Since the dawn of technology, it has been a power generation solution finding thirst, from one to another. Finally, crowning the most potent form of energy, the first that man has known since ancient times. The sun. Since then, it has been another race to advance using the un-ending power exhibited by the most vibrant sun, the solar energy, to help sustain all the energy needs of man.

Man has done wonders, utilizing solar energy into electric energy for daily purpose use. As a principle, every method of using this energy is the same. Solar panels are converting the sunlight into DC power with the phenomenon known as the photovoltaic effect. This DC power can then be stored in a battery and used portable as per user requirements.

To harness this energy effectively, there were three types of system built to increase the efficiency potentially,

  1. On-Grid. Also called a grid-feed or grid-tie solar system
  2. Off-grid. Also called a stand-alone power system.
  3. Hybrid grid. A grid-connected solar system with battery storage.

With each of the system being used in specific places, here is an in detailed look for each of them,

  • On-Grid system

The on grid solar power plant systems are the most common and most widely used type of design since they are mainly used by homes and businesses to render solar power for their small time-efficient use. It’s a battery-less system that uses either solar inverters or micro-inverters, which are also connected to a public electricity grid. This mechanism is in place so that any excess solar power you generate can be exported quickly to these public grids to ensure no energy loss. You do get paid and credited for the energy you donate.

These grids cannot carry out the task of electricity generation in cases of blackouts, unlike the hybrid grid systems. This is in place for safety reasons and not the inability of the on-grid solar power plant system. Blackouts usually are caused due to a power failure in the original electricity grid. If your inverter keeps on feeding energy to a damaged grid, it may be potentially risky to have an active current flowing for the people trying to repair the grid. You can easily install batteries to your on girds, though, if required at a later stage.

As a primary working mechanism, here is what exactly happens inside the switchboard,

  1. The extra amount of solar energy dissipates through the meter, which calculates the amount of power exported or imported.
  2. Metering system- usually varies from region to region. Still, a standard system measures the energy generated by your system and is going to pass through the meter before reaching the meter and not after it.
  3. The electricity grid. The consumer can now use the power sent to the grid via your solar system.

 Off-Grid system

With battery storage attached to the grid, the off grid solar power system does not supply and export the extra converted energy and, in turn, stores this in the battery storage for later use. The off-grid systems are to be appropriately designed in such a way that they can withstand supplying and generating enough power the entire year with also having enough battery storage capacity to meet fundamental house requirements even in times of harsh weathers like winters and rainy-cloudy conditions when sunlight is at a bare minimum to gather energy from.

The additional battery requirement and high functioning expectations make the off-grid solar power system much more expensive than its counterpart, the on-grid systems. Hence, this system is installed mainly in remote and distant places where the grids are far from reach. But due to the advancement in technology and power enhancement techniques, more capable battery storage are being available, which in turn is helping the off-grid market proliferate.

Here is a breakdown of the significant parts of an off-grid system,

  1. The battery bank. Due to the absence of a public grid connection, the system’s backbone is supposedly battery storage. Once the appliances draw out the required energy, the excess extra amount is stored in this battery. And once it is fully charged, it will stop drawing in more energy. In times of blackout or energy cannot be generated, the appliances would draw power from this bank.
  2. Backup generator. When the weather tends to stay harsh, you are still unable to generate electricity due to lack of solar power, and even your battery has run dry, you’ll direly need a backup source. That is your backup generators.