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The Difference Between Off
Your utility generates and distributes electricity through the electric grid. If you install a grid-tied solar system, youll be connected to the grid. Youll be able to draw grid power from your utility when your system isnt generating energy, and youll be able to send your excess energy to the grid for credit in many states .
An off-grid system is, of course, not connected to the utility grid. In exchange for that sweet, sweet freedom, you wont have access to electricity other than what is generated by your solar system and what is stored in batteries, or what is produced by an onsite generator. However, you will be able to power your home or business if the grid goes down.
When it comes down to it, most solar energy systems installed in the United States today are, at least partly, installed to save money on electric. They are not installed with the intention of being a completely independent power source. For many people, the money theyre saving and the reliability they get makes grid-tied solar the more popular option. However, this also means that the majority of the solar systems in the United States wont be able to generate electricity when the grid goes down.
How Can Prospect Solar Help
The experts at Prospect Solar are adept at solar panel installation in Northern VA, DC and Maryland. We provide solar energy installation for homes, businesses and farms. Additionally, we provide services like Green Roof Integrated Photovoltaic and information on Community Solar.
As leading solar providers in Northern VA, DC and Maryland, we take pride in our residential solar energy installation services. We aim to install a solar energy system that provides both clean energy and a decreased cost. Prospect Solars solar panel installation for Northern VA and beyond is engineered to be less expensive over the course of 25 years than conventional energy would be in that 25-year span.
Additionally, our solar energy services give homeowners access to net metering. Net metering makes it possible to credit power and reduce monthly electrical costs.
Although your solar panel system will not function during the rare power outage, solar panel installation is overall a lucrative investment that not only helps cut down your energy costs but helps promote a greener planet.
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Implication Onto Electricity Bill Management And Energy Investment
There is no silver bullet in electricity or energy demand and bill management, because customers have different specific situations, e.g. different comfort/convenience needs, different electricity tariffs, or different usage patterns. Electricity tariff may have a few elements, such as daily access and metering charge, energy charge or peak demand charge . PV is a promising option for reducing energy charge when electricity price is reasonably high and continuously increasing, such as in Australia and Germany. However, for sites with peak demand charge in place, PV may be less attractive if peak demands mostly occur in the late afternoon to early evening, for example residential communities. Overall, energy investment is largely an economical decision and it is better to make investment decisions based on systematical evaluation of options in operational improvement, energy efficiency, onsite generation and energy storage.
What Is The Difference Between An Off
Usually, utilities generate power and supply it through the electricity grid. When you install a grid-tied system, you will be connected to the grid. This will allow you to draw power from the grid when the system is not generating any power, and you will be sending excess power to the grid for you to be credited. This process is known as net metering.
On the other hand, the off-grid solar system is not attached or connected to your utility grid. This offers you the sweet freedom you want since you will not have access to electricity apart from what is being generated by your solar panel and stored in the battery. Furthermore, you will be able to power your home or business during a power outage.
In the United States, most solar energy systems are installed to help in saving electricity bills. They are often not installed to be independent or reliable power sources during a power outage. Therefore, for most individuals, the amount of money they save and the reliability they get make the grid-tied solar panel system the most preferred option. This means that most solar panels in the United States will not offer power once the grid goes down.
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Things You Need To Prepare For When The Power Goes Out
Note: If you don’t have back up power, when the power goes out, unplug appliances and electronics to eliminate damage from power surges when the grid comes back online. Surge protectors can also help.
Report your outage to the local utility so they know that service is down, and provide any information you may have about power line damage to speed up repairs. Some utilities allow you to check for known outages.
Here are 12 things you can do to be better prepared when the grid goes down.
How To Avoid Power Outages
No internet, no phone charger, no computer How long can you spend without electricity? Unfortunately, in Victoria and Australia as a whole, we are familiar with unpredictable power blackouts. A lot of businesses and households depend on energy for their daily operations and a power blackout can be an awful experience.
Will solar panels work during a power outage?
Solar panels are not designed to work during a power outage. In case of blackouts, a standard grid-connected solar system is programmed to switch-off to prevent the extra energy from being sent to the power line. It is a safety measure to protect both the power lines that can be damaged and the workers who fix the lines.
If your solar power installation is an off-grid system, you are completely independent from the energy grid and wont be affected at all by power outages.
How to backup a grid-connected solar system?
To keep using electricity during a power outage, 3 solutions exist:
- Use a generator
Use a generator
A generator can be used as a backup to supply electricity in case of power outages, enabling you to keep some appliances running while the grid is down. Diesel generators are the cheapest option to maintain power, but for solar enthusiastic, greener solar options exist.
Replace your inverter with a blackout stopper
More information about this special inverter here.
Install backup batteries
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Refrigerators And Freezers What To Do If You Don’t Have Backup Power
When the power goes out, keep doors of freezers and refrigerators closed as much as possible. Make a list of what you need to grab and get it all quickly then close the door.
A chest freezer holds the cold better than upright refrigerators and freezers. A full freezer will hold temperature for about 48 hours. If the freezer is half full, it’s only likely to keep food frozen 24 hours.
Refrigerators keep food cold for about 4 hours. A cooler with ice will keep perishable food better than a refrigerator for longer outages.
Fruits and vegetables are more forgiving than meat and dairy. Use common sense, if it looks bad or smells bad do not eat it. If your choose to eat something that is questionable cook it thoroughly. When in doubt, throw it out.
A full freezer stays cold longer than an empty freezer, so if you have a freezer that’s not normally full, keep frozen jugs of water in the extra space. 2 liter soda bottles or plastic vinegar jugs work well.
Don’t fill the bottles all the way to the top. The frozen bottles of water also provide a backup source of drinking water.
FDA Food Safety guidelines note:
BONUS FREEZER TIP: Put a penny on a few of your ice cubes. If the penny is INSIDE the ice when you go to use it you know the ice melted and froze, increasing spoilage risk.
A Special Inverter Or Inverter System
Luckily, there is a way for a homeowner with solar to use the energy their panels make without a connection to the grid or an energy storage setup.
SMA and Enphase are two companies that make special solar inverters that are designed to automatically disconnect from the grid in the event of an outage, while still providing power to your home from your solar panels.
SMA Sunny Boy Secure Power Supply
While most solar inverters have that automatic shut-off we discussed above, SMA Sunny Boy inverters can be installed with a special circuit that allows homeowners to switch over to pure solar power after a power outage.
The Sunny Boy inverter can only produce up to 2,000 watts of opportunity power at a time, and its designed to shut down if the power draw is too great. Note, it only works if the sun is up.
2,000 watts might sound like a lot , but it probably isnt enough to start an air conditioner. Opportunity power is designed for essential appliances only. Realistically, you can probably plug in your fridge and a lamp along with a TV and your smartphone to keep you company.
The total cost for the Sunny Boy and the outlet might be $1,000 more than another brand of inverter without the backup feature. But factored over a 10-year span , you might find this an attractive option.
Enphase Ensemble
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Solar Panels Covered In Snow
Image by planet_fox from Pixabay
Speaking of outages, what about when it snows? One of the questions that comes up a lot this time of the year is if solar panels work when it snows. You may be surprised to find out that solar panel technology actually works better in the cold. The photovoltaic technology behind your solar panels is more effective when the temperature is colder. This means any drop in production due to the snow that lands on your solar panels can be offset by this increase in efficiency.
In addition, solar panels quickly shed snow. The panels are designed to strongly absorb sunlight, which means any sunlight they manage to absorb will quickly melt snow and ice. Most solar panels are also mounted on your roof sloped to manage rain, snow and ice conditions. Any snow will melt and slide right off your panels in no time.
Does The Federal Tax Credit Apply To Solar Batteries
Yes, the solar tax credit also applies to batteries. The federal government offers a 26% tax credit that reduces the net solar system cost. This is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in federal income taxes owed to the federal government and is more valuable to the taxpayer than a write-off.
The solar tax credit applies to all the equipment and labor associated with the solar system, including the battery and installation of the energy storage system. Keep in mind that the tax credit will taper down to 22% at the end of 2022, so now is a great time to install your solar system. Speak with a tax expert to better understand how the tax credit applies to your household.
Read Also: How To Keep Pigeons From Under Solar Panels
So How Can I Keep The Power On
There are several options for keeping the power on, depending on how much you need and where you need it. Make sure your system can be disconnected from the grid before activating back-up power, for the reasons outlined above.
- Back-up generator. If your needs are modest, a small fuel or oil generator can provide enough power to keep the lights on or other appliances running until power is restored.
- Dedicated battery. This is a small battery that is hooked up to a single circuit to keep it running, for example your fridge.
- Back-up battery. This can be a single battery or a bank of batteries that are charged by your solar panels. When the power goes out, they can be set to power potentially your entire house, at least until they run out of charge.
Just remember that while back-up batteries are tempting, power outages in Australia are fairly rare and a good battery can set you back between $5,000 and $20,000.
What if I’m off-grid?
For off-grid systems that aren’t connected to the main power network, you will most likely already have batteries installed as part of your set-up. In case of a power outage on the network, you won’t be affected, and your solar panels and battery back-up will continue to function as normal.
Solar Run is a solar retailer who can help you install solar on your rooftop.
- Get quotes for solar panels and battery storage
- Clean Energy Council approved retailer
- NSW, VIC, SA, QLD and ACT
Furnace Checks After Power Outage:
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Hybrid Solar Power System
Those who are looking for electricity bill savings and power backup, the hybrid system offers the combined benefits of grid-tied and an off-grid. The solar will run all the loads and charge the batteries during the daytime. The excess solar energy is exported to the utility grid.
During night-time, the batteries can run the critical loads up to 70% of its capacity and the remaining can be utilized for backup, if necessary.
Hybrid solar plant flowchart
Least dependency on the utility grid
Truly reliable, uninterrupted power usage experience
Solarify Hybrid Projects
1. Mixed-use Building, Cooke Town
12 kVA hybrid solar plant
5.5 kWp of Vikram mono-crystalline solar panels
4 kVA Hybrid Studer Inverter
9 kWh of Lithium-Ion battery pack
The solar plant runs all the 5 floors of the building. This includes all loads of the home/studio/workspace except instant geysers. Also, the entire solar plant can be used to run the lift as well during emergencies.
2. Independent Home, Nagarbhavi
4 kVA hybrid solar plant
4 kWp of Panasonic poly-crystalline solar panels
4 kVA Hybrid Studer Inverter
4.4 kWh of Lithium-Ion battery pack
Why Your Gas Furnace Wont Work When The Power Goes Out
When the weather outside is cold and windy, theres nothing as enjoyable as a nice warm furnace inside your home. After all, its much more reliable than a baseboard heater or other form of electric heat, right? If you lose power in a storm, those electric types of heat will falter and leave you with a cold house. Your natural gas furnace would never do that, right?
Unfortunately, thats not entirely true. If youve ever asked yourself if a gas furnace works during a power outage, the answer is that it is just as susceptible to power outages as electric heaters. While it might seem counterintuitive and confusing, your gas furnace still depends on electricity to power itself and heat your home. If the power is out, the odds are good your furnace will be out as well.
There are plenty of reasons why your furnace works the way it does and how you can interpret whats going on in your current situation. There are also many options you can try if it seems like the power has returned, but your furnace hasnt. If youre experiencing a gas furnace with no power and wondering what to do when the powers out, weve compiled this quick and easy guide just for you.
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