Just what is a grid-tied PV
system?
It is a photovoltaic (PV) system that interacts with the utility. It
can be designed with or without batteries and utilizes a relatively
new breed of inverters that can actually send any excess power
produced by your solar array, back to the utility grid, spinning
your power meter backwards and selling your excess power to the
utility.
If you, like most, are at all concerned about utility rates going
up and would like to do something to reduce your monthly electric
bill, then a grid-tie solar system may be just the thing for you.
These systems are easy to install and since some do not have
batteries for back-up, this means no battery maintenance or
replacements to worry about. The solar modules can be mounted
on your roof or out in the yard where they sit quietly generating
power from the sun that you can either use directly or sell back to
the utility company.
The first thing you should do is contact your utility company to see if they will allow you to connect a solar system to their electrical grid. While there is a national law that requires investor owned utility companies to allow interconnection of a solar or wind power system, rural electric cooperatives are exempt from this law.
Buy Back Rate?
If your utility company will allow you to connect your PV system to their grid, the next question to ask is if they will buy the energy back at the retail or wholesale rate. Ideally you want the utility company to buy back any excess electricity that you produce at the same retail rate that you buy electricity from them.
Net Metering or Not?
This arrangement is called "net metering" and is the simplest way to setup a grid-tie PV system. In such a system you only have one utility kWh meter (kilowatt-hours) and it is allowed to spin in either direction depending on if you are buying or selling energy. In a non-net-metered system, the utility company will require that you install a second kWh meter. It records any excess energy that you sell back to them. They will only pay you the wholesale rate which is usually only a few cents per kWh.
Check Your State Regulations On-Line
To find out if your state offers "net metering" or any other incentives for installing a renewable energy system, click on the following link (www.dsireusa.org). Remember, a "net metering" law for your state doesn’t necessarily apply to rural electric cooperatives so give your utility company a call before going any further.
Package # 6
Enphase Micro Inverter System
$200.00 for the Micro Inverter
$500.00 for your Solar Module
Inexpensive - modular -
scalable
Add our roof or top of pole mounting system and your on your way! You can now build your Solar system over time with this new Enphase Micro Inverter
System. You can start with one Solar module if you like. No more need for a large inverter,
this mini inverter easily attaches right to the solar module, allowing each panel to
work on its own.
The Enphase Micro-Inverter shifts DC to AC
conversion from a large, centralized inverter to a compact unit
attached directly to each solar module in the power system.
Distributing the conversion process to each module makes the entire
solar power system more productive, reliable, and smarter than
traditional inverter systems.
Package
# 7
The XW System from Xantrex
Starting at $11,995.00
If your goal is to reduce your electrical
bill and move away from the dependence of the utility company,
then this package is for you. This system produces on average
450K per month with the average household using around 700K a
month. You can add more solar panels as needed to offset your
current electrical usage or have us do an energy audit and see
if buy making some minor changes, you can lower your usage. This
system also supplies power to your home in the event the grid
goes down. Currently there is a 30% tax credit for this system.
This system includes:
1 - XW6000 watt Inverter/Charger 120/240 Volts.
1 - Pre-wired DC disconnect panel.
16 - Trojan T-105 225 Ampere Hour 6 volt batteries.
1 - Digital display battery monitor
2 - 170Watt Solar Modules w/ 25 year warrantee.
1 - Module frame for mounting
1 - Solar charge controller
1 - Array combiner box with PV breakers.1 - Set of MC 4 Connectors 10’
long.