Catch a Golden Ray of Sunshine
The sun is an unlimited source of all the
power we could ever need. Well-designed, installed and maintained PV
systems provide continuous power even on days when the sun isn't shining.
The cost of solar electric systems has steadily decreased over the past
30 years, from $100 per Watt in the late 1970's to less than $10 per Watt
today. The efficiency of the equipment is increasing as well up to 18%
cell efficiency on modules and 97% efficiency on power conditioning equipment.
As the price of grid power and non-renewable fuels rise, and as financial
incentives for renewable energy systems increase, solar is becoming mainstream
with homeowners and business owners alike.
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Definition of Photovoltaics (PV)
A non-polluting, sustainable technology that generates useable
electrical energy directly from sunlight.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Mounting Structures
Solar (PV) Panels can be mounted in a variety
of ways in order to be customized to your particular site. They can be
mounted directly to the roof either flush mounted parallel to the roof,
or mounted at an angle on the roof either at a fixed tilt, or adjustable
in order to maximize the suns seasonal angle. PV Panels can also be mounted
separate from the house on pole mounts or ground mounts if there is not
enough space on the roof for the array. Mounting structures require minimal
to zero maintenance.
Modules
Multiple solar (PV) modules combined together
create a solar array. The number of modules in a system will depend on
the size of the individual modules and how much energy your system is
required to generate. Average sized modules in a residential system will
range from 75 to 185 Watts of rated output and in size will on average
be 1.5'x 3.5'. Solar modules require virtually zero maintenance with
the exception of an occasional hosing down. Modules typically hold a
25-year warranty.
Charge Controllers
A charge controller regulates the DC electricity
that the solar array generates and protects the batteries in the system
from overcharging and prevents the batteries from discharging at night.
Batteries
Battery based off-grid systems store the electricity
generated by the solar array in daylight hours in a battery bank for
nighttime usage. The battery bank is the heart of the system and requires
the most maintenance of any component in the system; primarily adding
distilled water to top of the batteries a few times a year. There is
a wide range of batteries that are used in RE systems, ranging from golf
cart batteries to large Industrial batteries. Depending upon care and
type of battery, a battery bank life expectancy ranges from 3 to 20 years.
Inverters
The basic function of an inverter is to convert
the DC electricity generated by the array and stored in the batteries
to AC current to be used in the house. Power conditioning equipment requires
very little maintenance. Off-grid inverters convert the DC electricity
from the batteries into AC power to be used directly in the house. Grid-Tied
inverters convert the DC power directly from the solar array into AC
power.
Power Centers
 Power Centers integrate the inverter, charge controller, safety
disconnects, and metering equipment into a user-friendly power panel.
Sundance recommends Power Centers especially in the design of battery-based
systems.
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