Off the Grid Solar Power Solutions for Your Home

There are several reasons, all of them good one, to install solar power at your homes. Off the grid solar power is may be the best bet for your home.

As if the considerable reduction in energy costs when you produce your own power is not enough. Additionally, you have the option of selling surplus power back to the utility company when you end up producing more than your require. Keep in mind that there are many government funded incentive programs to help with the purchase and the installation of your system. Moreover, the significant benefit is your contribution to the planet.

There are two choices when it comes to the power company – stay connected to the grid for power back up or go with off the grid solar power.

Electricity is produced by the basic grid-tie systems, which are those systems that stay connected to the grid. In this system, the excess electricity that you do not use goes back to your electric company’s power grid. Grid-tie systems are comprised of your solar panels, a combiner box, the DC (direct current) breaker box, an inverter, and a grid disconnect.

The DC breaker box is used to shut down the system safely for repair or maintenance. The inverter is used to convert your DC power to AC (alternating current) power at your home. The grid disconnect helps in stopping the flow of electricity back to the grid. You really would not want to send power back through a line, which is being repaired by electric company personnel.

Off the grid solar power systems are more complicated. The basic components of an off the grid solar power system is outlined below.

Solar panels are a necessity. An 2,500 square foot house consuming about 14,000 kWh, requires approximately 400 to 800 square feet of solar panels. The overall cost of the panels range from $35,000 to $72,000.  There is an additional installation cost of $7 to $9 per watt.
You have the choice of building and installing your own panels for much less.  This would cost about $8,000 plus the cost of mounting poles or legs to get proper angle for your panels.

The combiner box and the breakers for your panels will cost somewhere between $100 and $200 excluding installation. The cost of the power panel and the inverter will be about $4,000.

When you are using off the grid solar panels, the excess energy you generate needs an outlet since you cannot send it back to the power company. In this case, it is sent to a group of batteries stored near the power source. These special batteries will cost you about $2,000.

There are also incidental expenses like cables and shipping. The total cost of a self-assembled and self-installed off the grid solar power system will range between $10,000 and $15,000.