Solar Home System What You Need to Know

Solar home system is a household PV system, which is a type of distributed power generation. If you are considering whether to upgrade your home to a solar home, this blog will help you. It covers: the definition of a solar home, why to choose a solar home, how to build a solar home, and using a solar home to charge EVs.

What is solar home?

550
<Source: freepik>

A solar home refers to a solar roof PV system or a ground PV system installed in the home, so that the daily electricity used by the family comes from solar power generation. Solar home systems can be divided into on-grid solar systems, off-grid solar systems, and hybrid solar systems.

On-gird solar system

The on-grid solar system is the most common solar home system at present. After installing the PV panel, the system is connected to the grid. Installing a on-grid solar system means that when night comes or when it is rainy, the solar panels cannot generate electricity, and the home can get electricity from the grid.

When the daily solar power generation has excess output, the electricity will be transmitted to the grid. According to the NEM, your utility company will pay you for it.

Hybrid solar system

The hybrid solar system adds the function of “energy storage” to the on-grid solar system, and stores excess electricity in the battery. When the solar panels are in a situation where they cannot generate electricity, the home draws power from the battery. After installing a hybrid solar system, there is basically no power outage in the home. Even if the grid stops delivering power, the home battery will supply power.

Off-grid solar system

An off-grid solar system is when a home relies entirely on solar power to generate electricity. This is not common, because it requires large-scale PV systems to meet the daily household electricity demand.

Off-grid solar systems are more likely to be used in small mobile buildings such as boats and RVs.

Why solar home?

Rising electricity rates

Natural gas is an important source of electricity. Due to the recent international situation, Russia’s external natural gas supply has decreased, resulting in a significant increase in natural gas rates in some countries.

The National Grid announced that from November 2022 to the next 6 months, electricity rates will increase by 60% , France’s largest electricity producer said it would raise the price of electricity by 8.6% in the fourth quarter.

Solar cost reduction

With the rapid development of PV industry, the manufacturing cost of solar energy systems has been controlled and decreased. According to the IRENA report, in the past ten years, the global solar PV power generation has dropped by 82%.

The fundamental reasons are technological innovation and the integrity of the upstream and downstream supply chains of the PV industry.

Green ecology

Both residential and corporate energy consumption structures have begun to shift from traditional fossil fuels to clean energy. Reducing carbon footprints is an important part of building a green ecology.

Solar energy is widely accepted as a clean energy source and can also be promoted for residential use.

How to build a solar home?

Solar panels

1000
<Source: Pinterest>

Solar panels are the basis of PV systems. Choose the right number and size of solar panels for your home based on factors such as home energy efficiency, solar power needs, roof area and more.

Inverter

1000 1
<BENY BYM550/2800 Micro-inverter>

An inverter converts the DC generated by the solar panel into AC that can be used by the home. Inverters are divided into string inverters and micro-inverters.

String inverters can be connected in series or in parallel to form PV arrays. Micro-inverters are module-level power electronic equipment (MLPE) and installed on a single panel. It can be independently controlled by the MPPT function, which effectively improve the conversion efficiency.

Rapid shutdown device

1000 2
<BENY BFS Series Module-level RSD>

Solar roofs present a DC high voltage fire risk. Rapid shutdown is NEC’s electrical safety regulation for solar panels, that is, it can quickly cut off the current to a range acceptable to the human body in a short time, allowing firefighters to safely carry out rescue work.

Combiner box

1000 5
<BENY AC/DC Combiner Box>

The PV combiner box function is to combine several PV series into a DC circuit, and then connect it to the inverter, which can ensure the circuit is easy to cut off during maintenance and inspection of the PV system, and reduce the scope of power outages when the PV system fails.

PV combiner boxes can be customized by replacing internal components to change specific functions.

How to Charge Your EV with Solar Home System?

Solar EV charging requires a balance between stable current output and less electricity usage. We can solve this problem with solar systems and EV chargers.

Solar energy storage

1000 6 2
<BENY Solar Energy Storage Battery Pack>

Generally speaking, solar power is generated during the day, and the owner charges the EV at night after get off work. Such a time difference will increase household electricity bills.

The solution is to install batteries in the solar home system to store the energy generated by the PV panels during the day. However, the battery will greatly increase the fixed cost of the solar system, and its benefits will be realized over time.

Choose a EV charger designed for solar charging

1000 7
<BENY Solar EV Charging>

At present, the EV charger can balance the electricity consumption of the solar home system with the grid. BENY AC wall-mounted EV charger and external DLB box can realize solar charging.

BENY solar DLB box has three modes to choose from, only PV mode, hybrid mode, full speed mode. Owners can choose between only PV mode and hybrid mode to charge the EV during the day, and full speed mode at night.

During the day, the EV charger will maximize the use of solar power to charge the car. At night, use the BENY smart EV charger APP “Z-BOX” to experience the night automatic full speed mode, and save electricity by taking advantage of the fact that the electricity bill at night is lower than that during the day.

Government incentives for solar

Feed-In-Tariff (FIT)

Renewable energy producers can sell the electricity they produce to the grid at an above-market price, which is the FIT. This is a long-term renewable energy policy designed to encourage investment and development of renewable energy. FIT have three key terms: guarantee grid access; offer long-term contracts (15-25 years); offer cost-based purchase prices.

Net Energy Metering (NEM)  

The power generated by the solar system varies during different time periods of the day. The excess power generated during the day will be transmitted to the grid, and the excess power generated during the day will be used at night. The NEM means that once you have excess electricity output, you will receive a credit, which will be calculated together with future electricity bills, and the difference will determine your final bill.

Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

According to US Solar ITC, during 2022-2032, owners will receive a tax credit equal to 30% of the installation cost when they install a solar system on the primary or secondary residence.

Conclusion

Solar home is a manifestation of the current energy transition. Incorporating clean energy into all aspects of life can not only reduce people’s living costs, but also reduce carbon footprints and enhance environmental awareness.

BENY has more than 30 years of experience in the field of PV and EV charging protection. We provide a full range of DC and AC PV protection products, CE, UL, TUV, ISO and other certifications are enough to prove the quality of BENY products; BENY EV chargers can realize solar EV charging, maximize the use of solar power generation, and cooperate with self-developed APP and charging management platform monitor charging data to improve your charging experience. Contact us now for product quotations and industry information.

Related Posts

Wonderful! Share this Case:

Talk to Our Expert