All solar power systems work on the same basic principles. Solar panels first convert solar energy or sunlight into DC power using what is known as the photovoltaic (PV) effect. The DC power can then be stored in a battery or converted by a solar inverter into AC power which can be used to run home appliances. Depending on the type of system excess solar energy can also be fed into the electricity grid to provide credits and further reduce electricity costs.
The three main types of solar power systems
1. Off-grid —— also known as a stand-alone power system (SAPS)
2. On-grid —— also known as a grid-tie or grid-feed solar system
3. Hybrid —— solar plus battery storage with grid-connection
An off-grid system is not connected to the electricity grid and therefore requires battery storage. With an off-grid solar system, a home or business is completely dependent on solar energy and energy stored in batteries. Using an off-grid system is a safe form of energy self-sufficiency, and the power failures on the utility grid do not affect off-grid solar systems.
Typical off-grid solar systems require the following extra components:
Of course, if you opt for a solar system that is not tied to the electric grid and you do not have a generator, the power supply system will only have electricity when the sun is shining and the solar system is producing electricity or drawing from a solar storage device (such as a battery) that was previously produced by the solar system.
On-grid or grid-tie solar systems are by far the most common and widely used by homes and businesses. These systems do not need batteries and use either solar inverters or micro-inverters and are connected to the public electricity grid. Any excess solar power that you generate is exported to the electricity grid and usually get paid a feed-in-tariff (FiT) or credits for exporting the energy.
When installing a grid-tied solar system, power will always be available regardless of whether the solar system is generating electricity or has batteries (unless there is a grid failure).
Standard grid-tied solar systems rely on the following components:
Hybrid solar systems combines the best from grid-tied and off-grid solar systems. These systems can either be described as off-grid solar with utility backup power, or grid-tied solar with extra battery storage. Modern hybrid systems combine solar and battery storage in one and are now available in many different forms and configurations, allowing consumers to have the best of both worlds.
Typical hybrid solar systems are based on the following additional components:
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