Solar Grid Tie System

Solar PV systems offer lots of benefits to residential and commercial property owners, most remarkably ensures them a renewable and low-cost energy source for usage. However, a few extra benefits will be available based on the type of solar power system you select, and it is necessary to consider the positive and negative aspects of solar on Grid systems and off-grid systems, in order to choose the best option that is perfect for you.

Solar Grid Tie systems are the most familiar and standard type of solar PV system in use throughout the world. This type of power system keeps connected, or “tied” to the local electrical grid and sends excess power back to it for earning revenue from SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits). The solar on Grid systems are capable to maintain power supply even when the solar PV panels don’t get enough sun exposure and can’t produce the adequate amount of energy to meet the needs. The residential or commercial property that is installed with a solar Grid Tie system is often rewarded by the local utility company for the extra power generation. As long as the solar PV panels produce electricity for the user consumption without any grid supply, the power will be free of cost. Even if the house or business consumes more power than the generated amount, it will be billed at a discount on the local electricity rates for extra consumption through the grid.

Determining the right size of your solar grid-tie system is a lot easier than an off-grid system as the local power company maintains all the power-related details for you. There are different ways that you can find a right solar system of this kind. You can look at electricity bills for several months to find out how much is your monthly electricity consumption in kWh and target a solar on a Grid system that would meet your average electricity needs per month.  

Once you are done with this, you may like to know how small or large a solar on-grid system will be or to make sure that you have enough space on the ground or roof to accommodate a system like this. Your electrician may recommend you a few things to bring down your power usage or replace the existing appliances in your home to make it more energy efficient.

If your local power supply company follows a tiered billing structure which means you are charged a specific rate for baseline usage and then bigger rates for exceeding that baseline or using a certain percentage of power over the baseline, you should select a solar grid-tie system that reduces the over usage and higher electricity rates which results in a greater savings on your investment. The below-given steps will help you easily determine the right size of solar grid-tie system you need for your building.

1. Know your average electricity usage per month by going through your electricity bill for several months.  It will be mentioned in kWh.
2. Calculate your average electricity usage per day (divide your monthly average kWh by 30).
3. For your location, find the average peak sun hours per day (kWh/sq.m/Day).  
4. Determine the solar grid-tie system size (AC kW) to meet 100% of your electricity usage (divide your daily average electric usage by the daily average peak sun hours for your location).
5. Divide the result in AC by .77 to get a reduced power rating factor for the system components. It may happen due to temperature, wire defect, component ineffectiveness, etc.
6. Multiply the above result by 1000 to get watts (AC output) of the system.
7. Divide the alternating current output of a solar on a grid system by the watt of the module that you desire to use in order to know the exact number of modules you need to cover 100% of your electricity needs.

If you are looking to improve the energy efficiency of your off the grid home or business, 123 Zero Energy stocks a wide variety of solar grid-tie kits coming with Enphase micro inverters, string inverters, solar panel optimizers that are even ready to install. Each of them comes in a complete package along with the components that you need to start with renewable energy production. Check out the list of solar on grid systems available on 123 Zero Energy along with their pricing, features etc. Call its expert energy consultants at +1(800) 317-9054 to get a recommendation on the right size solar grid-tie system for your home or office immediately!

Solar Water Heating(SWH) System

Each time you feel the warmth of the sunrays on the rooftop or courtyard, it reminds you of a natural energy source is always there for the hot water and space heating needs at your home. It is available in an unlimited amount and at free of cost!

 

You may be aware that it is possible to convert sunlight into electricity using the solar panels, but it may feel shocking & interesting for you that the same can generate heat energy for solar water heating and space heating. Solar water heating is a cost efficient technology in use to produce heat energy in abundance for your domestic or commercial needs. It will save money on utility bills which will ultimately pay for the SWH installation cost.

 

Selecting the best solar water heating system may not be easy without proper knowledge; it is recommended to seek for a specialist’s help, who has experience of installing the SWHs and providing quick consultation on them. There are two widely used varieties of solar water heating systems available for your choice.  A Passive solar water heating system does not require any pump induced energy but, the natural gravitation force to help the water circulate from collectors to the tank. It has less number of mechanical parts, reduced maintenance/servicing cost and low expenses for initial setup. Whereas an Active solar water heater is a more expensive, yet energy efficient type having pumps and controls to aid in the process of water circulation. 

Both of these solar water heating systems include two key components – a solar collector and a water storage tank. The solar collectors capture the sunrays before converting them into heat energy. They can be of the following types:

• Flat plate collector:  well insulated and glazed collectors following a flat-plate assembly method
• Evacuated-tube collector: the transparent and energy efficient glass tubes arranged in rows with little scope for heat loss from them.
• Integral collector or Batch collector: a system made of single or multiple tanks or tubes kept in an insulated box for long term water storage. It does not fit cold climates due to the risk of freezing pipes in heavy cold condition.

While looking to pick up the best SWH for your home, you need to review the solar water heating systems from all angles. It is the geographical region, climate condition and your home’s position that will be crucial in deciding which solar heating system will be perfect for you.

The active solar heating systems can make up for your extra expenses with lowered utility bills per month. They can be of the following types:

• An indirect circulation system uses a heat exchanger to transfer heat into the water storage tank from a nonfreezing fluid circulating in it. This kind of system suits the very cold regions where the temperature may fall drastically to cause the pipes freeze at any time.
• A direct circulation system uses pumps to let the water circulate through the collectors and then flow back into the storage tank. They function well in mild climates where there is no risk of temperature going below the freezing point.

Passive solar heating systems are normally more reliable, durable, less costly to install, but they are not as efficient as the active ones.  They can again be of two types:

• A thermo-syphon passive system makes the hot water rise from the collector to the crest of a tank without the use of a pump. In this case the collector is fitted underneath the storage tank to make use of the natural gravitational force.
• An Integral collector-storage passive system assembles hot water in storage tanks or tubes that are placed inside an insulated box and fits the best in mild weather conditions.

An apparent problem in using solar energy is the lack of control on the weather. If you reside in a dark and cold area with only a few sunny days experienced in a year or there is no south facing roof in your residence then the solar water heating may not prove to be as effective as it should.

If all these details can’t eliminate your doubts or confusion, don’t feel worried at all! Solar water heating systems have been in use for a long time but are not extensively used everywhere, therefore asking for advice and guidance from 123 Zero Energy would be a worthy step to take before looking to invest in one.

To ask your query regarding solar water heating systems or their prices, 123 Zero Energy can be visited online or contacted over phone at 1-800-317-9054

Purchase the Right Solar PV System

Purchasing a solar PV system for your home can be a profitable deal due to great savings on energy cost, but you should not get carried away by their advertisements. Be sure not to forget the key aspects of your solar photovoltaic system purchase as it demands for a huge investment initially which is quickly paid off through energy savings made over the time of its usage. Below are considered some essential factors which you should consider for purchasing the right solar PV system.

See it working and know the issue-

Ask your family, friends, colleagues or neighbors who have already installed solar PV systems in their homes; they will guide you with their own experiences and probably warn you about certain issues that have been facing all these years – the ones that you certainly like not to get caught with. Ask each of them about possible issues in their solar PV systems and their brand names (local/international).

Manufacturer’s warranty offer-

Be aware of what guarantees and warranties the solar PV system manufacturer offers. If the solar system manufacturer has a good reputation and the warranty offered on the panels is valid for 25 years you can expect the solar PV system to last for a time long enough to pay back your investment and make you earn a profit. However, to enjoy the warranty offered on the product, the manufacturer should be operative in the market; so keep away from the brands without a solid presence in your area.

Reasonable price goal-

If you are asked to pay considerably less than what other same size solar PV systems cost, you may receive low quality components and poorly done installation work. Quality components and installation can’t be very cheap and, just like other product purchases you make in your lifetime; you are likely to get what you pay for. Though highly established companies are able to offer you systems at good savings based on an increased number of their product purchases, other companies are seen cutting costs by compromising things like quality and performance.

CSA and UL certifications of Solar Panels-

It is applicable to your solar panel purchases, because you will get the confirmation that your panels have the best energy yield capacity that would bring you great investment in the industry.

Decide on the right kind of solar panels- 

There is a wide variety of solar panels like on-grid panels, off-grid panels, hybrid solar panels and standard solar panels. Whether you are interested in expandable solar PV systems or Tier 1 manufactured panels to meet your energy needs at home, you can always find the best quality products available in the market for use.

Solar panel racking-

Solar panel racking is a crucial part of your solar PV system installation which can increase the energy production by 20%. Be sure that the ground, roof mounting or racking system is strong enough to keep the system secure and survive the snowfall as well as the wind in your area.

Solar inverter effectiveness- 

Check for the effectiveness of the inverter used in the solar PV system. Evidently, the more advanced is the inverter technology (Enphased Inverter) the better will be the reliability, energy production and system performance.

Get multiple quotes-

You are recommended to ask for more than one quotes before making any solar system purchase as the price may tend to vary a lot between different providers; but never and ever settle for the lowest priced system which might have low grade components in it which may end up costing you further in the long run in terms of breakdown and maintenance etc.

If you want to order highly efficient and reasonably priced solar PV systems, 123 Zero Energy is available with a wide array of options all the time. Consider going through the range of solar PV systems on 123 Zero Energy at your convenience and contact us it at +1(800) 317-9054 to immediately place an order for the desired one!

To find the best solar PV system for your residential or commercial use, please keep connected to its expert team of renewable energy consultants via sales@123zeroenergy.com