A grid-tied solar system is one in which your home or business is connected to your solar power system and also is connected to the power grid. This enables you to send any excess power you produce back to the electric company through a plan known as net metering. At night, or on cloudy days, you simply revert to buying power from the utility company. The technology in the system makes this a seamless process.
The introduction of net metering was the key development because this policy makes it possible for consumers who own renewable energy facilities, such as wind, or solar power to receive credit for power produce in excess to immediate needs.
After a consumer has signed up for a net metering program they will have a smart meter installed which actually runs backwards when you are sending excess electricity back to the grid. Some describe this as the power company acting as your batteries, or storage system.
On a national basis, grid-tie systems represent 90- percent of the total PV market. The design is simple and efficient with the following main components:
One key point to remember is that grid-tie PV system will be shut down with the power from the utility company is down. This is primarily a safety requirement to insure that power is not being fed back into the grid while maintenance workers are restoring power.
When considering a grid-time system the key factors are:
