People are usually confused when taking a long-term decision. It’s become more than ever in solar. As this decision is not easily reversible and neither cheap, many people postpone the decision in fear of taking the wrong one. And one of the major confusion lies in choosing the grid.
Some claim that being on-grid is the best and some claim that off-grid is the way to independence. But in the end, the buyer is usually more confused than before. A sound decision can only be made when one has the proper data from a trusted source. So helping solar adaptors, here are the pros and cons of each: On-grid, Off-grid & hybrid.
On-grid:
This is essentially a two-way power flow. If your solar is on-grid, it means it’s connected to the grid of your jurisdiction. It receives power from the grid when your panels are producing less than you consume. And send the power back to the grid when your panel production is higher than your consumption. In the end, the net amount is settled. But the amount you purchase would be higher than those you sell.
So on-grid is really useful when the weather is extremely humid and dry, but the clouds are covering the sun. Here, you would’ve maxed up your A.C. But because of less sunlight, you may face a power shortage. Going on-grid will avoid this as it supplies you with the necessary power supply.
Using an on-grid also has its own set of disadvantages. Like, when the grid goes off because of a storm or because of any repairs, the utility company will shut down the meter. Meaning, when the grid is off, you can’t use the power.
Off-grid:
Off-grid means your house is not connected to the grid. It is a standalone solar system that is mostly used in rural areas where connecting to the grid is not possible. Here you don’t have a crutch like the grid to lean on. Meaning, you can only use the power your panel produces. And the excess power generated in the mornings is stored in a battery.
It becomes too hard to sustain if you’re followed by a couple of cloudy days. Yes, you can buy a lot of batteries to back up. But the catch is, they are really expensive, and that’s why many adapt on-grid. Also, you need to buy a “Charge controller” to prevent the battery from overcharging. A charge controller also prevents the battery from draining and helps increase its life span. But this again adds up to the cost. And to really generate and back up a significant amount of power for later use, you must install more panels. Which indeed costs more money and space.
But the one big advantage of going off-grid is, you can proudly say you are energy independent. As you are not using the power generated by the grid, you don’t have to pay any energy bill to the utility company.
Hybrid
As the name suggests, it’s the hybrid of both on-grid and off-grid. But again the catch is, it’s expensive. A hybrid system means you are still connected to the grid but also have a battery in case the grid goes off.
It usually works like this: The excess power first goes to charge the battery. Once the battery is full and there is still excess power, this goes to the grid. Also, the battery can be charged by both the panels and the grid. But in order to power your entire house, you may need multiple batteries. And there are really expensive and come with only 10 year warranty.
Also, in hybrid, you need to pay fixed fees to the grid regardless of usage. So comparing all three, hybrid is the most expensive. But it gives the luxury of having power regardless of the situation.
So on average, when considering the pros and cons of all three options, ON GRID ticks most box and becomes the most viable and opt option for many.
