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How Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Systems Work

By Solar energy | November 28, 2008

A photovoltaic array is a linked assembly of P...

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Understanding Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Systems

Photovoltaic–or PV–systems use the light from the sun to make electricity. There are three ways this electrictiy can be incorporated into your home. Your home can be Grid-tied, grid-tied with battery back up, or off-grid.

Grid-Tied

With a grid-tied solar system, you can use power provided by your solar system and the local electric utility. Grid-tied systems are popular for several good reasons. First, you can install a solar system that fits your budget, even if it doesn’t generate as much power as your home or business is using. Any extra electricity that you need is provided by the grid. In addition, if it’s a sunny day and you aren’t using much power, you can feed any excess electricity generated by your panels back out to the grid. The utilities are glad to see systems such as these because they help reduce peak demands on hot sunny summer days. Many local utilities (including TVA) will buy the green power you produce at attractive rates.

Another reason for the popularity of grid-tied systems is that no large banks of batteries for backup power are needed. The only drawback to purely grid-tied solar systems is that if the power goes out on the grid, your power will go down as well, to allow workers to safety repair the line. However, if power outages are minimal in your area, you won’t be without power very often.

Grid-Tied with Battery Backup

If you’re considering a grid-tied solar system but want the ability to power critical appliances during a power outage, then a battery backup may be for you. The advantage of these systems is that if there is an outage on the utility grid, you will still be able to draw power from your backup batteries. It’s generally not practical to use a battery backup system to keep a power-hungry air-conditioning unit going during a power outage, but items such as fans and energy-efficient refrigerators are often realistic.

Stand-Alone/Off Grid System

In some remote areas, connecting a solar system to the utility grid can be cost-prohibitive or impractical. These customers generally consider an off-grid system, where the solar panels are used to charge a large bank of batteries and these batteries are then used to power all appliances in the home. Many homes that do this also use backup generators for additional power when necessary.

How to choose the system that’s right for you?

Stay tuned…Monday’s post will help answer this question.

Information provided by Sustainable Future, LLC.
For most current information refer to http://SustainableFuture.biz.

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