Types of Systems Available for Residential Customers
On Grid or Net Metering System
In this, the SmartSolarEnergy® system installed on your rooftop is connected to the grid. Any excess electricity generated from the #SmartSolarEnergy plant on your rooftop is injected back to the electricity grid.
In this case, the electricity supplied to the grid is sold to the electricity supplier. Either you get payment from the supplier for the electricity supplied or it is deducted in the electricity bill you receive. This system helps to pay off the solar investment sooner than expected.
The only problem with this system is the electricity security, i.e. when the grid network goes off; the solar system also shuts off as it works on the frequency of grid electricity.
Main Components of On-Grid Solar System
- Solar Panels
- Inverter
- Smart Solar Remote Plant Monitoring
- Electricity grid
Off-Grid or Battery Bank System
This system is also called a stand-alone system or battery bank system. There is no use of the electricity grid in this solar system.
Solar panels generate DC electricity and charge the batteries or energy storage equipment. During the day or when the sun is available, solar panels generate electricity and transmit to the battery bank.
The battery is connected to an inverter which at the time of supply sends electricity to household equipment which runs on AC power.
It depends on the consumer if energy storage or batteries from the solar system can cater to all its electricity demand. As solar can only generate electricity during the day and large energy storage or battery banks are required to store a good amount of electricity.
For remote locations where there is no existing electricity grid facilities; stand-alone solar systems are recommended. It depends on the choice of the consumer and its electricity consumption requirements if they want to go completely off-grid or not.
Main Components of Off-Grid Solar System
- Solar Panels
- Inverter
- Smart Solar Remote Plant Monitoring
- Batteries
Hybrid Solar Systems
This system is a combination of on-grid and off-grid system where electricity grid and batteries both are used with solar panels.
Solar panels generate electricity and charge batteries and supply electricity to connected load in the house. On the other hand, the grid is also available to add on to any electricity requirements, whether it is to supply electricity when required or take electricity from the system when in excess based on net metering.
The best part about a hybrid system is the energy security which neither on grid system nor off grid system can guarantee.
In this system, when the grid electricity fails, the battery bank provides electricity to the connected load. This is also termed as islanding in technical terms where solar panels cut –off from the grid when it fails and supply to the household connected load via battery bank.
Main Components of Hybrid Solar System
- Solar Panels
- Inverter
- Smart Solar Remote Plant Monitoring
- Batteries
- Electricity Grid