Many people are now becoming desperate for energy alternatives and as a result are showing more interest in what the alternatives are. One of the more known ones to the average person is solar energy. Even though many people are familiar with it, they really do not understanding its capabilities or potential. In fact many people don't realize that just one hour of sun energy is more than a year's worth of the entire energy used in the world in that time. Another interesting factor that many do not realize is that solar power has the capability to provide enough energy to totally supply the power needed to supply an average home. This is totally dependent on the type of solar system being used and how it measures up on both on and off grid.
Grid-tie:
For those showing an interest in solar power but are reluctant to a total switch over then a grid tie system is the answer. In this case you would remain within the grid system but still be able to supplement your power supply with solar power. Being as there is no guarantee that the sun is going to shine every day for those that don't have large solar storage capabilities remaining on the grid is a smart move. Another benefit of remaining on the grid and using solar power is well is perhaps the chance to sell back unused power to the supplier.
For those that don't understand the grid, this simply refers to the area that is supplied by a power company to generate their current electricity. A grid tie system is much the same only allows you to generate power from both the standard power source as well as the solar source.
Type #1- No backup battery system
The whole focus in this system is in the wiring specs. Meaning that the grid tie joins into the power feed. Then via the breaker panels the solar system ties into the grid feed. If more solar power is generated, than what is used, the excess reverses the power meter and the excess power not utilized is sold back to the power provider. This is a win-win situation because the cost to purchase is low and there is virtually no maintenance. The downfall is that in the event of a power failure there is no backup power and this particular type of system only works where there is meter usage.
Type #2 - Backup battery system
This is very similar to the grid tie system. However, in this system there is the requirement for and inverter as well as the solar panels. This creates the need for three very important items being the batteries, a charger for the batteries and a solar charge controller. The purpose of the battery charge is to keep the batteries fully charged but the need for the charge controller is there to prevent over or under charging the batteries. This is still a great system even though it demands a bit more care and is more expensive than the grid tie system. It means that there is also back up power in case of failure.
Off-grid:
Often people think that if a person lives off the grid then they are totally isolated from society and have none of the essentials in life. The possibility to live quite comfortably off the grid is certainly available. They can be totally reliant on solar power. The solar system needed here works on the same premise however; there is no power system to link up with. It is battery dependant and requires another type of converter know as an off grid converter. Although you are, off the grid you are reliant on the local power source and do not have to be concerned about conventional power failures.
You can also take comfort in knowing that you are making a very substantial contribution to cutting down the greenhouse gases that are choking the world that we live in.
