Off Grid systems
Off Grid systems means you’re not connected to the Eskom grid.
This solution is ideal for the following scenarios:
- You’re building on a new property and the cost of bringing in an Eskom service is too high
- You wish to be completely independent of Eskom
- The monthly fixed connection cost from Eskom is exuberant relative to the consumption cost
Off Grid systems consists of the following components:
- Solar modules that collect sunlight and convert it into DC power
- Inverter (with built-in charge controller and regulator) which:
- receives DC current from Solar modules
- charges batteries with DC current
- discharges batteries and converts it into AC power for supply to the building
- Deep cycle batteries which are managed by the inverter to be correctly charged by Solar & discharged to supply power to the building
Off Grid systems are typically over designed to include more Solar modules and more battery capacity in order to cater for days of poor weather conditions.
During poor weather, i.e. rain, there is little or no Solar power generation. The battery capacity needs to allow for this in order to ensure a continuous supply of electricity.
Likewise the Solar generation capacity is oversized so that it can accommodate recharging the extended battery capacity and simultaneously supply power to the building.
Due to the overdesign of Off Grid systems, these have typically a longer Return on Investment.
Off Grid systems can be designed to run in conjunction with generators, and even to use generators to recharge batteries. This can result in smaller battery capacity and thus reduction in initial capital cost.