Grid Connected Net Metering
Connecting solar panels together to make larger arrays for connecting directly to the local power grid enables you to engage in one of the most advantageous parts of generating your own electricity: Net Metering or Net Billing. If during a sunny day more electricity is produced by your solar PV system then you use or consume, this excess solar power is delivered back to the utility grid with the effect of rotating your electric meter backwards. When this happens you will normally be given credits by the local power company for the amounts of electricity produced by your grid connected PV system.
If during the billing period you use or consume more electrical energy than you generate, you are billed for the net amount of electricity consumed as you would be normally. If, however, you generate more solar energy than you consume, you are credited for the net amount of electricity generated which may be either a reduction in your monthly electricity bill or a positive repayment directly to you or the account holder.
While net metering is the ideal way to resell your solar generated excess power, some companies buy-back energy at a lower wholesale rate than the electricity you consume from the same power company. This means that you may need to generate more solar power than you would normally consume just to break even.
Contractual Issues For Grid
When connecting your small renewable energy system to the grid, you will probably need to sign an interconnection agreement with your power provider. In your agreement, power providers may require you to do the following:
- Carry liability insurance — Liability insurance protects the power provider in the event of accidents resulting from the operation of your system. Most homeowners carry at least $100,000 of liability through their homeowner insurance policies , which is often sufficient. Be aware, however, that your power provider may require that you carry more. Some power providers may also require you to indemnify them for any potential damage, loss, or injury caused by your system, which can sometimes be prohibitively expensive.
- Pay fees and other charges — You may be asked to pay permitting fees, engineering/inspection fees, metering charges , and stand-by charges . Identify these costs early so you can factor them into the cost of your system, and don’t be afraid to question any that seem inappropriate.
In addition to insurance and fees, you may find that your power provider requires a great deal of paperwork before you can move ahead with your system. However, power providers in several states are now moving to streamline the contracting process by simplifying agreements, establishing time limits for processing paper work, and appointing representatives to handle grid-connection inquiries.
Grid Connect Solar Power
A grid connect system is one that works in with the local utility grid so that when your solar panels produce more solar electricity than your house is using the surplus power is fed into the grid. With a grid connect solar power system when your house requires more power than what your solar panels are producing then the balance of your electricity is supplied by the utility grid. So for example if your electrical loads in your house were consuming 20 amps of power and your solar power was only generating 12 amps then you would be drawing 8 amps from the grid. Obviously at night all of your electrical needs are supplied by the grid because with a grid connect system you do not store the power you generate during the day.
See how much a grid connect solar panel system will cost for your home
Read Also: Does Pine Sol Keep Ants Away
Are There Other Requirements
In addition to the tests carried out by the DNO, you will also have to provide your FIT supplier with an Energy Performance Certificate . This certificate shows the energy efficiency of your property, giving it a band rating from A to G. To get the regular FIT rate, your property needs to achieve a D rating, which is the average band for homes in the UK.
What We Know About The Export Payment So Far
The export payment was scheduled to start in July 2021, but that target was missed. As of October 2021, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities was running a consultation on the details of the scheme, with a final decision expected during November.
The Irish Times reported an update from Minister for Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan on the 16th of November 2021. The minister indicated January 2022 as a start date for payments. Paul Deane of UCC also indicated a January 2022 start date for the export payments on Claire Byrne Live 2021-11-22. When questioned whether January was realistic, he replied, Its ambitious but necessary.
Homeowners, businesses, farmers, and non-profits will all be able to participate. The plan is for the scheme to have two parts:
Also Check: How To Get Solar Energy
Solar Panels Dont Work In A Blackout
When the grid loses power, your solar panels will stop working too.
This isnt because your panels cant generate power, but rather they are designed to automatically disconnect from the grid in a power failure. This is to prevent power lines from being energized when the utility company expects them to be off. Otherwise, utility workers repairing power lines could be electrocuted.
Solar panels can continue working for you in a blackout, but it requires either a battery system or an inverter designed to supply emergency power to your home, such as the SMA Sunny Boy.
We Need Consistent Nuts And Bolts
Energy Networks Australias seminal Electricity Network Transformation Roadmap of 2017 found that by the year 2050, almost two thirds of customers will have distributed energy resources and network service providers could buy grid support in a network optimisation market worth $2.5 billion per year.
However, a significant amount of technical foundation work is required before the market is ready and the Finkel Review specified a number of the challenges associated with integration of distributed energy resources , such as household PV and batteries. To help meet the challenge regarding the connection of these resources, Energy Networks Australia, in conjunction with its network members, has commenced a project to prepare a nationally consistent set of guidelines for network connection of a range of generation technologies, outlining the technical requirements to facilitate streamlined integration.
The National DER Connection Guidelines set out the framework, principles, approach and technical settings for Australian Network Service Providers to adopt in the development and application of their technical requirements for grid connection of DER. The ultimate aim of the guidelines is to facilitate the fair and efficient integration of DER into the grid from the perspective of network businesses, renewable energy customers and Australias electricity system more generally.
They will achieve this by:
Also Check: How Many Solar Panels To Power A Mobile Home
How To Connect Solar Panels To Grid
Stop, do not attempt to connect your solar panels to the grid yourself unless you are a trained professional. Connecting your solar panels to the grid is actually very beneficial but best handled by a professional, due to the high voltage associated with the system. Attempting a DIY install could result in serious injury.
That being said there are quite a few things you need to know about connecting your solar panels to the grid.
The first step is to do your research. You want to make sure your aware of any specific brand requirements or restrictions your state may have in place. Also, some states require you to have a disconnect, which acts like a breaker box, to separate the panels from the rest of the system. Your installer will know about all these things as well and can help you with your selections.
Next you need to contact your local utility provider and discuss with them what your trying to accomplish. Remember those benefits we mentioned earlier? Connecting to the grid not only gives you the security of a backup power supply for your own home, which is great in itself, but also gives you the opportunity to sell electricity back to your power company! Thats right, generate enough juice and the electric company will be paying you!
Keep in mind that energy produced from a solar panel is direct current, or DC. That means it only flows one way. The energy we use in our homes and with most electronics is alternative current, or AC, which flows both ways.
Solar Power For The Home: Costs
Solar power is capital intensive, and the main cost of owning a system comes upfront when buying the equipment. The solar module will almost certainly represent the largest single component of the overall expense.
Other equipment necessary for installation includes an inverter , metering equipment , and various housing components along with cables and wiring gear.
Some homeowners also consider battery storage. Historically, batteries have been prohibitively expensive and unnecessary if the utility pays for excess electricity that is fed into the grid . The installation labor cost must also be factored in.
In addition to installation costs, there are some further costs associated with operating and maintaining a PV solar array. Aside from cleaning the panels regularly, inverters and batteries generally need replacement after several years of use.
While the above costs are relatively straightforwardoften a solar installation company can quote a price for these for a homeownerdetermining subsidies available from the government and/or your local utility can prove more of a challenge. Government incentives change often, but historically, the U.S. government has allowed a tax credit of up to 30% of the system’s cost.
Also Check: How To Install Solar Lights
And What Is A Grid Tie Inverter Anyway
To connect your solar panels rechargeable battery to a grid-tie inverter to be safe from blackouts for example you must invest in battery backups for your solar system to ensure that you keep on power during a grid outage.
Though this sounds easy, its nothing likehooking up the solar system to another battery pack. An understanding of thetechnicalities around the grid-tie inverters is important.
Essentially, the grid-tie inverter is designed to facilitate the conversion of DC electricity from the solar panels, although their design doesnt allow for the integration with the battery bank. For this setup, youll need to introduce new components into your solar power station for the inverter to work efficiently with the batteries introduced.
Keep in mind that grid-tied, utility-interactive, on-grid, grid back-feeding, or grid intertie all refer to a solar powered system connected to the utility grid.
These grid-tied systems make it possible for you to save money thanks to the use of net metering because they also allow for higher efficiency rates and owner installation/ equipment costs. With batteries required for fully functional off-grid solar systems, the grid-tied systems are simple and cheaper to install. The utility grid also works in the same way as a virtual battery.
For the grid-tied solar system, you need tohave a power meter and a Grid-tied inverter or the micro-inverter.
Do You Need Batteries With An Inverter In A Hybrid Solar System
Hybrid systems are generally not totally off-grid. They are grid-tied, providing the home with a combination of solar energy and grid electricity.
The purpose of these systems is to reduce the cost of energy consumption in the home. The solar system is not intended to replace the grid electricity when there is a power outage.
In this solar configuration, there are no batteries required in the system since storage of power is not a requirement.
You May Like: Should I Buy Solar Panels
S To Building A Diy Off
Although the prices of solar panels have been falling gradually since 2007, the cost of an off-grid solar system setup is rising steadily. However, any homeowner with a basic toolbox can install it on their own, which can help reduce the overall system cost substantially.
The reason why many decide to hire a professional is the seeming complexity of the process, when in fact, if you pull it to bits you see that individual steps are not at all intricate.
The following article is structured as a step by step process which teaches you how to choose the appropriate batteries, solar panels, inverter and charge controller, and then instructs you on how to connect and set them up properly.
In order to build a basic off-grid solar system, you will need the following components:
- Solar panel
- Inverter
- Charge controller
Out of your toolbox, youll want to take out a few items like copper wire, breaker, meter, fuses and MC4 connector.
- Wire the components
- Step-by-step guide to building an off-grid solar system
The next segment provides detailed instructions on setting up an off-grid solar system, with a few important safety notes.
Which Solar Brands And Products Are The Best
The number of brands offering solar energy products is rapidly increasing. And each solar expert you speak with will have certain products they recommend, and they usually have very convincing reasons for recommending those products. This can make it a challenge for consumers to know whose opinion to trust, and which products are truly the best.
An on-grid solar system is a grid-connected solar PV System which works along with the grid. In the Grid-Tied solar system for home, Loom Solar has tied up with the Chinese solar giant, Trina Solar for the distributorship of its Trina Home solution, which is a complete solar rooftop home solution customized for India. Available in 3 kW, 5 kW, and 10 kW capacities, these kits come with a 25-year module performance warranty. It is suitable for installation in residences, schools, hospitals, SME establishments etc.
Also Check: Where To Buy Solo Stove
How Does A Solar Panel Work
Standard solar panels have at least a dozen silicon squares within the frame . Solar cells convert sunlight into an electrical current.
Silicon is a semiconductor it’s able to absorb a percentage of the photons emitted by the sun as they hit the solar cells. As the solar cells are bombarded with photons, the electrons are knocked loose, allowing them to flow freely.
The solar cells have an electric field that allow loose electrons to flow in one direction. Metal contacts allow the current to be fed through a solar cable to reach the solar inverter. As DC electricity is created via solar cells, the inverter converts the current into AC electricity you then have electricity to be used however you choose!
Check out our Components page for more information about solar panels and other solar system parts, components and essentials.
Keeping Track Of Your Electricity Usage
Regardless of whether your utility company offers net metering or a different scheme , if you have grid-connected solar, you will need a new electricity meter from your utility company. Itâs this utility meter that will let them know how much solar electricity you generate and how much grid electricity you use so that you can be billed for the difference.
You might get a bidirectional meter installed, which will track in real time whether you are using electricity from the grid or sending excess solar power into the grid.
Or you might have a dual metering setup, in which one meter tracks power drawn from the grid and a separate meter that tracks the solar electricity generated.
Which type of setup you end up with will depend on your utility company.
Don’t Miss: Should I Get Solar Panels In California
What About Batteries
One way of maximising household use of solar electricity is to store it in a battery for use when you need it, rather than when it is generated.
Battery systems have been around for a long time but have been complex and generally too expensive to consider with grid-connect solar PV systems.
That is changing with the introduction of simpler modular battery systems, which means that you can start with just one battery unit and add more if and when needed.
Current battery costs may not make them a suitable investment for every household, though we expect prices to continue to fall over the coming years.
The Solar Homes battery program is significantly improving the affordability of batteries, with homeowners in designated areas able to apply for a significant rebate on the cost of a battery storage unit.
Customers can claim only one rebate from those offered by Solar Victoria.
When buying a solar panel system you should consider whether you want to ensure that it is also battery-capable if you want to upgrade.
Find out more about buying a battery in the Battery Buyers GuideFurther information on the battery rebate can be found at
What Is An Off
The alternative to a grid-connected home is an off-grid home. This is one that doesnât have a connection to the electric utility at all, and is self-sufficient for its electricity use.
Except for rare solar energy euthusiasts, most off-grid homes are cabins and other types of remote vacation homes. In addition to solar panels, off-grid homes may use micro wind turbines, diesel generators, or natural gas generators to supply their electricity.
Off-grid solar homes almost always will use batteries to store their excess electricity. Instead of sending power to the grid when too much solar electricity is being generated, off-grid solar homes send the power into a battery bank. When the sun goes down, the home will use power from the batteries until the sun starts shining again.
If the batteries are exhausted, an off-grid home might fall back to a generator – or simply go dark until the sun starts shining again.
You May Like: How Much Solar For A Tiny House
Is A Connection To The Grid Guaranteed
For smaller systems, the installer will generally only need to inform the DNO of your connection within 28 days, providing that your system complies with engineering recommendation G83/1-1 Stage 1. Essentially, this means that if your system’s output is less than 3.68kW then it can be connected to the grid. Larger systems can qualify if the efficiency of the inverter results in a 3.68kW output .
For larger systems , the DNO needs to give permission before you can start supplying energy to the grid. They will investigate whether the grid in your area can handle the extra energy that your system generates, and will identify any improvements that might need to be made in order for it to do so. You will be responsible for the cost of these improvements .
