Grid-tie Solar: Staying on the Grid
What’s grid-tie solar?
When the solar panels on your home are connected to the “grid” (the network that delivers electricity to consumers), the extra power they generate will be sent back to the power company. At night, when your panels aren’t generating power, the power company will send electricity back to you. This is the normal way that solar power works, though many people mistakenly assume that getting solar panels means you’re off the grid.
How do “off-grid” systems work?
Solar power systems that are completely off the grid have to store extra energy in battery back-up systems. The batteries are expensive, take up a lot of space, and have to be replaced every 5-10 years. Because of these drawbacks, we don’t recommend going off the grid. Our name is “One Block Off the Grid,” but we don’t mean that literally. We’re just trying to help communities generate their own power, and because of the current infrastructure, the best way to do that is to stay connected to the grid.
How will I be billed if I’m connected to the grid?
As the solar panels on your roof churn out electricity, it will go directly into your house to power anything you have on, from lamps to your refrigerator. Since you’re using your own power, your energy company won’t be billing you. If you aren’t using much energy– for example, if you’re away at work– the extra energy you’re producing will go back to the utility company and you’ll get credited for it. Then, at the times when you need power and your solar panels aren’t generating it, you can use that credit and only be billed for the difference. This is called net metering. If you’re producing all of your energy needs, your bill could potentially be $0, although many utility companies have a small minimum charge. If you’d like to learn more about the financial benefits of solar power, check out our article on the economics of solar.
Read more at howsolarworks.1bog.org
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