Grid Tied Vs Off Grid Solar System

Another downside is that when the local electric substation experiences a blackout a grid tied solar system is also rendered useless.

Grid tied vs off grid solar system.

But adding batteries to an off grid system is a significant extra cost. Grid tied solar systems are connected to the main utility power lines called the grid while off grid systems are not. Off grid solar technology is becoming more advanced every year and a growing number of companies are manufacturing solar batteries for home if. They represent as much as 30 40 of the cost of an off grid system.

Batteries alone are a 4 5 figure investment. While an on grid system doesn t. It doesn t cost anything extra to store electricity in the grid. Why many homeowners choose a grid tied solar system.

Off grid solar systems can run independent from the electric grid. An off grid solar system is a good option for some cabins and more isolated areas however at this time off grid systems struggle to compete with the payback and roi of a grid tied system. Again we use a set of examples to explain the difference. An off grid hybrid system can however operate with utility but slightly different from the grid tied system above see hybrid.

In order to accomplish this they require additional hardware. In fact batteries are the most expensive part of a solar system. An off grid system may require batteries and sometimes a back up generator. When in doubt go grid tied.