There Are Two Main Types Of Residential Solar Power

Residential solar power, as the name suggests, refers to solar power that is used in homes and it is different to commercial solar power that powers up businesses, or even when it is electricity generated through use of solar power and which is then sold to customers. When considering solar energy for home use, the two types are “off grid” or “grid tied”, which is also referred to as net metering.

Off Grid

Off-grid solar energy refers to that power not related to an electric utility or its grid. In this type of residential solar power, you won’t find any power lines that run to the home and the needs are also different, such as needing to have a battery system which will provide back-up power and which can even provide electricity during the times when the sun has gone down. In the daytime however, the photovoltaic array can store the excess energy in the batteries which is then turned into electricity and given off into the system through the batteries.

In the off grid type of residential solar power systems, there is also need to have a generator which is useful when there is no sunshine as it helps in charging up the batteries rather than use the power from the sun.

Grid Tied

The second kind of solar energy is a net metering system or grid tied, and this type will have power lines connected to a utility company’s electrical system and it does not require batteries for storage. The presence of sunlight causes the electricity meter to spin backwards until darkness descends; and, then, the meter will spin in the forward direction because of a need to fulfill solar energy requirements. This form of residential solar power is administered in a manner quite different from one electric utility company to another with each using its own set of rules and regulations.

There is a lot to recommend using residential solar power in either form since it is a means to get energy that is not only long term, but which is also renewable, and with it, you don’t have to depend any longer on your utility company, and you are also not dependent on foreign governments, and best of all, you don’t need to pay for it. There no doubts that residential solar power is the way to go.