Just what is a grid-tied PV
system? If your utility company will allow you to connect your PV system to their grid, the next question to ask is if they will buy the energy back at the retail or wholesale rate.
Ideally you want the utility company to buy back any excess electricity that you produce at the same retail rate that you buy electricity from them at. This is called "net
metering" and is the simplest way to setup a grid-tie PV system. In such a system you only
The off-grid system pictured here is a typical grid tie system using one inverter to control the solar array. The disadvantage of this type of system is that you must size the
inverter to the solar array or vise
versa. Remember, a "net metering" law for your state doesn’t necessarily apply to rural electric cooperatives so give your utility company a call before going any further.
It is a photovoltaic (PV) system that interacts with the utility. It
can be designed with or without batteries and utilizes a relatively
new breed of inverters that can actually send any excess power
produced by your solar array, back to the utility grid, spinning
your power meter backwards and selling your excess power to the
utility.
If you are concerned
at all about utility rates going
up and would like to do something to reduce your monthly electric
bill, then a grid-tie solar system may be just the thing for you.
The solar modules can be mounted
on your roof or out in the yard where they sit quietly generating
power from the sun that you can either use directly or sell back to
the utility company.
have one utility Kw meter and it is allowed to spin in either direction
depending on if you are buying or selling energy. Ideally you want the utility company to buy any excess electricity that you produce, at the same retail rate per Kw that you by
electricity from them.
The first thing you should do is contact your utility company to see if they will allow you to connect a solar system to their electrical grid. While there is a national law that requires investor owned utility companies to allow interconnection of a solar or wind power system, rural electric cooperatives are exempt from this law.
Buy Back Rate?
If your utility company will allow you to connect your PV system to their grid, the next question to ask is if they will buy the energy back at the retail or wholesale rate. Ideally you want the utility company to buy back any excess electricity that you produce at the same retail rate that you buy electricity from them.
Net Metering or Not?
This arrangement is called "net metering" and is the simplest way to setup a grid-tie PV system. In such a system you only have one utility kWh meter (kilowatt-hours) and it is allowed to spin in either direction depending on if you are buying or selling energy. In a non-net-metered system, the utility company will require that you install a second kWh meter. It records any excess energy that you sell back to them. They will only pay you the wholesale rate which is usually only a few cents per kWh.
Check Your State Regulations On-Line
To find out if your state offers "net metering" or any other incentives for installing a renewable energy system, click on the following link (www.dsireusa.org). Remember, a "net metering" law for your state doesn’t necessarily apply to rural electric cooperatives so give your utility company a call before going any further.
Grid Tie Without Battery Backup
Grid Tie With Battery Backup
The links below will open pages from our catalog which describe several packages in this category.
Package #1, 141 Kw per Month, $4,500
Package #2, 282 Kw per Month, $7,900
Package #3, 423 Kw per Month, $12,000
Package #4, 564 Kw per Month, $15,800
Package #5, 282 Kw per Month, $20,000
Package #6, 423 Kw per Month, $26,000
Battery Backup Package, 35 Kwh, $10,500
