Types of Home Solar SystemsGrid-Tied Solar Systems A grid-tied solar system, also known as a grid-connected solar system, is connected to the electrical grid and provides power to your home while also sending excess power back to the grid.
What is a grid tied solar system?
Grid-tied systems are solar panel installations that are connected to the utility power grid. With a grid-connected system, a home can use the solar energy produced by its solar panels and electricity that comes from the utility grid. If the solar panels generate more electricity than a home needs, the excess is sent to the grid.
Grid-connected systems generally use abilling process called “net metering” or “netbilling.” In this process, any energy generat-ed by the solar modules that your home doesnot use immediately is sent to the utility grid.However, when the solar electric system isproducing less power than is needed, youcan draw additional power from the grid.
Can solar power go back into the grid?
At the same time, your home can also push additional power back into the grid when your home doesn't need all of the electricity being generated, such as in the middle of a sunny day when everyone is away from the house. For most homes, your residential solar power system will probably be grid-tied, more commonly known as on-the-grid.
The simple answer is that remaining connected to the grid allows your home to draw additional power when solar panels can't generate enough electricity, including nights and cloudy days.
Are solar-powered homes connected to the local utility grid?
In recent years, however, the number ofsolar-powered homes connected to the localutility grid has increased dramatically. These“grid-connected” buildings have solar elec-tric panels or “modules” that provide someor even most of their power, while still beingconnected to the local utility.
Should solar electric systems be connected to the power grid?
In the past, most homes with solar electricsystems were not connected to the local utili-ty grid. It made sense to install solar electricsystems in areas without easy assess to thepower grid, where the option of extending apower line from the grid might cost tens ofthousands of dollars.