Solar – what are all these systems
There are 3 types of systems and we install all of them.
- Grid Tied
- Hybrid
- Off Grid
Grid Tied, the myth is that it will never cover your power bill.. it is possible to cover your power bill but you need to have the panels and the surface area. The issue with solar is its all about surface area. If you can get enough panels getting solar most of the day you can get a significant reduction in your power bill .
Hybrid systems, these are systems that feed power back to the grid and also have a battery backup. So during the day it fills your batteries and then sends any excess back the grid. Then you use your battery power during the night and repeat the process the next day. The benefit here is if there is no sun you have the grid. Hybrid and grid tied inverters don’t usually take a generator. This system works well for areas that have frequent power cuts as the batteries can bridge that gap. While batteries are a big upfront cost it would protect you from a situation like the UK is having right now where energy prices have risen 1000% in 6 months.
Off Grid systems. This is when there is no grid and you are running on solar power and batteries when there is no sun. These system can usually have a backup generator for those winter days when there is no sun.
There are some inverters that can do it all and there are exceptions to the rules above but that’s basically in a nut shell how the majority work.
How can I make solar work for me
The fact you are reading this means you have made the decision or are entertaining the idea of getting solar panels.
The way to make solar work better for you is by reducing your power usuage. We aren’t saying you should go with out but there are ways to reduce your power significantly.
The home items that chew your power the most are anything that heats or cools. So switching your hot water over to a wetback or gas califont will definitely help.
Switching your cooktop and oven over to a part gas or full gas makes a massive difference.
By making these bigger changes your down to running your electronics and other home appliances which is a lot easier to cover with a solar system.
Air conditioning…. I got nothing for that other than more panels. In a hybrid / grid tied solution you could leave that circuit always on the grid so when you use it you know its not going to overload the solar system.
What can I use solar on?
The possibilities are endless as long as you have regular sunlight. We’ve setup solar systems for water pumps, sheds, internet stations, automatic gates.
Call us today so we can discuss your unique needs and requirements.
