Having an Off-the-Grid Home: Understanding the Basics
If you are considering having an off-the-grid home, you really need to understand how your entire solar power system for your home works. It’s not very complicated, but you do need to understand the following 9 components of a complete solar power system for living in an off-the-grid home.
- The PV array is a collection photovoltaic cells. Each individual cell produces only a small amount of energy, so the PV cells are interconnected to generate a usable amount of energy. This interconnection of PV cells is called a PV array. You’ll need multiple PV arrays for going off-the-grid. A mounting rack allows you to attach them the roof and point them toward the sun. The PV array is connected to the DC disconnect.
- The array DC disconnect is basically a breaker between the array and the rest of the system. It allows you to disconnect from the system in order to troubleshoot problems with the array. The DC disconnect is connected to the charge controller.
- The charge controller manages the charging of the batteries and keeps the batteries from overcharging. The charge controller is connected to the battery bank.
- The battery bank stores excess electricity. Having an off-the-grid home means you’ll have to store electricity to use when the sun is not shining. You will usually need enough batteries for at least 2-3 days worth of stored electricity in case of a cloudy period. You’ll need to research your area to determine just how much storage you will need. The battery bank is connected to the system meter.
- The system meter is like your car’s dashboard. It reports how the various components in your system are doing. Since you are going off-the-grid, you’ll need to know how all your components are working so you can stay on top of things. The system meter is connected to the main DC disconnect.
- The main DC disconnect is a breaker between the storage batteries and the inverter. The DC disconnect is connected to the inverter.
- The inverter is the component that transforms the DC (direct current) electricity, which is generated by the array and stored in the batteries, into the AC (alternating current) electricity that can be used by your household appliances. The inverter is connected to the AC breaker panel for your off-the-grid home.
- The AC breaker panel is the same kind of breaker panel that the electric company used to connect your house wiring to its electrical source.
- The backup generator is in case you have a stretch of cloudy days that outlast the electricity stored in the batteries. Since you’ll be living in a off-the-grid home, you won’t have your local utility there for backup electricity. You can use traditional fossil fuels, but you’ll probably want to use biodiesel to maintain your green lifestyle.
Now that you understand the basics needed for having an off-the-grid home using a solar power system, you can see why it’s definitely feasible. Each component is relatively simple and the flow of one component being connected to the next makes the system very straight-forward and easy to troubleshoot. The only moving parts are in the backup generator, and you hopefully won’t be using that very much.
Having an off-the-grid home gives the biggest payoffs in:
reducing your carbon footprint,
becoming less dependent on fossil fuels,
and eliminating your electric bill.
Electrical energy independence CAN be done!
Filed Under Solar Power Info
Tagged With solar power
