Introduction to Off-grid Solar system
The off-grid solar system ,as the name implies, is a photovoltaic system without any connection to the electricity grid and you can use it to provide energy for all kinds of electrical needs.
In the off-grid solar system, you do not provide electricity to the grid (unlike the on-grid system) and the grid does not supply you with electricity (like the normal electricity supply that is done by connecting to the grid). By using off-grid solar system equipment, you supply the electricity you need for your electrical appliances. The off-grid solar system is very suitable for houses, villas and all kinds of centers outside the city where people live and need electricity, but there is no electricity supply in that area.
History and characteristics of Off-grid solar system
Until two decades ago, solar panels (photovoltaics) were used as a luxury product to provide electricity for special purposes. Over time, with the introduction of newer technologies, it became possible to produce solar panels at much lower prices, and this has led to the increasing use of this equipment in electricity production.
Unlike solar power plants connected to the grid, these systems do not have any electrical connection with the grid and deliver their produced electricity to the consumer independently. Due to the non-permanent and variable nature of the primary source (the sun) during the day and night, it is necessary to use energy storage systems. These systems store the produced electricity in excess of the consumer’s needs in batteries and deliver it to the consumer at night or other times when there is no sun.
Off-grid solar system applications
Although there are many uses and applications for off-grade systems, the most applications of these systems are categorized in the following 5 groups:
Electrification to remote rural areas
Electricity supply for residential units far from the grid
Electricity supply for agricultural areas without electricity
Power supply for traffic lights
Supplying electricity needed for advertising signs on the side of highways
TOTAL COST Of Our Off-Grid Solar Power System
The main components of the off-grid solar system
Solar Panel
This equipment is of double importance as the main and productive part of a solar power system. In an off-grid solar system, more than 50% of the system cost will be allocated for providing panels. Solar panels are divided into different types. Due to their power capacity and efficiency, monocrystalline solar panels are the most commonly used solar panels for residential use.To learn about the types of photovoltaic panels, read this article.
Off-grid inverter
The electrical energy of the panels is in SC voltage and they are not suitable for use in alternating current equipment and consumers. In order to be able to use this energy in household equipment, it must be converted into alternating voltage with an amplitude and frequency suitable for the consumer. In an off-grid solar system, this task is the responsibility of the inverter. Therefore, you will not need to install this equipment when you do not have alternating current consumers in your system. On average, about 20% of the costs of an off-grid solar system are related to the inverter. Read more about the types of solar inverters and the most common questions about photovoltaic inverters.
Charge controller
Despite the fact that a small part of the system’s investment is spent on these equipment, they have a significant contribution to the amount of electricity produced by solar power systems. A charge controller is able to continue charging in an acceptable amount during times of solar energy drop and as a result of panel voltage drop, by changing the electrical characteristics.
Battery
The sun and its light have a discontinuous and changeable nature. It has little radiation during the day and from the beginning of the morning, and with the passage of time and as the angle of the sun’s radiation with the earth decreases, the intensity of its light on the surface of the earth increases more and more. Therefore, the amount of energy radiated on the surface of the panels is variable and at night when the sunlight disappears, the energy on the surface of the panels reaches zero. Therefore, we need sources that can provide us with the energy we need when the sun is not present or when there is a decrease in sunlight. Batteries do this. During the day, they store excess energy in themselves and when there is no sunlight or its amount is insufficient, they provide the energy needed by the system.
Sources: solarreviews.com
