For installing a grid-tied solar power system for your home, there are seven main components that you will need and we will organize these in the order in which they will be connected to your home solar energy system.
- Solar Panels
Solar Panel is the component that traps energy from the sun and converts it to electricity.
You can order all types of solar panels from our website dandosolar.com.
2. Solar Power System Disconnects
A solar power system disconnects are just an electrical switch but are an important part of the system. It allows you to disconnect and cut-off the DC power output from your solar panels and array should any repairs be required or if there is a problem with the solar system. This disconnect switch needs to be strong enough to handle the full power output from the panels on a bright sunny day.
3. Battery Charge Controller
Most home solar systems are built with a battery backup included for when the sun does not shine such as on dull days or at night. The battery charge controller ensures that a consistent amount of electrical power is sent to the batteries so that they are not overcharged, and to ensure that the backup batteries do not discharge back through the system at night. In many ways this component is similar to your automotive battery charger so will not be too expensive.
4. Deep Cycle Battery Storage
To store the solar power generated by your solar panels and keep the lights shining through the night, your solar system will need deep cycle batteries. Deep cycle batteries are not the same as shallow charge automotive batteries which are designed with thinner lead plates for cars.
Deep cycle storage batteries for solar systems are more robust and are designed for the type of charging and discharging cycles they need to endure. New deep cycle batteries are expensive but reconditioned batteries are cheaper. Better still, you may be able to get old dead batteries for free used previously in fork trucks, golf carts, and electric buggies and recondition them yourself.
5. System Power System Metering
A solar power meter can be optional, but it is listed here as its inclusion will give you a clear way to see how much free solar power is being supplied to your home from your solar panels. Having a system power meter also helps you improve your system to gain the maximum efficiency from your solar installation as well as having the advantage of letting your neighbors know how much money your solar system is saving.
6. Solar Power System Inverter
Your solar panels generate DC power, and your home runs on mains AC power, the solar power inverter converts the DC solar energy from the photovoltaic panels into usable 115, 220, or 240V AC electrical energy in the home by providing the DC to AC conversion using electronic switching techniques.
In practical terms, the inverter allows you to run electric drills, computers, vacuum cleaners, main lighting, and most other mains electrical appliances that can be plugged into the wall sockets of your solar panels. There are many square waves, sine wave modified wave inverters on the market these days but a good quality 1200W sine wave inverter likely won’t cost you more than a few hundred dollars.
7. Backup Power
Some form of back power may be required for when the sun does not shine and the storage batteries are empty. Most systems will include some sort of backup power. In a stand-alone installation, this would generally be a diesel generator. In a grid-tied system, the utility grid itself would provide the backup power through the inverter. But a backup power source can also be a wind turbine or a water wheel as part of a small-scale hydro system.
So If you are considering installing solar electricity to your home or office, contact us at Dando Solar. We can help you with an accurate power audit to determine the number of panels or capacity of the inverter you need. We sell complete solar components and offer installation services.