Why Opt for an Off Grid System and How It Works
Are you one of those homeowners who wish to go solar with their power supply? Are you particularly setting your eye on an off grid solar-powered system?
Let us take a glimpse at how this system in a household works, and what is in it for you if you go off grid with a solar-powered system.
What Is an Off Grid System?
An off grid system, or an off the grid solar-powered system or standalone system, is that type of electrical system powered by renewable solar energy sources that need battery storage and a backup generator. The batter storage ideally needs replacement every 10 years.
The battery system or the battery generator of an off grid solar-powered system can be rather complex and costly. If it is not properly maintained and cared for, it can very much decrease the general capacities and overall efficiency of the solar-powered electrical system.
What Are the Benefits Which You Can Obtain from Choosing an off Grid System?
There is no need for a utility grid. You will not need to expend on transmission lines, whose amount is calculated as per the length of the necessary lines. As the name utterly suggests, an off grid solar-powered system is required to wired and tied connections to function.
An off the grid solar-powered system is self-reliant when it comes to energies. Unlike solar electrical systems that utilize the utility grid, this system is not affected by power failures, owing to its energy self-sufficiency.
Despite this fact, another battery generator needs to be installed to serve as a backup because battery storage can only contain so much amount of energy.
It has its limits. So in the unfortunate circumstances when the weather is acting up, is not being favorable to your solar-powered system and turns out to be going on for a couple of days, your main battery storage may not be enough to depend on for power supply. That is when you will need your backup battery generator.
How Does an Off Gird System Work?
The off grid solar system operates on these two major components, apart from the given, which is the solar panels or the photo-voltaic (PV) panels and the battery bank.
Solar Charge Controller
They are also called the charge regulators or the battery regulators. As per this solar system part’s name, it is responsible for the control of the rate of the current being transmitted into the battery bank, and hence it takes charge of shielding the battery storage from being overly charged. An overly charged battery storage can diminish its efficiency, and lead to its early wearing out and thus shorter lifespan of service.
The solar charge controller practically keeps the health of the battery bank and guarantees it to be more enduring and long-lasting.
Off Grid Inverter
This is responsible for the conversion of the direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC) to enable your electrical household appliances and devices to function.
The two optional off gird system parts are the DC disconnect switch, and the backup battery generator. While the latter has been explained in the previous section, the former’s use is to switch off the current flow between the battery storage and the inverter. This procedure is important for purposes of upkeep, troubleshooting and prevention of starting of electrical fires.
Learn more about powering your residences with solar systems, and talk to Winnipeg solar system experts at the Powertec Solar. These solar professionals are in the best place to explain to you in detail what happens, and what the benefits are, should you finally decide to go green and go solar with your power supply.
