid
Excess electricity can be exported back to the grid and will be credited for faster ROI

2. Off-Grid System

The second type of solar power system is the off-grid system. The off-grid system is typically installed in remote areas, where there is not a power grid nearby. This setup requires a battery bank to store, the harvested solar energy during the day for use during the night, or on days where it is very cloudy, and the amount of sunlight is not enough to power.

PROS	CONS
A properly designed Off-Grid system can provide electricity 24/7	Consist of four (4) major components; Solar panels, Solar Charges Controller (SCC), Battery Bank, and DC to AC Inverter.
Can provide electricity in remote areas	Requires battery for storage.
Totally independent of the grid	High cost for batteries.
	Batteries have short life spans (3-5 years)

3. Hybrid System

The third type of setup is called the hybrid system, and it combines the characteristics of both the on-grid and off-grid systems, and this setup requires a battery bank and is also connected to the power grid. The battery bank may provide the full power as your appliances demand, or let me just provide power to some of your appliances during the night, or during blackouts.

PROS	CONS
During the day, the solar power will provide electricity to the load and at the same time charge the batteries	Consist of four (4) major components; Solar panels, Inverter, Battery Bank, and Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS)
At night, the batteries will provide power to the load	Requires battery for storage.
Energy demand can be complemented by the electric grid	High cost for batteries.
Excess power generated by the solar panels can be exported back to the grid	Batteries have short life spans (3-5 years)

The grid connects connection will function as your reserve or backup source of power. So, let’s take a closer, look at the Android system. The on-grid system is the simplest, and the cheapest to install. As it only requires two main components, the solar panels, and the ungraded inverter. As mentioned, the off-grid system is still connected to the power grid, the utility, if the load power requirement is too high, it will import power from the grid, and if the solar power system generates excess power, it will export this power back to the grid, and the tariffs will be paid to you.

Assuming that you have applied for net metering, the downside on-grid system is that, it is not able to function during the blackout for safety reasons. So, if there is a power disruption IO, also you will not help power the off-grid system, unlike the off-grid system which relies on power, or the power grid to operate.

The operating system is totally independent of the grid, that is why it is mainly installed in remote locations. The good thing about the off-grid system is that it can provide you with power 24 hours a day and if properly designed based on your load. The cons of installing an off-grid system are that, it is expensive as it requires four components, will be solar panels, the solar charge controller, or the SDC. We also have the battery bank and the off-grid inverter.

The battery bank itself is expensive and has a lifespan of only three to five years. The hybrid system combines the best features of both the D on-grid system and the off-grid system. So, during the day, the solar panels can provide electricity to the load while charging the batteries at night.

The stored energy in the batteries will take over, and if the battery bank runs out of power the grid, the utility will take over. So, just like the off-grid system, setting up a hybrid system will also be very expensive.

This kind of setup requires four major components; one is the solar panels or your solar array, next is the hybrid inverter, next we’ll have the battery bank, and lastly, you will have your automatic transfer switch or ATS. It will let you switch between your normal power source.

Off-Grid Solar Battery System – In this case, that will be your solar power system, and your reserve, or your backup power source which will be your power grid, or the utility well as I have mentioned previously. The upgrade batteries are expensive, and they have a short lifespan of around three to five years.

Next Article: Part-3. Sizing a Grid-Tie Solar Power System – On-Grid Solar Power

View Complete Off-Grid Solar Kit

 

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