Grid-Tied Solar Panel System With Battery Backup

There are three ways to can connect your solar panel systems, you can connect to the utility grid, the second one you can use batteries, and the last is a combination of the first two, some call it a hybrid system, and others call it grid-tied solar panel system with battery backup.

What is the Grid-Tied Solar Panel System With Battery Backup

The Grid-tied solar panel system with battery backup is a system that is connected to the utility grid, and at the same time, it contains backup batteries. 

Most people will either connect their solar panel system to a utility grid and use it as a backup when there is no solar energy or will connect their solar panel’s system with batteries and use them as energy backup when solar panels are not producing solar energy.

The Grid-tied solar panel system with battery backup solves the main problems in each of the first two systems, the first system will stop working when there is a power outage, and the second system will stop working if there is no sun for a long period.

Advantages of the Grid-Tied Solar Panel System With Battery Backup

The main advantage of this system is that it enables us to keep important things like a fridge, lighting, computers, and perhaps a gas furnace during a power outage. 

Suppose you need electricity all the time ( all of us do ), and you can not afford even a second without it ( places like pharmacies, hospitals, etc.). In that case, it is a good investment as it will ensure that you always get electricity, no matter if there is a grid outage.

Disadvantages of the Grid-Tied Solar Panel System With Battery Backup

There are two disadvantages of this solar panel system. The first issue is that the system is very sophisticated and complex to design. It needs someone with huge experience to design this type of system.

The second disadvantage is that it is very complex and needs most components, so it is the most expensive system you can have.

In my experience, just adding batteries will almost double the project cost. Most of the time, just batteries can take between 40% and 60% of the total budget of the solar installation project.

Two types of battery backup systems

When you’re designing the grid-tied solar panel system with battery backup, they are two systems that you can use, the AC-coupled backup system and the DC-coupled backup system.

What is a DC-coupled system?

A DC-couple system is a system where the DC solar electricity flows from solar panels to a charge controller that directly feeds into a battery system, meaning there is no inversion of solar electricity from DC to AC and back again before the electricity is stored in the battery.

What is an AC-coupled system?

An AC-coupled system is a system where a grid-tied PV inverter is connected to the output of a Multi Inverters. PV power is first used to power the loads, then to charge the battery, and any excess PV power can be fed back to the grid.

Conclusion

That is it. We have seen the Grid-Tied Solar Panel System’s definition, advantages, and disadvantages with Battery Backup.

In my opinion, this system is too expensive. You do not need it if you are in an area with no or little utility electricity outage. 

I recommend this system to people with extra cash to invest in their solar energy generation system and who need a reliable source of electricity, whether there is a power outage or no sun.

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