Savings
costs nothing to operate, and runs completely silent.
Incentives
Grid-tied solar electric power systems qualify for both the 50% state credit
and the 30% federal credit. With the rebates available these systems can
pay for themselves in as little as 7 years.
How they work
Direct grid-tied systems operate in conjunction with the utility grid to
achieve optimal efficiency. When the sun is shining and your solar electric
system is producing electricity, the first priority is to power your household
appliances. If a surplus of electricity is being produced, the solar inverter
feeds any excess electricity back to the utility grid, making your utility meter
spin backwards. This builds up a credit
with your electricity company, reducing your bill, as well as increasing the
amount of green energy on the utility grid. If not enough electricity is being
produced by your solar electric system to power your household appliances, power
is brought in from the utility grid to fill in the gap. All of this happens
automatically without any need for intervention from you.
Direct grid-tied systems do not include batteries. This increases system
efficiency as well as reducing equipment and installation costs. These systems
use battery-less inverters that are not compatible with
battery banks. Therefore, direct grid-tie systems cannot provide power to your
household appliances during power outages. Direct grid-tie systems can be
retrofitted with batteries for backup capability.
Maintenance
Direct grid-tie systems should be practically maintenance free with the
exception of periodic cleaning.
Warranties
The solar panels are warranted for 25 years, the inverter for 10 years, and
the batteries for 3 years.
|
