The most common type of solar power system is the grid-connected solar system. This system consists of solar panels, an inverter and an energy meter. The power produced by the solar panels supplies the household’s energy needs and any excess solar energy will pass through the meter and get fed back into the electricity grid. Your electricity retailer will pay you a small rate or ‘feed-in tariff’ for the electricity that you feed back into the grid - more on this later.
Hybrid solar systems consist of solar panels, an inverter, an energy meter and a solar battery (generally lithium-ion technology). With a hybrid system, the power produced by the solar panels supplies the household’s energy needs and any excess solar energy will be stored in the solar battery instead of being sent back into the grid. The energy stored inside the battery is then used to power the household’s energy needs during the evening. If for any reason you require more power than you have stored in the battery, you can draw power from the grid. Hybrid solar systems currently cost at least twice as much as a standard grid-connected system so a lot of homeowners are installing a ‘battery ready’ system and waiting for the price of batteries to come down.
This type of standalone solar system is completely isolated from the grid. The purpose of off-grid systems is to provide power and energy where there is no access to the electricity grid (remote areas) or when the cost of the energy retailer providing power lines to the property is prohibitive. Off-grid systems consist of solar panels, a charge controller, a battery bank and an inverter. Off-grid systems are far more expensive than grid-connected systems so it is important that your solar needs fit the purpose of this type of system.