How Does The Differnet Items Of A Photovoltaic Electrical System Fit Together?
January 30, 2010
There are ten different components that make up a solar powered generating system. Depending on what type of system you want to implement will depend on whether you use some or all of them.
It doesn’t really matter where you start. For example, if your home gets electricity from the national grid, it doesn’t mean you have to hook your system up to it if you don’t want to.
Solar Cells
These solar panels face the sun and convert the suns energy into power. It converts it into DC electricity. You can connect as many panels as you like together, this is called a solar panel array. Follow this link find out more about how to build a solar panel.
The panels are linked together inline. One follows the next one, a bit like a string of fairy lights in contrast to being connected together on an adhoc basis. The more panels you have, the more energy you produce.
Direct Current (DC) Disconnect
As the electricity flows from your panels, the first component it hits is the DC disconnect. You do not want to undertake any maintenance on your system while there is electricity flowing through it. The DC disconnect switches of the power generated by your solar panels.
Electric Charge Controller
If you have a battery backup or a battery bank then a charge controller is a must have piece of equipment. If you have a charge controller, this will protect your batteries from becoming over charged. Over charging will reduce the life of your batteries.
Battery
Be careful about what type of batteries you use to store electricity. What you need are deep cycle batteries and these are commonly used by forklift truck manufactures. Do not use car batteries.
Keep the batteries warm, that way they work better. Do not expose them to the elements; keep them in a garage or some sheltered building. A battery box is also a good investment, they keep your batteries at a good temperature and also protect them from accidental damage.
Solar System Meter
A system meter is very useful for telling you how much electricity you are using and how much power is left in your batteries. If you don’t have one you do not know if you are producing enough electricity or not.
Main Supply DC Disconnect
You only need this if you have a battery backup as it turns of the electricity from them. You design the system so that it sits between your batteries and the AC DC inverter. This turns off the power from your batteries, which then allows you to undertake any preventative maintenance.
Alternating Current (AC) Direct Current (DC) Inverter
Both the battery bank and the solar cells generate a direct current. What we have to do is convert this DC current into an AC current. We convert DC to AC using the inverter and so all your electrical home appliances work without any problems.
Diesel Generator
There are various types of electric generators to choose from. If your home is off-grid then it is definitely worth considering adding one of these to your system. The generator can produce electricity when there is no sun or when the batteries are run down.
Alternating Current Breaker Panel
The AC breaker panel is where you feed the electricity you produced back to the national grid. Although all houses have them, only the electric company is allowed to wire them up. Which means, when you are ready, arrange for them to connect your solar energy system to the grid.
Whatever you do, do not wire it up yourself. You can get into a lot of trouble, and it isn’t worth the hassle. The utility company will find out in the end..
Home Kilowatt per Hour Meter
All homes which are on-grid are fitted with a kilo watt hour meter. This what the electricity company uses to record how much electricity you have used.
Video on Different Aspects Of Building Your Own Solar Panel
Learning to build a solar panel is the first step. The second step is to design a system that will work in your home. Go to build a solar panel and learn all you need to know about building the right system for your house.
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