Different types of solar system and how they work

There are generally three types of solar power system that can be installed on your property: grid-tied, hybrid and off-grid.

Grid-Tied

Hybrid

Off-Grid

Equipment
  • Solar PV panels
  • Grid-tied inverter
  • Solar PV panels
  • Hybrid inverter
  • Battery and/or generator
  • Solar PV panels
  • Hybrid inverter
  • Battery and/or generator

Load shedding protection

 

Shuts down automatically during a grid outage for technical and safety reasons. Learn more

 

When the grid goes down, energy that is stored in the batteries is used to provide power, or the integrated generator starts up, providing a reference frequency that enables the solar panels to produce power.

 

No grid connection.

Benefits
  • Energy cost savings
  • Reduced reliance on the grid
  • Energy security
  • Peak shaving (save on peak-period energy costs by using stored energy)
  • Complete energy independence

Drawbacks
  • Not a load shedding solution: when the grid is off, the solar is too.
  • Batteries can be expensive.
  • Generators are cheaper, but not environmentally friendly, and diesel costs mount up.
  • Requires a much larger system to accommodate all the energy loads and storage needs of a property. This can be extremely costly, which is why our customers generally opt for hybrid systems.

How it works
  1. Solar panels turn sunlight into DC electricity.
  2. The inverter converts that DC into usable AC electricity, which is used to power your equipment and operations.
  3. In certain cases, any excess power may be fed back into the grid.
  1. Solar panels turn sunlight into DC electricity.
  2. The inverter converts that DC into usable AC electricity, which is used to power your equipment and operations.
  3. Any excess power is stored in your backup battery if you have one, and used to provide power when the grid is down or the sun is not shining.
  1. Solar panels turn sunlight into DC electricity.
  2. The inverter converts that DC into usable AC electricity, which is used to power your equipment and operations.
  3. Excess energy is stored in the battery energy storage system, and used during periods when the sun is not shining.
Enquire about this solution
Enquire about this solution
Enquire about this solution

Grid-Tied

Equipment

  • Solar PV panels
  • Grid-tied inverter

Load shedding protection

 

Shuts down automatically during a grid outage for technical and safety reasons. Learn more

Benefits

  • Energy cost savings
  • Reduced reliance on the grid

Drawbacks

Not a load shedding solution: when the grid is off, the solar is too.

How it works

  1. Solar panels turn sunlight into DC electricity.
  2. The inverter converts that DC into usable AC electricity, which is used to power your equipment and operations.
  3. In certain cases, any excess power may be fed back into the grid.
Enquire about this solution

Hybrid

Equipment

  • Solar PV panels
  • Hybrid inverter
  • Battery and/or generator

Load shedding protection

 

When the grid goes down, energy that is stored in the batteries is used to provide power, or the integrated generator starts up, providing a reference frequency that enables the solar panels to produce power.

Benefits

  • Energy security
  • Peak shaving (save on peak-period energy costs by using stored energy)

Drawbacks

Batteries can be expensive. Generators are cheaper, but not environmentally friendly, and diesel costs mount up.

How it works

  1. Solar panels turn sunlight into DC electricity.
  2. The inverter converts that DC into usable AC electricity, which is used to power your equipment and operations.
  3. Any excess power is stored in your backup battery if you have one, and used to provide power when the grid is down or the sun is not shining.
Enquire about this solution

Off-grid

Equipment

  • Solar PV panels
  • Hybrid inverter
  • Battery and/or generator

Load shedding protection

 

No grid connection.

Benefits

  • Complete energy independence

Drawbacks

Requires a much larger system to accommodate all the energy loads and storage needs of a property. This can be extremely costly, which is why our customers generally opt for hybrid systems.

How it works

  1. Solar panels turn sunlight into DC electricity.
  2. The inverter converts that DC into usable AC electricity, which is used to power your equipment and operations.
  3. Excess energy is stored in the battery energy storage system, and used during periods when the sun is not shining.
Enquire about this solution