While fuel and electricity costs rise, many households are moving to solar power systems. The easiest solution that one can find is to opt for solar panel systems.
Curious about what solar panel systems are?
Sunshine is available to using abundance, and solar systems use efficient technology to harvest and turn this energy into electricity with pre-defined methods. Solar power panels serve the purpose of collecting solar energy and converting it through the photovoltaic (PV) effect into electric power. Many homes have a roof or backyard, which can be used for installing solar systems to generate electricity.
A home solar system must provide ample electrical energy to meet all home power needs. It provides AC power, as typically all households use AC power to operate lighting systems, electronics, appliances and machinery such as machines, refrigerators, mixers, fans, air conditioners, TVs and music systems.vThe price of the home solar power plant varies on its size and type.
On-grid and off-grid solar systems come in two types of solar power plants. Let’s look at the difference between the two:
1. Off-Grid Solar System
An off-grid solar system is well designed to generate enough power throughout the year to meet the needs of a household, even in the depths of winter, when there is less sunshine. However, since there is no electricity grid connection to an off-grid solar system, battery storage is necessary.
The high cost of batteries and inverters implies that the off-grid solar system is costly than the alternatives, so they are usually needed only in more remote areas far from the grid. Nevertheless, battery costs are reducing at a high rate, so the demand for an off-grid solar system is now increasing, even in cities and towns.
Advantages of An Off-Grid Solar System
- Such an off-grid solar system can function independently and not rely on the grid.
- They generate enough electricity that can be collected and used at night.
- These are suitable for remote areas that do not have grid power access.
- Shutdowns and infrastructure faults won’t affect the power supply.
2. On-Grid Solar System
On-grid solar systems are the most widely solar product used by homeowners. Such systems do not need batteries and are connected to the public electricity grid and use solar inverters. Any surplus solar power you produce is sold to the electricity grid, and the energy you sell is usually paid a feed-in tariff (FiT) or credits.
Solar inverters are an essential part of a residential solar energy system, convert the electricity your solar panels create into a form that can be used by the appliances, lighting, and other electronics. Learn more about solar inverters here.
Unlike an off-grid solar system, because of safety reasons, these are unable to work or generate electricity during a blackout. Because blackouts usually occur when the electricity grid is disabled, if the solar inverter had fed energy into a broken grid, it would endanger the safety of the people fixing the network’s faults. Most on-grid solar systems with battery storage can separate itself from the grid (known as islanding) and continue to supply some power during a blackout.
Advantages of An On-Grid Solar System
- On-grid solar systems are incredibly cost-effective and easy to install.
- By balancing electricity bills in just 3-8 years, you can recoup the cost of your expenditures.
- Residential users can earn a passive income for the surplus energy generated by the system.
Choose Between On-Grid Vs Off-Grid Solar Systems to Fit Your Needs
Solar power systems are a form of clean, renewable energy, and they have many benefits depending on the type of system you chose. Knowing the advantages of both an on-grid and off-grid solar system, you can select the one according to your needs. With the right solar system and proper installation, you can have clean and cost-effective energy, without being worried about maintenance problems.
