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Grid-Tied Solar Electric With Battery Backup
If you would like to have power in your home even when power from the utility is down, adding batteries to a grid-tied solar electric system can provide hours of electricity to crucial lighting, appliances and comfort systems in the event of a blackout. Grid-tied solar electric systems with battery backup work very similar to a grid-tied solar electric system with the addition of a few other components necessary to keep the batteries charged for use when power from the grid is interrupted. Additional components in a grid-tied solar electric system with battery backup will generally include:
• Charge controller - an electronic device which protects batteries in the system from being overly charged or overly discharged.
• Battery bank - stores energy to be used by the home when power from the grid is down.
• Backed-up AC service panel a sub-panel in which all loads chosen to operate in the event of a power outage will receive power from the batteries.
How A Battery Backup System Provides Power To Your Home In A Power Outage
• Electricity generated from the solar modules is converted into a usable amount of direct current (DC) electricity.
• The DC current enters the charge controller, which senses battery voltage and regulates battery charging.
• The electricity is used to keep the batteries fully charged to provide power in the event of a power outage.
• The remaining electricity is transferred to an inverter, which turns DC electricity into 120 or 240-volt AC (alternating current) electricity needed for home appliances.
• The AC power enters the utility panel in the house.
• In the event of a blackout or power loss, the system begins to draw power from the backup batteries and converts it into electricity. A backed-up AC service panel feeds power to crucial lighting, appliances and comfort systems.
Grid Tied and How it Works
System Design Worksheet
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