Ultimate Guide for Solar Power System Kits
(Off Grid Solar Power System)
This is a fact:
Many people believe that solar power systems will eventually replace fossil fuel-based energy sources.
Using solar power systems is beneficial not only to homeowners like you, but to the community as well.
Communities have to adapt to the changing threats and conditions that can happen in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.
Solar energy can increase a community&#;s resilience and adaptability.
It can help them handle the effects of disaster or emergency situations.
Communication, power and lighting are important in the event of an emergency.
Solar powered advisory radios and road signs can be used to convey important information when a flood, tornado or other natural disasters occur.
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Homeowners can also reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and protect themselves from price volatility in the fossil fuel market.
They can create electricity on their own, so they don&#;t need to depend on the grid.
Solar power is a renewable and green source of power that doesn&#;t produce harmful carbon dioxide, so it can reduce one&#;s carbon footprint.
Almost pounds of carbon dioxide every year can be saved by an average home solar energy system.
In this environment of diminishing oil resources and global warming, it makes sense to use renewable and natural resources.
The cost of installing a solar power system might be expensive, but it will be compensated by the benefits that it can offer.
Chapter 1: What is Solar Power System?
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Take a look at the composition of solar power system:
A solar power system consists of multiple photovoltaic panels, a rack system that holds the photovoltaic panels in place and a DC to AC power converter or inverter.
PV panels are usually installed on the roof, facing a westerly, easterly or northerly direction.
The panels must be titled at certain angles to maximize the amount of sunlight they get.
Do you know about Photovoltaic panels?
Photovoltaic panels convert the energy in sunlight to power a home or building.
These panels consist of solar cells.
The cells are usually blue-black in color, 8-sided and are about the size of the palm.
Solar cells take in light particles or photons that contain power.
When soaked up, the photons release electrons in the material of the solar cells. Electric wiring on both sides of the cells allow for a flow of current as the photons are absorbed.
Through this method, the solar cells produce electricity that can be stored in a battery for future use or can be consumed immediately.
Solar panels are available in various sizes and types.
The most common panels produce 50 watts of electricity and are composed of silicon solar cells.
Solar panels can transform any form of light to solar power.
This means that even on gray days, solar panels can still produce some power.
Yes!
You can get back-up energy in two ways.
One is by storing additional electricity from the solar panels in batteries which will power your lights and appliances during power interruptions.
You can also apply to be connected to the grid so that this serves as a back-up supply of power for when the solar panels are not working.
This way, you will always have a source of electricity.
Chapter 2: Solar Power System Theory
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Are you curious?
PV panels absorb sunshine as a source of energy to produce electricity.
Photovoltaic modules are a bundled, connected group of usually 6×10 PV solar cells.
These modules use photons or light energy from the sun to generate electricity via the photovoltaic effect.
Most PV modules use thin-film cells or wafer-based crystalline silicon solar cells.
The cells should be protected from moisture and mechanical damage.
The module&#;s structural member can either be the back layer or the top layer.
Most PV modules use MC4 connectors to enable easy weatherproof connections to the entire system.
Module electrical connections are made in parallel to deliver a preferred current capability or in series to provide a desired output voltage.
Some special solar photovoltaic modules have concentrators wherein light is focused by mirrors or lenses into smaller cells.
This allows the use of cells in a cost-effective manner.
Metal frames are used for the troughs, reflector shapes, racking components and brackets to support the panel structure.
Solar panels have many practical applications for you!
For instance, it can be used in health care as a power source for refrigerating medical supplies.
In agriculture, solar panels can be used to power irrigation systems.
Chapter 3: How Solar Power System Works
Photo Courtesy: Solar Power Authority
Electricity current is generated when photons from the sun hit the photovoltaic array.
Thousands of PV solar cells are linked together to generate more current.
The current generated is called DC or direct current.
This means that the flow of current is unidirectional and that the voltage won&#;t change over time.
Homes and commercial establishments cannot use this form of electricity.
AC or alternating current will reverse direction from time to time and change voltage eventually.
It&#;s the usable form of electricity for commercial and residential applications.
An inverter is used to convert direct current to alternating current.
There are two kinds of inverters &#; micro-inverters and string inverters.
String inverters convert power from direct current to alternating current at the ground level.
It is ideal when the solar panels are positioned at the same tilt/pitch and when they receive unobstructed sunlight.
String inverter systems are usually cheaper than micro-inverter systems because only one is needed per residential solar installation.
Micro-inverters, on the other hand, convert power from direct current to alternating current at the modular level.
Several inverters are needed and are installed under the solar panels on the roof.
Since the solar panels work independently, the system remains efficient even when there&#;s a tilt difference or minor shading.
This allows you to expand your system overtime.
The panels are linked to a panel board inside the house.
This way, solar energy is distributed throughout your home.
The solar energy will be used first.
Your home or building will draw from the grid if more energy is required.
The solar panel installer should guarantee code compliance.
Inverters have an anti-islanding feature that instantaneously stops the inverter from feeding the grid during a power interruption so that electrical workers can work safely.
You can choose an off-grid or on-grid solar power system.
If you choose the former, you need to have a backup generator and a battery bank.
Installing an off-grid solar system is sometimes cheaper than extending power lines in some remote areas.
If you are over 100 yards from the grid, you can consider using an off-grid solar system.
On-grid solar power systems, on the other hand, can help you save money through lower installation and equipment costs, better efficiency rates and net metering.
When the solar panels generate excess electricity, you can sell this excess power to the utility grid instead of keeping it to yourself with batteries.
A bi-directional meter measures the energy you imported and exported.
Chapter 4: Solar Power System Uses
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Solar power systems can be used in various was.
For instance, you can use the sun&#;s power to run fans in your bathroom. Think about the amount of money that you can save on your utility bills.
Here are some of the most popular uses of solar power systems.
Indoor and Outdoor Lighting
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LED lighting can provide your home with optimal lighting, but it doesn&#;t consume a lot of energy.
These lights can be connected via a battery-charged system that&#;s powered by sunlight.
During the day, the battery charger charges the battery and runs the lights in your home.
At night, the batteries work and provide energy to your home&#;s lighting system.
Your entire yard can be lit. This will help you have a clear view of the entrance door and deter thieves.
Water
Solar energy can be used to heat water in your home.
Although the cost of installing solar panels is expensive, it will be compensated by the savings that you will get in the long run.
Swimming Pools
When the pool is too cold to jump into, you will not be able to enjoy it completely.
A solar blanket can be added to warm the water.
You don&#;t need to install anything.
Your other option is to install a solar hot water heating system.
It uses solar hot water heating panels that are installed on the roof to gather the sun&#;s heat.
As the water is pumped from the swimming pool, heated and returned from the panels, the temperature of the pool is increased.
Power Your Home
Solar panels convert sunlight to electricity.
DC power is sent to an inverter that converts it to AC power.
By using safety devices and transfer switches, you will have a clean, renewable source of power that can power your home.
Charge Batteries
Chargers are used to charge batteries used for phones and video games.
Solar energy can be used to power hot water pumps, power sump pumps and ceiling fans.
If you have a backup battery bank that&#;s charged during the day, you will have a source of energy at night.
This can help you save money as you don&#;t need to depend on the grid alone.
Chapter 5: How to Calculate Solar Power System for Home
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In order to determine how many solar panels you will need, you have to know your goals first.
Do you want to maximize your ROI?
Maybe you want to reduce your carbon footprint.
To determine how many solar panels you should get, you have to know the amount of energy your household uses, the relative efficiency and wattage of the photovoltaic panels you are considering, the usable surface area of your roof and the peak sunlight and climate in your area.
You also need to know whether or not net metering is available.
Average Energy Requirements
Look at your past utility bills to determine the average energy requirements of your household.
Multiply the hourly energy requirement of your household by the peak sunlight hours for your region.
Divide the result by the panel&#;s wattage.
Average Electricity Consumption
Look at your utility bills to determine how many watts you currently use.
Find the &#;Kilowatt Hours Used&#; on your bill and take note of the time period represented.
If you can&#;t find the kilowatt hours used, find the ending and beginning meter readings and then subtract the past reading from the recent one.
In case your bill doesn&#;t provide a daily average, you can divide the monthly or yearly average by 30 or 365 days in that order and then divide again by 24 to know your hourly average electricity consumption.
The answer will be in kilowatt-hours.
Climate
Small households in a temperate climate might use 200 kilowatt-hours per month.
Larger homes might consume 2,000 kilowatt-hours or more.
Solar panels don&#;t work at maximum efficiency all the time. For instance, weather conditions can temporarily reduce the system&#;s efficiency.
You should add a 25% cushion to your target daily average to make sure that you can get all the energy you need.
Sunlight Hours
&#;The peak sunlight hours will affect how much energy the solar power system can produce.
Multiply your hourly usage by to convert the hourly power generation you need to watts.
Divide the average hourly wattage you need by the daily peak sunlight hours for your area.
This formula will give you the amount of energy your solar panels need to generate every hour.
Efficiency Level
The more efficient the solar panels are, the more wattage it can produce.
This means mounting fewer solar panels on your roof.
Standard solar panels usually generate approximately 250 watts per hour, with varying efficiency levels.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from JM.
Divide the hourly wattage requirement of your household by the wattage of the solar panels to determine the number of panels you need.
The number and size of solar panel are important considerations when your roof is small or have an unusual shape.
Standard residential solar panel dimensions are about 65&#; x 39&#;. Measurements vary, depending on the manufacturer.
Net Metering
You should consider net metering if you want to determine your ROI for the solar power system.
Net metering is how the utility company credits you for generating excess solar energy.
You can benefit from those credits when you are using conventional power grid at night.
A professional solar power system installer can provide a home solar evaluation and help you determine the amount of solar panels you should get.
Chapter 6: How to Design a Solar Power System
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If you want to design an off-grid solar power system, you have to determine how much power you need.
You can&#;t buy a battery and three solar panels and hope that it will be enough for your needs.
Use a load calculator and input what you want to power with the solar power system.
It is also important to determine the number of batteries you need.
Battery packs are rated for storage at around 80&#; Fahrenheit.
The colder the room, the larger the battery bank you require. These factors affect the cost and size of the battery bank.
The larger the solar power system, the higher voltage battery banks are needed to reduce the amount of current between the inverter and the battery bank.
This will also reduce the parallel strings of batteries. If you have a small system, a 12V battery bank is enough to power 12V DC appliances.
If you need more than watts at a time, you should get a 24V or 48V solar power system.
Designing a solar power system also involves calculating the number of panels required for the time of year and your location as well as the number of sun hours for your area.
Consider the worst case scenario for your area or the season that has the least amount of sunlight.
That way, you will have enough supply of solar energy for that part of the year.
Choose a Solar Charge Controller and Inverter
You also need to choose a solar charge controller.
Divide the watts from the solar by the battery bank voltage and add another 25% for safety purposes.
You can use a PWM charge controller if the solar panel voltage matches the battery bank&#;s voltage.
For instance, if you have a 12V battery and a 12V panel, you can use a PWM charge controller.
You have to use an MPPT charge controller if the solar panel voltage is different than the voltage of battery bank and cannot be wired in series.
For example, if you have a 12V battery bank and a 20V solar panel, you should get an MPPT charge controller.
If you&#;re powering AC loads, you should get an inverter.
Some inverters are configurable between frequencies and/or voltages.
Check the specs of the inverter before buying one. Now that you know these factors, it&#;s time that you learn how to build a solar power system.
- Start with the solar panels &#; You can purchase solar cells to build your own solar panels. The price of solar cells depends on its rated &#;class.&#; If you want a durable solar panel, choose class-A solar cells. Usual solar panels have at least 32 pieces of solar cells that can produce at least 18 kilovolts of electricity.
- Frame the solar cells &#; The solar cells can be framed in a simple container. The container or frame will also contain the diodes and the wiring.
- Protect the solar cells &#; Cover up the front side of the cells with Plexiglas to protect its surface from various elements. You can use silicone caulk to keep the Plexiglas in place. Cover the wires with electrical tape. A solid solder work can ensure that all connections in the series will last for a long time. You can also buy a solar cell kit.
While this might be more expensive than purchasing the components separately, buying a solar cell kit ensures that you have the right components to start your project.
Positioning plays an important role in the longevity and efficiency of the panel.
You can get a professional to install the system for you.
Chapter 7: How Much Solar Power System Cost
The cost of solar panels depends on the type and size of the system.
For instance, solar tiles are more expensive than the conventional panels.
Advancements in technology, however, are causing solar panel system costs to fall.
Here&#;s how you can determine the cost of a solar panel system.
The cost of installing a solar power system depends on how much electricity you want to produce.
The larger the system, the more expensive it will be since you need to purchase more equipment.
Some grid utilities, states and local governments provide tax incentives and rebates that can reduce the cost in your quotes from solar installers.
The cost of solar panels also differs from state to state.
Different factors affect the prices of solar panels. One of these is the cost of electricity.
You should shop around to get the best deal for your money.
If you want to install a 10kW solar power system, you have to pay more.
However, you will enjoy lower utility bills and save more money in the long run.
Chapter 8: Solar Power System Types
Photo Courtesy: The Australian
The flexibility and modularity of solar electricity allows users to have a solar power system that fits their exact needs.
Grid-tied Systems
Grid-tied systems don&#;t need batteries as it&#;s designed to contribute power back into your current power supply.
It pays for itself by reducing your power bills.
Grid-tied systems reduce power demands from the utility by selling power back to the utility or by net metering power.
It might include a mounting structure, an AC inverter and solar modules.
Standalone DC System
A standalone type system is usually composed of storage batteries, charge regulator and solar charging modules.
It&#;s a good replacement for noisy generators and kerosene lamps.
The actual size depends on the wattage of the load as well as how often it is to be run.
In a standalone type system, a photovoltaic array charges the battery during the day and the battery provides power to the loads when required.
Standalone AC-DC System
A standalone AC-DC system uses a DC to AC inverter.
It also consists of storage batteries, charge regulator and solar charging modules.
A standalone AC-DC system can power tools, kitchen appliances, vacuum cleaners, computers and washing machines.
You can find nigh-quality DC to AC inverters with power outputs that range from 100 watts to 10 kilowatts and more.
Most large inverters can also act as a battery charger when more power is required.
Backup AC System
A backup AC system is usually composed of a photovoltaic array of 10 or more modules, one or more inverters and a battery bank.
The utility grid will back up the system and run the loads when needed and when available.
If the utility grid fails, the power from the battery can be used to run the loads.
Chapter 9: Solar Power System and Interfacing to Grid
Let&#;s understand it better:
A grid-connected solar power system is connected to the utility grid.
It consists of one or more inverters, grid connection equipment, solar panels and power conditioning unit.
You can find commercial and small residential rooftop systems as well as large utility-scale solar power stations.
Grid-connected systems rarely include an integrated battery solution as it&#;s very expensive.
These systems can sell excess power to the utility grid.
Solar energy intended for delivery to a utility grid should be processed for use or conditioned by a grid-connected inverter.
An inverter converts DC input voltage to AC voltage for the utility grid.
It sits between the grid and the solar array and draws energy from each.
An inverter can be a set of small inverters or a large individual unit.
It should monitor grid voltage, frequency and waveform to determine if the grid strays too far out of its specifications or is dead.
The inverter also monitors the grid to ensure that it is synchronized with the grid waveform and that it&#;s producing a voltage a little higher than the grid itself.
Chapter 10: Solar Power System with Generator Backup
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Having a solar power system with generator backup can give you peace of mind.
The grid can fail due to various reasons such as flood, heavy and wind. In a conventional grid-tied solar power system, if the grid goes down, your system will go down as well.
While both generator backup and battery backup have additional costs, if you don&#;t mind the additional expense and the extra maintenance associated with replacing batteries, having a solar power system with generator backup is a good option.
The backup generator can use different kinds of fuel such as diesel, natural gas, propane and gasoline.
Generators for small scale residential systems usually use natural gas as it allows the generator to be connected into the available supply of gas from the utility company.
This kind of generator doesn&#;t need a lot of maintenance. You only need to run the generator periodically.
One big drawback to using a generator as backup is that you can&#;t use the energy generated by the solar panels. You can only do that with a solar power system with battery backup.
Chapter 11: Solar Power System Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of solar panels is 25 to 30 years, but this doesn&#;t mean that they will stop generating electricity after 25 years.
It only means that its production of energy has significantly declined.
According to a study by the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), the output of solar panels falls by 0.8% every year.
This is called solar panel degradation rate. The rate of decline will differ based on the panel brand you buy.
For instance, if your solar panel works at 99.2% of its original output, it will operate at 82.5% by the end of its 25-year lifespan.
More efficient technologies have emerged over the years and many solar panels today only have a 0.5% degradation rate.
Manufacturers also provide warranties for their solar panels.
This will give you an idea of how long you can expect their solar panel to last.
Manufacturers will provide both a performance warranty and an equipment warranty.
The performance warranty usually lasts 25 years.
The average lifespan of solar panels is longer than its EPBT or the amount of time it takes for solar panels to generate enough clean electricity to repay the energy used to make it.
According to a analysis by the Brookhaven National Laboratory, the EPBT of solar panels is only 6 months.
This number has fallen over the years due to more efficient panel manufacturing processes.
This means that you don&#;t need to worry about your panel&#;s carbon footprint.
Proper maintenance can help lower the panel&#;s degradation rate.
This can be done by removing debris such as leaves and snow from the panels and maximizing its light exposure whenever possible.
Chapter 12: Solar Power System Supplier
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It is important that you find a good solar power system supplier.
By working with a supplier and installer that offer the products you want, you can make sure that your solar power system will last for many times.
Jinpo Solar Panel has been offering solar heating and solar power products since .
The company manufactures solar photovoltaic panels, flat plate solar thermal collectors, home small solar power systems, solar water heaters, solar PV panels and off-grid and on-grid solar power systems.
Solar Power System for Sale
Are you interested about power systems for sale?
Great!
Jinpo Solar Panel manufactures its products in word-class labs that align with CE.
All solar heating and solar power products from the company are backed by a 25-year output warranty.
Jinpo Solar Panel maintains the quality of its products through rigorous processes including mirror testing, EL testing and power testing.
Conclusion
Let&#;s wrap it up:
A solar power system can help you out in various ways.
Almost 65% of all the electricity used today is produced by thermal power plants.
These facilities burn massive amounts of natural resources such as fossil fuel to produce this and thus, harm the ecosystem and the environment.
Using green sources of energy such as solar energy can help protect the environment and help you save money as well.
Solar panels generate electricity without affecting natural resources.
It uses sunlight to produce electricity, so it&#;s renewable.
If you are using a solar inverter, your actions have a positive impact on the environment.
You are reducing your carbon footprint and your dependence on utility grids.
Lesser electricity will be needed and thus, lesser fuels will be burned.
By installing a solar power system panel, you are making a smart investment.
The system will help you on a daily basis and in the years to come.
The electricity that is produced by the solar power system can lower your electricity bills and thus, help you save money.
You can use the system to power light machineries and appliances.
Installing a solar power system also assures you that you will always have a source of electricity even when a natural disaster or emergency hits your area.
You can use the electricity produced by the system to switch on lights, power the fans or heat the water.
These are only some of the benefits that you can get from using a solar power system.
There are solar power kits that you can buy and install on your own.
These kits contain all the components that you need to start using solar energy in your household.
If you don&#;t have any idea about the installation process or you want to make sure that the system will be installed properly, you can ask a professional installer to do the job for you.
Many governments have already launched campaigns to adapt solar power.
However, large portions of the population still depend on the grid alone.
Solar power systems produce clean energy and the prices of solar panels are significantly lower today.
As such, you should consider installing a solar power system at your home. Protect the environment and enjoy lower utility bills!
Are you interested in learning more about Off Grid Solar System China? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
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