The growing public awareness about environmental protection and exponentially increasing investment in photovoltaic (PV) systems shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon due to its cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. If you are already tired of costly electricity bills and frequent power outages in your home and want a cost-effective solution, off-grid solar power is the right option for you. Seven essential steps are discussed in this step-by-step guide which you can follow to design your off-grid solar power system and support a self-sufficient lifestyle.
1) Assessment of energy requirements in the targeted location
2) Market search for selecting the solar power system.
3) Estimation of the size and number of required photovoltaic (PV).
4) calculation of battery storage requirements.
5) Selection of system components and installation.
6) Testing the system performance
7) Energy monetization through Net metering
1. Assessment of energy requirements in selected location
The first step for installing an off-grid PV system is to assess the energy requirements in the target location. You can initiate the process by analysing the operation duration of equipment like geysers, fridges etc. in your place. Then you can assess the total energy consumption in watt hours per day (Whr/day).
For instance, A 120W bulb used for 10 hours will consume energy of 120 W × 10 hrs per day = 1200Whr/day.
Then you can sum the watt- hours for all appliances to find the total energy consumption in your place.
2. Market search for selecting a suitable solar power system
This is the second essential step in this process. Many different types of solar systems are available in the market including DC, AC, and AC hybrid.
Each comes with its own merits and demerits. A DC renewable energy system works best for small installations with low energy requirements, while an AC solar system is more suitable for off-grid locations due to its high energy handling capability. A hybrid mix of AC and DC solar setup includes secondary power generation and can overcome the problems associated with individual AC and DC solar system.
3. Estimation of the size and number of PV panels required
Estimate the measure of energy needed for making a living off-grid by calculating the size and total number of solar panels required for the system. Also consider solar panel placement, duration of daylight per day and average power required throughout the year, whether you need to produce power in summer, or any other season. An estimate for the minimum sun hours per day in your location is essential to consider for calculating your solar panel requirements.
4. Calculation of battery storage requirementIf you have already selected the type of power system you are going to use, the next step is selection of storage type to avoid wastage of power. First estimate the total requirements of off-grid solar power system. Will it be utilized every day? Will you only need power during vacations? You will need more than 12V like 24V to supply enough power to run a large house. Your battery needs to exceed the generative potential of your PV panels by around 10% and avoid little energy wastage as much as possible.You can calculate the battery capacity by finding depth of discharge (Dod) for your battery and number of days when system will operate without sun light as given below:
Battery capacity (Ah) = [Total daily power consumption per day ) * autonomy days ] / [Battery voltage(V) * DoD in %]
For instance, For 2 independent days with total power consumption of 1500 Wh/day, 12 Volts battery and 80% DoD of Lithium-ion battery.Battery capacity in Ah = [1500 Wh/day * 2 days] / (12 volts * 80%) = 3000Whr/9.6 V = 312 .5 Ah
5. Selection of system components and installation
The selection of suitable system components for an optimized system design and installation of a suitable solar system is essential for living a sustainable lifestyle.Installation of solar panels is the next step after identifying the type of inverter, , specification of charge controller to optimize the performance of your off-grid PV system.
6. Testing the system performanceYou can test the system by checking voltages and monitoring the system performance for 24-hour time period to ensure safe operation. Regular checking of the system’s performance is mandatory to ensure the system is working perfectly. The adherence to safety guidelines like installation of surge protectors, and grounding is equally important with regular checking of battery health and PV panel cleanliness.
7. Energy monetization through net metering
You can also start earning passive income by utilizing net metering to sell excess energy back to the grid. A grid-tied inverter must be selected for initiating this process. You also need technical expertise for successfully navigating net metering