Grid Tied Solar System

A grid-tied solar system is dependent upon your municipality's electrical grid. The DC electricity generated by the photovoltaic (PV) panels is sent through a grid-tied inverter, which converts it to AC power that's compatible with the grid.

Product Description

What is grid tied solar system?

Grid tied solar system is dependent upon your municipality's electrical grid. The DC electricity generated by the photovoltaic (PV) panels is sent through a grid-tied inverter, which converts it to AC power that's compatible with the grid.

What's included:

• Solar panel

• DC isolation switch

• Grid Tied Inverter

• AC insolation switch

• DC Cable

• MC4 Connector

• Mounting system

Precautions for grid tied solar system

When purchasing or leasing a grid-tied system, customers sign a net metering contract with the utility company. The terms of these contracts vary widely by state, but they basically determine the price of installing a power meter that supports net metering (two-way power metering) and the price of electricity fed into the grid.

A common misconception of grid-tied solar systems is that the electricity is fed through your home first, and any excess is sold to the electric company. This is true in some localities, but electric companies in many states like Michigan have actively lobbied to change these rules.

The reality is all electricity produced by panels is automatically fed into the electric company’s meter, where it is under the control of the electric company. You have to read the fine print in your specific locality to determine whether you have a net metering or net purchase and sale agreement.

Still, grid-tied solar is the cheapest option available, as the PV panels, inverter, and meter (along with fuses, disconnect switches, breakers, grounding equipment and surge protection as required by the local government) are the only equipment necessary.

In addition, since electricity is still pulled from the grid the exact same way it always has been, grid-tied solar is the most stable and efficient usage of solar panels. Instead of storing the power in batteries that degrade over time, you’re helping power your entire neighborhood in real time, decreasing how much energy you lose in storage.

The downside to grid-tied systems is you’re still at the mercy of the electric company. As mentioned above, electric companies in many areas are aggressively adding fees and reducing buy prices to make solar users responsible for the extra strain placed on the grid.

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