The world runs on energy—water or hydro, heat or thermal, a combined hydro-thermal, wind, electrical, kinetic, solar. And the whole planet’s electricity and power depends on these natural causes. Even if you don’t know a lot about energy and all that stuff, you have to agree that energy and power (more specifically, electric power) are indispensable in everyone’s daily lives.
Almost everything we use depends on the AC/DC connection we utilise with, well, everything. However, because of the growing number of items that we use that needs electricity, we try to find more and more ways to save on our electric bill. Installing solar systems is one of the best ways to do this. There are a couple of main ways to go about with this plan. Here they are:
Off-Grid Systems
This kind of system is an independent one. The individuals who are comfortable to use these kinds of systems are usually those that are already currently trying to save electric power and very watchful how they use electricity. This system is very useful also for houses or buildings who are not close to a power pole or a utility line.
Nevertheless, you must know that even though this system can practically be installed by you, it is doesn’t mean that it is not expensive. Buying cables, inverters, batteries, and many other materials are not things you can buy from a dollar store. One advantage of this system is that it basically reduces your electric bill to ZERO, another is that you don’t depend on the power company to provide your electricity. One big risk is that if anything goes wrong and the system malfunctions, you could be sleeping without heat for a few days. Brrrr.
Grid-Tie Systems
This type of system is fairly new to residential homes compared to the off-grid one. To start out, this will set you back quite some funds even for just the basic installation package. This system is very low maintenance so the expense you spent on the startup will eventually balance out in the long term.
Another huge edge in this system is this process called “net metering.” Some governments and even smaller local units have had this program installed for quite some time now to attract potential “customers” to not just save money, but also to help provide power back to the main grid. Oh and one more thing, grid-tie systems essentially guarantee that you will never be out of electricity, ever.
Other Systems
There are a few other solar systems that you might want to consider. There is the Day-Use Only Solar (you switch to the main grid power at night); there is the Battery Backup system where your solar system is attached to a battery that turns on whenever the solar power you absorbed that day is used up; and there’s also the hybrid solar system where your solar panels or PVs are supplemented by hydro or even wind power. Of course, there are more solar systems that we can choose from but these are the most commonly used.
Which One
So in conclusion, before you install a solar power system in your residence or in your business, research, research, and more research. This is not a cheap option, but it is undoubtedly the long-term solution, not to mention a more environmental-friendly system. There are companies that offer grid-tie systems and they can show you the pros and cons and might even suggest the best one for you. So ask them to assess your home and to get you a quotation now.
