The solar power system is a complete setup ideal for home and commercial places, which helps in producing electricity by utilizing solar energy (sunlight). A solar power system is made up of solar panel (which absorbs sunlight), inverter (which converts DC electricity into AC), mounting structure (which holds the panels in place), batteries (helps to store the extra power generated), grid box and balance of systems (wires, nuts).
In other words, a solar power system is composed of numerous photovoltaic (PV) panels, inverter (a Dc to AC power converter), and a rack system that holds the PV panels in place (solar PV panels on the roofs of homes and businesses generate clean electricity by converting the energy in sunlight). Solar power system comes in 1 kW, 3kW, 5kW, 10kW, and several other capacities. It is a good choice for those who want to reduce their electric bills and their carbon footprint.
As the prices of electricity are rising, people across the world looking for renewable energy sources for their power, or electricity needs. Solar energy has now become a popular renewable energy source because of its cost-effective price and improving efficacies. And for this reason, the solar system for home has stepped forward in the market with its great features.
On-Grid Solar System
The on-grid solar system or Grid-tied solar system is a kind of solar system that generates current only when the utility power grid is available. In other words, the on-grid system is a solar system that generally works with the grid. Saving the electricity bill is the prime purpose of installing an on-grid solar system.
The on-grid solar power system consists of Solar Photovoltaic modules / Panels, DC-AC grid-tied solar Inverter and Installation Kit (includes mounting structures, ACDB, DCDB, A.C, D.C wire, Connectors, lighting arrestor, earthling cables).
The foremost benefit of installing an on-grid solar system for home is a cost-effective solution, which helps to pay for such systems by offsetting utility bills in 3-8 yrs. In addition to this, there are some other advantages of the on-grid solar system, including:
• Zero electricity bills (consumer has to pay only for the surplus electricity he consumes because the solar power system is connected to the grid only).
• Easy maintenance (on-grid solar power system has the least number of parts along with simple installation or fitting).
• Passive income generation (with connection to the grid, the consumer can charge for the surplus electricity he has generated, which is not only beneficial in reducing your electricity bills but also helps to avail the cost benefits for the excess electricity generated).
• Provides you with at least 5 years' payback time and free electricity for the next 20 years.
Moreover, the on-grid solar system is simple enough that anyone can install it by himself. The on-grid solar system price is affordable that anyone can purchase it by investing at pocket-friendly prices.
Off-Grid Solar System
The off-grid solar system is a popular type of solar power system with backup, which works both day and night. During the day time, solar panel charges the battery to run the home appliances with the use of DC, and at night or cloudy weather days when the sunlight is not available, inverter runs your home appliances (Air Conditioners, Cooler, Television and submersible pump, etc.) using the battery power or AC current.
The off-grid solar system allows you to store your solar power in batteries for future use, especially when the power grid goes down or if you are not on the grid. Hybrid systems are capable of providing power to balance the grid power whenever the sun shines, which enable to send excess power to the grid for later use.
The utmost benefit of using an off-grid solar system is to provide power for your critical loads when the power grid becomes down. An off-grid system is more prevalent that comes with a power backup and works independently of the grid.
Benefits of using off-grid solar system:
• Works as a self-sustainable system that can work independently and not depending on the grid
• Helps in avoiding power outages, which may occur without any warning
• Helps in generating enough power that can be stored and used at night or when the power grid is down
• Reduces electricity costs (fossil fuels are still the world's primary energy source)
• Easier installation facilities
• Best alternative for remote areas where there is no power access from the grid
• Keeps the environment clean and green
Hybrid Solar System
The hybrid solar system is another type of solar power system that generates power or electricity supply in the same way as the common grid-tie solar system does. The only difference of a hybrid solar system is that such a system uses batteries to store energy for later usage. A hybrid solar system can operate as backup power, and it is possible because of the ability to use the maximum amount of stored energy (uses this energy during a blackout which is similar to a UPS system).
The term ‘hybrid solar system’ refers to a combination of battery storage and solar systems in which the off-grid system is connected to the electricity grid. Hybrid solar system is classified into three types such as All-in-one Hybrid Inverter (which contains a battery inverter/charger and solar inverter together with clever controls), All-in-one Inverter with no Back-up (works like a grid feed solar inverter which enables storage of solar energy in the battery system for the self-use), and All-in-one Inverter with Back-up (used as both an on-grid or off-grid inverter, which has a great backup capability).
Advantages of hybrid solar system:
• Allows consumers to store excess solar power or low cost (off-peak) electricity
• Allows using of solar energy during the evening times (known as self-use or load-shifting)
• Facilitates with backup power capability that helps to provide power during a blackout or grid outage like a UPS function
• Enables advanced management of electricity power and energy independence
• Reduces the power consumption from the grid
Solar Accessories
Solar accessories are important for all your small and large-scale power generation requirements. The main accessories used in solar power system installation are Batteries, Solar Charge Controllers, Off-Grid Solar Panels, and Solar Battery Enclosures.
Solar batteries: Solar batteries for home energy systems are made using lithium-ion batteries (lighter and more compact than lead-acid batteries) rather than lead-acid, and saltwater. Lead-acid batteries are used in off-grid energy systems that have a relatively short life, and lower DoD than other battery types. Saltwater batteries (newcomer in the home energy storage industry) don’t contain heavy metals as compared to other home energy storage options. Solar batteries are considered the best in terms of battery capacity & power ratings, depth of discharge (DoD), round-trip efficiency, warranty, and finest manufacturing facilities.
Solar charge controllers: Solar charge controllers are a voltage regulator to keep batteries from overcharging and also regulates the current coming from the solar panels going to the battery. A solar charge controller is categorized into two different technologies, PWM and MPPT. An MPPT charge controller is more expensive than a PWM charge controller but worth buying it even if expending more money.
Off-grid solar panels: This particular solar panel consists of a battery, charge controller, grid box, inverter, mounting structure, and balance of systems. Off-grid solar panels can store enough sunlight during the day, and use the excess power generated in the night.
Solar battery enclosures: Solar battery enclosures are used to keep your batteries safe from weather, and safe from theft. It is attributed with feature locking mechanisms that protect unauthorized people against possible electrical dangers if they happen to be tampering with your equipment. Battery enclosures for solar systems are pole-mounted or ground-mounted and suitable for indoor and outdoor applications.
Definition of Solar Street Light
A solar street light is an effective outdoor lighting source operated through the use of solar energy. Solar Street Light is a recent technological innovation for lighting solutions, powered by photovoltaic (PV) panels. The PV panels having rechargeable batteries are fixed on the lighting structure or in the pole to provide power supply to the solar LED street light or street lamp during the night.
The solar panels or PV panels are designed in such a way to feed natural light source or sunlight. This enables the street light to provide sufficient light during the night, or cloudy days even for a couple of days when the sun’s energy is not available. People are switching to solar street lights these days due to several causes such as lesser maintenance, environment-friendly, eliminates your carbon footprints contribution, and handy solutions to lighting problems. Even solar street lights in India is also popular only because of these reasons. SolarClue is an online platform where people can find several solar street light manufacturers to purchase their preferred street light at different pricing portfolios.
Components of Solar Street Light
Solar Street Light is manufactured using five components, such as Solar Panel, Lighting Fixture, Rechargeable Battery, Controller, and Pole.
Solar Panel or PV Panel: - It is the main component of the solar street light that helps to convert solar energy into electricity. The solar panel is divided into two different types, mono-crystalline, and poly-crystalline.
Lighting Fixture: - Lighting fixtures like LED is another component used in solar street light that helps in providing much higher Lumens (total amount of visible light from a lamp or light source) with lower consumption of power. The primary benefit of an LED fixture is to consume energy consumption of about 50% lesser than the HPS fixture.
Rechargeable Battery: - It is used in collecting electricity from solar panels and stores it during the day time to provide power supply to the fixture during the night. Gel Cell Deep Cycle Battery and Lead Acid Battery are two different types of rechargeable batteries.
Controller: - It is also a crucial element of a solar street light. A controller is a vital part that decides when to switch on or off the charging battery and lighting system.
Pole: - It is an essential part of a solar street lighting system. Pole is built-in supporting the fixtures, panels, and batteries as they get mounted on the top of the pole.
Types of Solar Street Lights
There is a total of four types of solar street lights available in the market.
1. Off-Grid Split Type Solar Street Light System
2. Grid-Tie Solar Street Light System (Grid-Tie Single Inverter, Grid-Tie Micro-Inverter)
3. Solar & Wind Hybrid Solar Street Light System
4. All-In-One Solar Street Light System
Working Principle or Functionalities of Solar Street Light
The optimum functionality of solar street light is to offering lightning solutions at night for several streets and by using natural energy called sunlight. A solar street light is generally functioned by PV solar cells that convert the energy of sunlight into electrical energy by the use of the semiconductor material of the device. This entire process of energy conversion (called a photovoltaic effect or Photovoltaic cells) is used in storing solar power in batteries during the day and provides proper light at night with illumination reduced to 10lux.
After this, the solar cells board is used to open the circuit voltage of about 4.5V. Then the charging and discharging controller is used to protect the battery and detects movement of the voltage value. This entire process is the working principle of solar street lights.
Advantages of Solar Street Light
• The operation cost is inexpensive as the solar street light independently works
• Known as a pollution-free source of producing electricity to offer lighting solutions
• It is used not by utilizing any external wires hence, negligible chances of occurrence of accidents happened
• It has lower chances of overheating
• Easy accessibility of smart street light in remote areas because the parts of this lighting system carry easily.
Solar Components are important for every home solar electric system to help in producing electricity and converting it into the alternating current; thereby using in home appliances, storing excess electricity, and maintain safety.
Solar components are classified into seven categories such as Solar Pumps, Solar Charge Controllers, Solar Combiners, Solar Mounting Structure, Solar Tools, Solar Cables, and Solar Surge Protection Devices. These all are functioned using solar energy (sunlight), which turns into electricity. The entire solar components are manufactured and stringently inspected as per International Quality and Safety Standard.
Solar Pump
The solar pump is a solar water pumping system operated using solar energy to pump clean water. The solar pump is ideal, especially for rural localities (beyond the reach of power lines), where people are unable to avail of electric consumption by using the local electricity grid.
Solar pump or solar-powered water pump is in demand due to its robust construction, easy installation, eco-friendliness, and minimum maintenance. Solar pumping is the best alternative for fuel-burning generators and windmills, in which the electricity is provided by one or several Photovoltaic (PV) panels to offer water even if using without electricity. The water supplied by the solar pump is used to irrigate crops, provide clean drinking water, and also offer water for livestock. Apart from these, some other application areas for which solar water pumping system is used including fountains, pools, ponds, and home pumps.
A solar water pumping system consists of a solar panel that provides power to an electric motor, which in turn is capable of powering a bore or surface pump. Hence, the water is pumped from the ground into a storage tank that provides a gravity feed, and for this reason, energy storage does not require for the solar pumping system. The life span of a solar pump or solar water pumping system is a maximum of 20 years, but a solar panel of the pumping system needs cleaning from time to time to run properly. People can purchase it as per their requirements because the solar pump price is varied from its manufacturing capacity, sizes, patterns, and different brands.
Benefits of using solar pump
• Runs without electricity
• Operates using available free sunlight, hence free from fuel cost
• Known for its long operational life
• Acknowledged for its reliability, durability, smooth operation and easy maintenance
• Popular due to its eco-friendly nature
Solar Charge Controller
The solar charge controller is a device, which maintains the proper charging voltage in batteries of any solar appliances. All solar electric systems with batteries should have solar charge controllers. The solar charge controller regulates the voltage, prevents overcharging and allows batteries to charge when required, because batteries can be overcharged if it feeds continuous voltage.
The main function of solar charge controller is to prevent overcharging of the batteries and regulates the amount of current the PV modules feed into a battery bank. However, charge controller can block battery bank current from leaking back into the photovoltaic array during night or cloudy times for saving to drain the battery bank.
Most home solar systems are built with a battery backup controlled using solar charge controller, which ensures that a consistent amount of electrical power is sent to the and the backup batteries of any solar system do not discharge during night or absence of sunlight. Solar charge controller price is very minimal so that anyone can buy it as per their necessities.
Solar charge controller or solar battery charger comes with two types of sizes and technologies such as MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) that are capable of functioning an off-grid power bank system properly. Charge controller is used within an off-grid or hybrid solar system with appropriate battery back-up.
Benefits of solar charge controller
• Works to control voltage and watts from Solar Panels
• Reduces the voltage of solar panels when a solar battery’s voltage is high
• Helps to maintain stable energy by preventing overcharging and protecting against overvoltage
• Stops reverse current during night or when sunlight is not available
Solar Combiner
The solar combiner or solar combiner box is a device operated using solar energy (sunlight) that combines the output of multiple strings of PV modules for connection to the inverter. Solar combiner is developed in such a way to bring the output of several solar strings together. Usually, each string conductor lands on a fuse terminal and the productivity of the fused inputs are then joined onto a single conductor that connects the combiner box to the inverter.
Solar combiner box also combines incoming power into one main feed, which distributes to a solar inverter that is capable of saving labor and material costs through wire reductions. Solar combiner is engineered even to provide overvoltage as well as overcurrent protection facilities to enhance inverter protection and reliability.
The solar combiner generally exist in between the solar modules and inverter, which is the correct position. Solar combiner can limit power loss when it is positioned in the solar system. Solar panel combiner box and solar string combiner box are two different types of solar combiner. Moreover, solar combiner is usually used in the larger commercial and utility scale PV power plants (greater than 500kW).
Benefits of using solar combiner
• Helps in improving safety of solar panels and the entire photovoltaic plant
• Helps in protecting the system against dust, heavy seas or powerful jets of water, chemicals and high UV rays
• Available with Global accessibility, which ensures on-site delivery at any part of the world
• Obtainable in six different enclosure sizes flexible facilities to cover the range up to 32 strings
Solar Mounting Structure
Solar mounting structure is also known as solar panel mounting structure are used to fix solar panels on roofs, building facades, or the ground, which enables in retrofitting of solar panels on roofs or as part of the structure of the building (called BIPV).
Photovoltaic mounting systems (also called solar module racking) are used to fix solar panels on surfaces like roofs, building facades, or the ground. These mounting systems generally enable retrofitting of solar panels on roofs or as part of the structure of the building (called BIPV).
The solar module mounting structure is the supportive configuration of solar panels that holds an array of solar panels to the ground. When you see any solar panel, which is fixed either on rooftops or on the ground, you see them attached on solar panel mounting structures. The foremost function of any solar mounting structure is to support solar panels on the ground, or on the rooftops only by using sunlight or natural energy. Mounting structure of solar panel or solar panel mounting structure is generally made of steel, which stimulates for protection against corrosion. On the other hand, solar mounting structure is also made using aluminium if it’s lightweight.
Advantages of solar mounting structure
• Requires little or no maintenance
• Easy to handle at the site
• Useful for its 100% anti-corrosive property till its life time
• Solar mounting structure price comes about 10% of total system cost for large solar power plants and about 15% for smaller power plants
• Hassle free fitting technique even for layman
• Helps faster installation due to its adjustable rail guide
Solar Tool
Solar tool is crucial for installation of every solar system. Voltage Drop Calculator, Screw Driver, Hammer Rails, Sun Position Applications, and R&D Software are the solar tools designed specifically for solar installations. Solar tools are important for those working in a do it yourself environment, thus helping them for physical applications such as installing racking.
Some tools used in solar installation are designed for simple applications such as disconnecting solar connections, while others used for more complex uses like wire crimping die sets. Solar tools are divided into several categories such as solar panel cleaning tools, solar panel installation tools, solar panel tools, solar installation tools, solar energy tools, solar testing tools, solar maintenance tools, solar site survey tools, and solar system tools.
Advantages of solar tool
• Easy installation
• Robust design to configure with solar systems
• Reduces electricity bills
• Low maintenance cost and renewable energy source
• Advanced technology development
Solar Cable
A solar cable is a kind of interconnection cable used in photovoltaic power generation – interconnects solar panels and other electrical components of a photovoltaic system. Solar cables are designed with the features like UV resistant and weather resistant that enable solar cable to use within a large temperature range and generally laid outside.
Solar cable is designed for connecting photovoltaic power supply systems and dedicated to the photovoltaic system direct current (D.C.) side with a nominal D.C. voltage of a 1.5 kv. Slar DC cable can be used in both indoor and outdoor for flexible and fixed installations with high mechanical strength even in extreme weather conditions. Solar cable is designed and manufactured in such a way to withstand the challenging environmental circumstances that may arise in any fixed, mobile, roof or architecturally integrated photovoltaic installation purposes. Solar cable is designed to use for the best functionality of solar panel controller and components of solar system.
Advantages of solar cable
• Safety and longevity
• Affordable pricing
• Easy installation facility
• Wider application areas using only natural energy
Solar Surge Protection Device
Solar surge protection device is used to offer protection to several solar farms that generally use photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce clean energy for consumer or industrial use, which may create serious potential damage due to their specific physical makeup.
A solar surge protection device helps prevent damage to electronic equipment or machinery by diverting the extra electricity from the hot power line into a grounding wire. Solar surge protector is useful for solar panels as such pieces especially prone to lightning strikes due to their large surface area, such as on rooftops or ground-mounted in open spaces.
Advantages of using solar surge protection device
• Low maintenance
• Excellent conductivity
• Durability or long lasting
• Superior performance
Are you planning to buy solar products in India? Do you stay in Sangli of Maharashtra and want to book a solar panel online for your home? SolarClue offers a wonderful opportunity to buy solar products online at the lowest prices - it has a wide variety of solar products to choose from from from solar panels, solar heaters, solar inverters, solar batteries, etc. to suit your every need. You can choose to buy the required solar products online on SolarClue and find your perfect choice.