How Solar For Your Home Works
A grid-tied solar power system converts the energy of the sun into electricity
that can be used in your home or transferred to the local power utility if you
have excess. At Pacific Solar Homes, we typically install grid-tied photovoltaic
solar electric systems that benefit from net-metering. That means no batteries
to complicate matters. Here is a rough idea of system operation.
1. The photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into DC electricity.
2. The inverter converts DC electric into useable AC electric energy
3. During the day, solar energy is used locally in your home
4. During the day, excess energy not used is sent to the grid
5. At night, you use energy normally from the grid
2. The inverter converts DC electric into useable AC electric energy
3. During the day, solar energy is used locally in your home
4. During the day, excess energy not used is sent to the grid
5. At night, you use energy normally from the grid
System Size
We design your system based on your past electric use. Therefore if your power
bill is relatively low, you will need a smaller system to cover you electricity
needs, while someone who uses more electricity may require a larger system.
You may also elect to adjust the amount you offset your electric power needs
using your solar system. A full 100% offset means your solar system would cover
all your needs while a 50% offset system would be smaller and cheaper yet only
cover 50% of your electricity needs. The remaining power would come from your
utility.
Critical Factors
Your solar electric system is dependant on a few critical factors. When
designing your solar power system, these factors will dictate system location,
size and ultimately the cost for your system.
Direct sun
Obviously, the sun is the main player in the performance of your home solar
system. It is essential that your home has a direct line of sight to the sun
for your solar panels. Shading significantly affects the performance of your
system.
Location of equipment
Besides the solar panels, an accessible space needs to be identified to allow
the mounting of the inverter and shutoff switche(s). Ideally these should be
located in close proximity with your electric meter or circuit breaker panel.
Size of your current electric service
In our grid-tied design, your current curcuit breaker or fuse box will be
required to support the additional energy produced from your solar system.
Therefore, to ensure safety, your solar electric system is constrained by the
size of your power box. In most cases this is not a problem, however it could be.
Roof
Most likely your solar electric system will be installed on your roof. It is
therefore important to consider the roof pitch, roof material (shingles, tiles,
etc) and the underlying structure.