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Grid-tied Solar System Without Battery Backup

This type of system is the most typical installation.

If your home is connected to the local utility power lines (as most are) or you are within reasonable range of power lines, this type of system is the most logical choice.

All "grid-tied" means is that your system is interconnected with the local utility. A grid-tied system is the way to take advantage of the net metering (selling the electricity generating from your solar modules to utility grid). When your solar energy system is not producing electricity (during the evenings and extremely cloudy days) you still have electricity which is supplied from the utility, (aka the "grid").

But this system will not protect your home from blackouts, because of no backup sources.

Grid-Tied Solar Energy System

Typical grid-tied solar energy system

How it works:

1)Sunlight hits the solar module, which is attached to your roof with the mounting racks.

2)The solar (or photovoltaic) cells inside the module then convert the light into electricity. (DC Electricity)

3)This electricity travels through wires to the, which takes the electricity from the solar module (DC electricity) and converts it into the electricity your home needs to run your appliances, lighting, etc. (AC electricity)

4)This AC electricity then travels to your standard AC service panel (breaker box), and is supplied to your new utility net meter - which then feeds the electricity both to your home and to the electrical utility grid.

The main components of this system are:

  • Mounting racks
  • Solar modules
  • Inverter
  • Net meter