COUNTRY LIVING

OFF GRID
SOLAR ENERGY
Can I connect an inverter to my solar panels without involving batteries? If yes
then how?
Yes. There are two ways to use solar without batteries:
1. Grid-Tied. This is connecting your solar panels directly to the electricity grid
using a DC-to-AC "grid-tied" inverter. The inverter converts the DC output of the
solar panels to AC electricity that is synchronized to the grid. In this case, the
solar is not directly powering your loads, but as long as your loads are connected
to the grid, the solar can offset your energy consumption
2. Direct. You can connect your solar panels directly to a DC load (perhaps
requiring a voltage regulator, depending on your load). Or, you can connect
panels to a non-grid-tied DC-to-AC inverter, and drive an AC load directly. In
these cases, you need a load that is "ok" with an intermittent power source. I
have seen these approaches used with irrigation pumps, where you only get
pumping when the sun is shining.
The vast majority of solar installed globally is grid-tied, and without batteries.

What is an intermittent power source?

An intermittent energy source is any source of energy that is not continuously
available for conversion into electricity and outside direct control because the used
primary energy cannot be stored. Intermittent energy sources may be predictable
but cannot be dispatched to meet the demand of an electric power system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MmbmK2P6H4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqrfZvmfHQQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omhPFacZGqY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3SRTWw1uI0
How to Install Solar Panels & Inverter for Home-Step by Step Guide
Solar Inverter Setup
1) Two 150 watts solar panels (Poly Crystalline PV Modules)
2) Luminous 300-600 [Kilo-Volt-Ampere] sine wave (battery) inverter
3) One 200 ah Exide Invertor Plus Battery
4) 24v, 40amps PWM [Pulse Width Modulation] Solar Charge controller

———————————————————–
Solar Cost Estimation
300 WATTS Polycrystalline solar panels –> 2 x 150 watts panels

How to Buy Solar Panels?

For our setup, we have 2 Nos of 150 watts (12v) panels
2 x 150 watts panel = 300 watts
Types of Solar Panels available in market
There are two types of solar cells available in market,
Mono crystalline solar panels and Poly crystalline solar panels
Mono crystalline is expensive and little more efficient than poly crystalline.
Poly crystalline solar panels are affordable, widely available and best seller in market.
How To Use Solar Inverter
Here we are going to use normal sine wave inverter for our setup,
Few Branded solar hybrid inverters are also available in market, they have inbuilt
solar charge controller, but they are too expensive and most solar technicians follow
this method of using normal sine wave inverter with solar charge controller.
What is Solar Charge Controller?

The current we get from solar panels will not remain constant throughout the day, so
many ups and downs will be there, so that we can not connect solar photo voltaic
modules directly to charge our battery, it will spoil our battery over time.
So, we need a device called solar charge controller to control the current we
receive from solar panels, the charge controller has inbuilt PWM (pulse width
modulation) charger to charge the lead acid battery in three stages, which ensures
long life for battery.
In this 300 watts solar setup, we will get 200 watts current for sure from solar panels
in day time which means 8 am to 5 pm

We can use the free current from PV modules during this day time by manually
switching off the Input to Inverter (power supply from grid), so that the inverter
battery will be charged with available solar power.
While the battery is getting charge from solar panels, concurrently we can use the
battery power to power up our home.
So, with solar power, the battery will be get charge and on the other side the battery
will deliver current to inverter for powering up our gadgets, this happens
simultaneously.
Caution
As we have only 300 watts solar panel setup, we should not use more than 200 watts
power from inverter during day time.
We use 220 watts power during day time, then what happens to the excess 80 watts
of current generated by solar panels?
The excess 80 watts will go directly in to your battery storage, not only that 80 watts,
if you switch off the LVD TV for 5 hours in day time, that 80 watts used by LCD also
goes to battery storage directly.
So, you can use the excess current during night time, as you have heavy power cut
even at night time, we should limit our power usage to 200 watts/hr during day time,
the excess 100 watts/hr will be stored in the battery. we can use it later during
nightime.
MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER !

In this whole setup, one thing you should remember is

Point No.1 –> Manually switch off the Grid power supply to inverter
every morning 7 or 8 AM (according to the availability of sun light)
Point No.2 –> Manually switch on the Grid power supply to inverter
on evening time, when sunlight goes off.
What is Solar Net Metering and How Does it Work

Many consumers who are thinking about going solar have heard the term “net
metering” but aren’t sure what it means.
What is Net Metering?
Put simply, net metering is a utility billing mechanism available in most states that
offers a credit to residential and business customers who are making excess electricity
with their solar panel systems and sending it back to the grid.
How Does Net Metering Work?
When you have a rooftop solar system, it can often generate more electricity than you
consume during daylight hours.
With net metering, the homeowner is only billed for the “net” energy used each month,
that is, the difference between the energy produced by the solar power system and the
energy consumed by the house over the monthly billing period.
When your house or business is net-metered, you’ll see the meter run backwards, and
that means, depending upon local policies, you may get a credit to hedge against the
electricity you use from the grid when it’s not sunny or at nighttime. You are then
billed only for your “net” energy use. The excess energy generated gets put back to the
grid for your neighbors to use. (Read about net metering for businesses on the
SunPower Business Feed.)
The Benefits of Net Metering
Net metering can save homeowners hundreds of dollars on their
utility bills every year, so it’s a good reason to make the money-
saving choice and go solar sooner rather than later.

There’s another benefit from net metering. Since your solar

system is generating electricity near the point where it will be
used, this reduces strain on the grid’s distribution and
transmission infrastructure and minimizes energy loss from
sending voltage many miles from the nearest power plant. While
some claim that net metering represents an unfair burden on
non-solar electricity customers, many net metering cost-benefit
studies have found the opposite to be true.
Pros and Cons of Monocrystalline vs Polycrystalline solar panels
Published on 08/23/2017 by Andrew Sendy, updated on 03/06/2019
Read time: 6 minutes

What are the pros and cons of Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline and Thin Film
solar panels?

There are 3 types of technology utilized in the solar panels available on the market
today, these are monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin film amorphous.
As the names suggest Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline are both types of solar cells
that are made from crystalline silicon. Almost all quotes you will get when considering
buying solar panels for your home will use crystalline solar panels.
2-3 years ago the most common type of solar panel used in residential solar
installations in America were monocrystalline solar panels but in the last three years
polycrystalline solar panels have become the most commonly used solar panels in
residential solar installations in America.
These types of crystalline silicon solar panels are known in the industry as simply
'Mono' or 'Poly' panels.
It is more important that you choose a good brand of solar panels. A good brand of
solar panels is from a company that invests heavily in the quality of their
manufacturing process and invests heavily in their reputation.

The five best solar panels based on consumer reviews in 2019

SolarReviews has a list of the top 20 solar panels in 2019 based on reviews by actual
residential solar panel owners. The top five based on customer ratings are:
1. SunPower
2. LG Solar
3. SolarWorld Americas Inc.
4. Canadian Solar
5. Silfab
Both monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar cells are
very similar in performance. What really determines your
outcome in terms of system performance over the lifetime
of the solar panel is a lack of defects in the manufacturing
process and having a company that will replace the panels
if their performance falls below the warranted levels.

Thin film is a totally different technology. It is much less

efficient and therefore uses much more roof space. Its one
advantage is that it performs better in low light conditions,
when there is partial shading of the system or in extreme
heat.
The key facts about each type of solar cell:
Monocrystalline

Overview and Appearance

This is the oldest and most developed of the three technologies. Monocrystalline
panels as the name suggests are created from a single continuous crystal structure. A
Monocrystalline panel can be identified from the solar cells which all appear as a
single flat color.
Construction
They are made through the Czochralski method where a
silicon crystal ‘seed’ is placed in a vat of molten silicon.
The seed is then slowly drawn up with the molten silicon
forming a solid crystal structure around the seed known
as an ingot. The ingot of solid crystal silicon that is formed
is then finely sliced ingot what is known as a silicon wafer.
This is then made into a cell.

The Czochralski process results in large cylindrical ingots.

Four sides are cut out of the ingots to make silicon wafers.
A significant amount of the original silicon ends up as
waste.
Polycrystalline

Overview and Appearance

Polycrystalline or Multicrystalline are a newer technology and vary in the
manufacturing process.
Construction
Polycrystalline also start as a silicon crystal ‘seed’ placed in a vat of molten silicon.
However, rather than draw the silicon crystal seed up as with Monocrystalline the vat
of silicon is simply allowed to cool. This is what forms the distinctive edges and grains
in the solar cell.
Polycrystalline cells were previously thought to be inferior to Monocrystalline because
they were slightly less efficient, however, because of the cheaper method by which
they can be produced coupled with only slightly lower efficiencies they have become
the dominant technology on the residential solar panels market.

In November 2015 Trina Solar announced that it had produced a multi-crystalline cell
with efficiency of 21.25%. This should allow them to produce polycrystalline modules
with efficiencies between 18-20% a concept that was thought impossible as recently
as 2013.

Underpinning the new record for p-type multicrystalline solar cells has been the
continued quality improvements of multicrystalline wafers that have helped pushed
standard 60-cell multicrystalline panels from 240W to 260W in recent years.

Polycrystalline are now very close to Monocrystalline cells in terms of efficiency.

Source: www.pv-tech.org/news/trina-solar-sets-new-21.25-multicrystalline-cell-
efficiency-record
Thin Film

Overview and Appearance

Thin film panels are a totally different technology to Mono and Polycrystalline panels.
They are a new technology compared to Mono and Polycrystalline cells and would not
be considered a mature technology as vast improvements in this technology are
expected in the next 10 years.
A thin film panel can be identified as having a solid black appearance. They may or
may not have a frame, if the panel has no frame it is a thin film panel.
Construction
Thin film panels are made by depositing a photovoltaic substance onto a solid surface
like glass. The photovoltaic substance that is used varies and multiple combinations
of substances have successfully and commercially been used. Examples of the most
common photovoltaic substances used are:
 Amorphous Silicon
 Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)
 Copper indium gallium selenide (CGIS)
 Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC)
Each of the above are known as different panel 'types' but all fall under the umbrella
of being a Thin Film panel.
Performance
Thin film cells have got a reputation as being the ‘worst’ of the solar panel
technologies because they have the lowest efficiency. However, this is only because
they have a lower power efficiency which only means they require the most space for
the same amount of power. Since they are becoming the cheapest panels to produce
because of the low material costs for thin film they are quickly becoming the more
economically efficient panel types.
Depending on the technology, thin-film module prototypes have reached efficiencies
between 7–13% and production modules operate at about 9%. Future module
efficiencies are expected to climb close to the about 10–16%.
The market for thin-film PV grew at a 60% annual rate from 2002 to 2007. In 2011,
close to 5% of U.S. photovoltaic module shipments to the residential sector were
based on thin-film.

Advantages of Monocrystalline
1. Monocrystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency rates since they are
made out of the highest-grade silicon. On October 2 2105, SolarCity announced
that it has developed the world’s most efficient solar panels. The new panels
convert more than 22% of sunlight into electricity.
2. Just days later Panasonic announced it had trumped that achievement. A
Panasonic solar panel has established a new world record module conversion
efficiency of 22.5% on a commercial sized prototype using solar cells based on
mass production technology. The test results were confirmed by the renowned
Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The
72-cell, 270-watt prototype incorporates newly developed enhanced technology
that will eventually be scaled into volume production.
3. Panasonic also says it is introducing the HIT® N330, the latest addition to the
company's high-efficiency hetero-junction photovoltaic module product line and
its most powerful photovoltaic module to date. It will be available in the UK and
other European markets starting in March, 2016. Manufactured at Panasonic's
state-of-the-art, vertically integrated solar fabrication facilities in Malaysia, HIT®
N330 features 19.7% module-level efficiency and a nominal power output of 330
watts.
4. Monocrystalline silicon solar panels are space-efficient. Since these solar panels
yield the highest power outputs, they also require the least amount of space
compared to any other types. However, monocrystalline solar panels produce
marginally more power per square foot of space used in an array and so.
5. Monocrystalline Panels have a long lifespan. Most solar panel manufacturers put
a 25-year warranty on their monocrystalline solar panels. Because both types of
crystalline solar panels are made from crystalline silicon, a very inert and stable
material it is very likely that these solar panels will last much longer then their
25 year warranty life.
 6. Monocrystalline solar panels tend to be more efficient in warm weather. With all
solar cells electricity production falls as temperature goes up. However, this
degradation of output is less severe in monocrystalline panels than
polycrystalline solar panels. However, in practice the difference is very small. The
level to which each solar panels production falls as temperature increase sis
called the temperature co-efficient and is published with the specifications for
each panel.
This article is solely about different types of solar panels. If you want to learn about
what other equipment a photovoltaic system consists off, go to Solar Power System.
Disadvantages of Monocrystalline solar panels
1. Monocrystalline solar panels are the most expensive. In recent years a rash in
installation of polycrystalline ingot, cell and module production efficiencies have
mean that polycrystalline solar panel have become more common and have
benefited from costs advantages over mono panels. Most manufacturers that still
make mono panels have targeted the premium end of the market.
Advantages of Polycrystalline solar panels
1. The process used to make polycrystalline silicon is simpler and cost less. The
amount of waste silicon is less compared to monocrystalline.
2. Polycrystalline solar panels tend to have slightly lower heat tolerance than
monocrystalline solar panels. Polycrystalline solar panels will tend to have a
higher temperature co-efficient than solar modules made with mono cells. This
means that as heat increased output for this type of cell will fall less. However, in
practice these differences are very minor.

Disadvantages of Polycrystalline solar panels

1. The efficiency of polycrystalline-based solar panels is typically 14-16%. Because
of lower silicon purity, polycrystalline solar panels are not quite as efficient as
monocrystalline solar panels.
2. Lower space-efficiency. You generally need to cover a larger surface to output
the same electrical power as you would with a solar panel made of
monocrystalline silicon. However, this does not mean every monocrystalline solar
panel perform better than those based on polycrystalline silicon.
 3. Monocrystalline and thin-film solar panels tend to be more aesthetically pleasing
since they have a more uniform look compared to the speckled blue color of
polycrystalline silicon.

Advantages of Thin Film solar panels

1. Mass-production is simple. This makes them and potentially cheaper to
manufacture than crystalline-based solar cells.
2. Their homogeneous appearance makes them look more appealing.
3. Can be made flexible, which opens up many new potential applications.
4. High temperatures and shading have less impact on solar panel performance.
5. In situations where space is not an issue, thin-film solar panels can make sense.
Disadvantages of Thin Film solar panels
1. Thin-film solar panels are in general not very useful for in most residential
situations. They are cheap, but they also require a lot of space. SunPower's
monocrystalline solar panels produce up to four times the amount of electricity
as thin-film solar panels for the same amount of space.
2. Low space-efficiency also means that
the costs of PV-equipment (e.g. support
structures and cables) will increase.
3. Thin-film solar panels tend to degrade
faster than mono-crystalline and
polycrystalline solar panels, which is
why they typically come with a shorter
warranty.
 The 3 Best Batteries For
An Off-Grid Energy System
What are the best batteries for an off-grid energy system?

Because of the falling prices of renewable energy systems, more and more people are looking to
use alternative energy sources as a way to:

Save money
Become more energy independent
And break their dependence on the big energy companies

However, installing a renewable energy system, in

most cases, requires you to make a considerable
initial investment that you won’t get back for several
years. One of the biggest expenses associated with
alternative energy systems is the batteries in the
battery bank.
So choosing the correct batteries for your off-grid system is crucial (and keeping the batteries
alive as long as possible is also critically important)!

What are the best batteries to use in your solar power,

wind power, or other alternative energy system?
1. Lead Acid-Batteries VS. Other Battery Technologies in a battery bank

2. Deep Cycle vs. Shallow Cycle Batteries in a battery bank

3. Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries (FLA) VS Sealed Lead-Acid Batteries (SLA) in a battery bank

4. And finally, which 3 Batteries we recommend for your residential off-grid energy system
(based on the criteria we go over in this article)
Lead Acid-Batteries vs. Other Battery Technologies

Many of the batteries that are used in renewable

energy systems were originally designed for other
purposes. The most prominent example of this is the
lead acid battery which has dominated the industry for
a
long time.

Deep cycle lead-acid batteries have proven to be one of the best (and most affordable) battery
types for alternative energy system battery banks for these
reasons:
 They’re able to withstand frequent discharging
They’re cheaper than other kinds of batteries
They have more rugged durability in a battery bank
They deliver more consistent performance than other batteries

The fact that they are widely produced also means that they are relatively easy to replace if a
battery in your battery bank needs replacing.

Deep Cycle vs. Shallow Cycle (Car) Batteries

Back when the renewable energy industry was still picking up steam, people that wanted to go
completely off the grid would often have to improvise and make do with car batteries. However,
car batteries were never built for this purpose and shouldn’t be continuously drained and
recharged (which is what they need to do in a solar panel or wind turbine system).

Car batteries are supposed to be used only for starting and ignition. If you take a look inside one,
you will see that they have a large number of thin plates.
These plates have a big total surface area that can facilitate a large number of chemical reactions.
When you start your car, these reactions produce the sudden burst of power that is needed for
ignition.

Deep cycle batteries on the other hand, have thick lead plates that don’t give much room for
chemical reactions. Though they produce less current, they are designed to do so for a much
longer period of time.

In essence, car batteries are “shallow cycle” batteries that will quickly burn out when used as
storage for renewable power.

Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries (FLA) VS Sealed Lead- Acid

Batteries (SLA)

Before telling you what three batteries are best for alternative energy system’s battery banks, it
should be made clear why flooded lead-acid batteries (FLA’s) are better for renewable energy
than sealed lead-acid batteries (SLA’s).
One of the reasons that some people favour SLA’s is because they require little maintenance.
Unlike FLA’s that need to be checked regularly for water level, SLA’s that are used properly can
be left alone.

However, sealed lead-acid batteries have two big flaws: they are sensitive and wear out quickly.
So if you’re planning on using your solar panel or wind power system every day, this will
eventually pose a problem.

So, here are the categories of flooded lead-acid batteries that are best for an off- the-grid power
system:
The 3 Best Batteries
So now that we know we want a lead acid battery, that’s flooded (FLA), and also has deep cycle
properties …here are our 3 favorite batteries for an off-grid system’s battery bank:

So, here are the categories of flooded lead-acid batteries that are best for an off- the-grid power
system:

1) Golf Cart Batteries five to six year life span

Golf cart batteries are the most widely
manufactured batteries on this list.

They also work great in an alternative energy

system application. So it’s no surprise that
they’re one of the most commonly used
batteries in battery banks for renewable
energy systems.
2) Industrial or Forklift Batteries

A battery bank that uses one or more industrial

batteries follows the opposite philosophy of a golf cart
battery bank. Instead of relying on multiple strings of
smaller batteries, you use a few or even one battery
to store all of your energy.
Because these batteries aren’t usually manufactured to standard dimensions, you will have to
have one made that is just right for your needs.

Or you can try to find an old industrial or forklift battery that’s the correct size for your system
and use that.

Other things to consider are:

These bigger batteries will be heavier and more difficult to move around. There may be
advancements in battery technology that could make the battery obsolete in years to
come.
3) L16 Batteries

If you want batteries that have a little more capacity

than golf cart batteries but don’t want to spend on
industrial batteries, L16 batteries are a good middle
ground..

These flooded lead-acid batteries were originally designed for supermarket floor scrubbers.
The good thing with these batteries is that they last a bit longer than golf cart batteries – about
six to eight years. However, they are often twice as heavy and the 6-volt models can be twice as
expensive.

Conclusion

Different homes will have different power requirement and will need battery banks that are sized
accordingly.

If you build a battery bank using any of the three batteries mentioned above, you should be able
to create a battery bank that is just right for your needs.