Home Solar Panel Systems

Broadly, there are two categories of solar panel systems that you can install for your home, and the difference is whether your PV system is attached to the mains power grid. Both types of systems can use any type of solar panel, crystalline, thin-cell, or hybrid, and can be installed to any size. But the way they are used and the way they can save you energy are very different.

The first type of PV system is a solar panel system that is also tied to the mains that still services your house. This is known as a grid-tied system. This is the type of installation that is most common in urban areas of the UK where most houses are already on the grid. This type of system does not store excess electricity, but simply places it onto the main grid; in effect you became a small scale supplier of electricity and your supply company pays you for that electricity each month at their set rate.

The second type of solar panel system can be thought of as a battery-tied system. With this system, all excess electricity generated by the solar panels is stored in a set of batteries. Electricity from the batteries can then be used whenever the current supplied by the solar panels is insufficient, such as in the evening, or can even provide all power themselves at night. This type of system is more suitable for a home that is off grid and you are looking to supplement other microgeneration sources of electricity such as generators. The advantage here is that the battery system could be easily tied to the other microgeneration systems as well.

Both types of solar panel systems have solar panels and an inverter to convert the DC current supplied by your solar panel to the AC current your house appliances accept. In addition to these two common components, a grid-tied system will also have a two-way meter to monitor current flow both into and out of the mains for your house. This is important if you want to receive payment for the excess electricity your solar panels produce that you supply to the grid. The battery-tied system has a set of batteries, usually NiMH, which also must be sized accordingly to the amount of electricity you wish to store and the amount that your solar panels can produce.

One final thing to think about is the type of solar panel you install. Most installations will be with a solar panel that is mounted overtop your rooftiles or on a frame beside your house. But some solar panels have been developed to replace your roof tiles. Having a building integrated photovoltaics (BiPV) systems installed, as they are called, is something to consider if you need to replace your roof tiles anyway.

Next: Is Solar Panel Power Right for You?