More Info on Grid-Tied Solar Systems
Thinking about going solar with a grid-tied solar system? Great news! The first step is to figure out how much energy you use so you can appropriately size your home solar power system. One way to determine your aggregate energy use is to look at past energy bills from your utility provider.
The more data on your energy use you have, the better. Two years' worth of past energy bills is ideal. Depending on where you live and how you heat and/or cool your house, it's likely your energy usage fluctuates by season. The more information you have on your energy usage, the more accurate you will be when sizing your grid-tied solar system.
Using altE's Grid Tie Solar Calculator
Don't have two years' worth of energy bills? Maybe your utility provider doesn't keep extended records or maybe you just moved into your house. No worries at all—we here at altE have you covered! Check out our grid-tie solar electric system calculator to begin creating a load list for your home.
Designing a Grid-Tied Solar Power System
In this video we discuss all of the components and their role in a grid-tied system, including:
- Solar Panels
- Racking
- Over Current Protection
- Inverter or microinverters
Grid-Tie As An Energy Solution
Grid-tied solar systems are generally the most common types of solar systems in areas where there is access to the electrical grid. One common misconception about grid-tied solar systems is that they will produce power when the grid is down. This is not the case.
Grid-tie solar systems are most often designed to first satisfy the energy needs of the home, and then feed any additional electricity produced back to the grid (when allowed by the utility). Utilities require grid-tie systems to stop sending electricity to the grid during outages to protect line workers from electrocution. If you're interested in grid-tied systems that can produce and use electricity during an outage, please see the section below on grid-tied solar systems with battery backup.
Grid-tie system with battery backup
Do you already have grid electricity and a grid-tied solar system, but want the security of uninterrupted power in outage-prone locations? Check out our full offering of grid-tie systems with battery backup.
In the video above we discuss two options for adding battery backup to a grid-tied solar system via either AC coupling or DC coupling. Depending on your needs these are both great ways to augment an existing grid-tie solar system. Click over to our main grid-tie with battery backup page or watch to learn more—and see if these options are right for you.
