11 Top Tips for Going Off-Grid Solar Systems
Off-grid Solar Systems – often referred to as Stand-alone power systems (SAPS) – work by generating electricity from solar panels and using it to charge a solar battery via a solar charger controller. The electricity is then converted using an inverter so that it can power your home or business appliances. By storing the electricity in a solar battery, it is possible to run your home exclusively from solar energy, even at night, or during times when there is less than optimal sun exposure.
If you have the option of going an off-grid solar system, it’s worth considering the pros and cons as opposed to staying connected to the grid. Of course, you may be forced to go off-grid due to the remote location of your property.
But that’s not the topic of this article. Today we’d like to talk about 11 Top off-grid Solar Tips that can help avoid making costly mistakes.
Tip No. 1 Rember, safety first! Don’t go above 100 Amps for your off-grid solar system
There are too many problems and too much danger with using a high current. If you make a mistake with that much current, you can seriously injure yourself or even kill yourself or burn down your property. You can still start a fire with less current, but there’s a reason why almost all solar charge controllers on the market max out at 80 Amps.
Also, deep cycle solar batteries don’t like to provide high current as starter batteries do. They aren’t built the same way, and the voltage will sag under high load. Your inverter has a voltage range that it will operate within. If the battery bank voltage drops too low, the inverter will shut itself off. So if you need more power, to increase the voltage(from 12V to 24V or 48V) will be a better option.
Tip No. 2 Use the highest system voltage for off-grid solar systems
Most people start exploring off-grid solar systems with the system voltage of 12 volts. 12 volts is very common, and that makes things easy because there are lots of choices of batteries, inverters, chargers, and devices such as light bulbs that can use 12VDC. However, 12 volts suffers badly from voltage drop.
Also, deep cycle solar batteries don’t like to provide high current as starter batteries do. They aren’t built the same way, and the voltage will sag under high load. Your inverter has a voltage range that it will operate within. If the battery bank voltage drops too low, the inverter will shut itself off. So if you need more power, to increase the voltage(from 12V to 24V or 48V) will be a better option.
Voltage drop is the voltage that is lost between the power source and the destination load because of the resistance. In other words, the more resistance from wires and connectors, the less usable voltage you will have to work with. There are two ways around this, one of them is to increase the system voltage. For example, if you’re transferring 60 Amps over a 15 feet 8 gauge wire at 12 volts, you lose 1.13 volts or 9.42% of your power. By increasing your system voltage to 24 volts, you will decrease the percentage of voltage drop by half; rising again, to fully able to cut the voltage drop percent by 1/4 compared to 12 volts. So as you can see, you’re still losing 1.13 volts in the equation, but it’s much less of a big deal when you’re running 24 or 48 volts.
Tip No. 3 Buy the biggest, fattest wire you can afford for off-gird solar systems
This is the other way around voltage drop because heavier gauge wire has less resistance than smaller gauge wire. This will also allow you to add capacity or upgrade in the future for unanticipated needs. Anyhow, there’s nothing worse than realizing you have to buy more wire a year or two down the line because you cheap out or didn’t plan ahead.
Tip No. 4 Better overbuild off-grid solar systems
You may find many professionals show you how to calculate what you’re going to need as far as solar panels and batteries for your off-grid solar system. The math is important, but in the real world, there are so many variables you can’t ideally account for. And you’ll end up sometimes with an underperforming system. When an off-grid solar system underperforms, that leaves you either in the dark or you have to run a generator to supplement. So we would recommend always adding in at least 20 to 30% of extra solar panels and batteries for any off-grid solar system.
Tip No.5 Skip the sun-tracking solar systems
Tracking systems do a great job and will be able to increase energy production. But you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck by investing in more solar panels for your off-grid system than you will in a solar TRACKER. Not only that, but it’s also a mechanical system that is prone to failure, and it’s almost guaranteed not to last the same 25 years or more as your solar panels will.
Tip No. 6 Make Your PV Panels Accessible
Do yourself a huge favor and have your solar panels (the star of 2020/2021, mono panels with square 158.75mm PERC cells) installed where you can get to them easily, if possible. Remember that you’ll need to clean them from time to time. It’s also a smart idea for the routine maintenance that your off-grid system will require.
Tip No.7 Put a battery monitor for your battery bank
A battery monitor is a handy device that provides vital information about the status of your battery bank. It can help you stay on top of maintenance and alert you to possible problems with your off-grid solar system. All of these data are critical, especially when you first make a move to going off the grid. It’ll allow you to keep track of your accumulated amp-hours for monitoring your household’s energy use.
A battery monitor shows the net amps in and out of a battery bank and the net amp-hours used since the battery was last fully charged.
Most also show things like voltage and percentage of full charge, maybe battery temperature and some other things.
Tip No. 8 Make a move to more efficient appliances
The last thing you want with an off-grid solar system is to waste energy needlessly. That is exactly the result if you don’t make a move from incandescent to LED light bulbs. Upward of 90 percent of the energy the former type receives goes toward heating them. We’d suggest skipping the CFLs because of the risk of handling them. Instead, go for the best option with the best ROI.
Tip No. 9 Get a backup generator for most off-grid solar systems
One reason that people make a move to go off the grid is the freedom to power their homes in the way they want. Unfortunately, nothing is infallible – including an off-grid solar system. The weather adds an unpredictable element to the mix that you shouldn’t ignore. That’s why we strongly urge you to get a backup generator as part of your installation.
Tip No.10 Wash your solar panels regularly
Over time your PV panels will collect dust, bird poop, and pollen, decreasing the power output dramatically. We found that you can lose over 30% of the power you’re supposed to get from your solar panels within just a few weeks of installing them. Rain won’t help much to take care of your PV panels, we found out that you actually have to wash them by yourself. So set a schedule and use some sort of non-abrasive brush and soapy water several times during the season to clean off your PV panels.
Tip No. 11 Stay current with the technology
You don’t have to delve too far in the solar power technology to realize that it’s in flux. You only have to look at how the prices have dropped in recent years to know that things are changing. That’s good for you because it means that you’ll get a better value for your money.
We’d also say to stay flexible with off-grid solar systems to take advantage of advances as they happen. After all, an off-grid solar system is a work-in-progress.
Conclusion
Going off the grid is an excellent way to take control of your energy needs that puts you in charge. You control your costs by managing the installation and the components of the system. The essential thing to remember is that your household must be smart about its electricity usage to make the most of your investment. After all, that’s likely one reason you’ve decided to go solar, anyway.
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