Is one of your dreams to make your own electricity and not have to depend on a utility company? Then your goal should be to live “off grid.” Many of the people who live off grid are in rural areas where electric utility service is either not available or not feasible to hook up. But a growing number of people are considering it as a personal lifestyle choice.
The Domestic Off-Grid Solar Energy Report
There are a couple of main factors to think about regarding living off-grid. First, you need to become more conscious of how and when you use your electricity. You won’t have to live without it, but you won’t want to waste it, either.
Second, you’ll want to become familiar with how your solar power system works, and the kind of upkeep is required. It would be a good idea to become an expert on your particular system, so you can troubleshoot anything unexpected that arises. Becoming an expert is not too difficult to do since there a lot of information on solar energy available now. However, it does require some time commitment on your part.
An off-grid system typically consists of nine components.
1. The photovoltaic array and mounting rack. Wikipedia describes the array as “a linked collection of photovoltaic modules, which are in turn made of multiple interconnected solar cells”. The mounting rack is what attaches the array to the roof.
2. The array DC (direct current) disconnect. This is basically a breaker between the array and the rest of the system. It allows you to disconnect from the system so you can fix any problems with the array.
3. The charge controller. This device prevents the batteries from overcharging.
4. The battery bank. The battery bank stores excess electricity. Because there will be cloudy periods when sunlight is unable to reach your solar cells, you will need about 2 to 3 days worth of stored electricity
5. The system meter. The system meter is like your car dashboard. It shows what’s going on with the various components of the system.
Read The Domestic Off-Grid Energy Report Now
6. The main DC disconnect. This acts as a fuse and is placed between the batteries and the inverter.
Seventh, is the inverter. This is the device that converts the DC (direct current) electricity, which is generated by the array and stored in the batteries, into the AC (alternating current) electricity that can run your household appliances.
8. The breaker panel. This is the same type of breaker panel the power company would use.
9. The backup generator. This is in case you have a period of cloudy days and use up the electricity stored in the batteries. Traditional fossil fuels can be used for your generator; however, if you’re maintaining a green lifestyle, you will want to use biodiesel.
As you can see, each component is relatively simple in and of itself. The only motorized parts are in the backup generator (which you hopefully won’t have to use much). Now that we’ve examined the components of the photovoltaic system, you can see why it’s not too complicated to become your own expert.