With the rapid advancements of technology in the field of solar energy, more and more people have started installing solar power system. Of the several types of different systems installed across the globe, the on grid solar power system is the most widely chosen one.

What is on-grid solar?

On-grid solar power system is a solar power generation system where it is connected to the utility grid. The electricity produced by the system is routed to the grid from where it is used to run the various appliances. The installation of the same is also fuss-free and easy to maintain.

How does on-grid solar power system works?

The arrangement of solar modules absorbs the sunlight on them and convert them into electricity. The current generated here is Direct Current (DC). The solar inverter then converts the DC to Alternating Current (AC), thus making it power the electrical items. This electricity is then routed to the grid where it is supplied for day to day use. An important feature is a net meter. It is a device that records the energy supplied to the grid and the energy consumed. At the end of each month, the outstanding is recorded and the consumer is provided with a bill.

Benefits of on-grid solar system

1. Zero Electricity Bills – Though the solar power system is connected to the grid, the consumer has to pay only for the surplus electricity he consumes. The bill generated on a monthly basis determines whether the consumer has any payments to be made. However, at the same time if the consumer utilizes less electricity, the excess is fed back in the grid.

2. Easy maintenance – The on-grid solar power system has the least number of parts along with simple installation. The elimination of batteries makes the maintenance quite easy.

3. Passive income generation – With a connection to the grid, the consumer can charge for the surplus electricity he has generated. It not only eliminates your electricity bills but also avails the cost benefits for the excess electricity generated.

Solar power has several benefits which notably include a reduction in electricity cost and usage. However, there are other benefits that depend on the type of system you choose.

Components of the residential on-grid solar system

1. Solar panels

Solar panels in a solar grid for home are the most visible parts. They’re installed on the rooftop, facing the South direction. When sunlight falls on these panels, they absorb that sunlight and convert it into electricity.

The solar electricity directly from the panels is in the form of DC power. Since homes require alternating current (AC), there’s the need for a solar inverter to convert direct current into alternating current.

2. Solar inverter

The entire solar system would have been an impractical model had there been no solar inverter. The solar inverter takes up the role of converting DC into AC.

This conversion is essential because that’s the only way to convert electricity generated from an on-grid solar panel into a usable form (AC) that can run household appliances.

3. Solar mounting structures

These are the pillars that carry the weight of solar panels. They have to be of a standard grade so that they can withstand heavy winds during storms & cyclones and hold the weight of the solar panels for 25 years (that’s the life of a solar system).

The best solar mounting structures are prefabricated in precision labs. They’re coated with hot-dip galvanizing on steel to make them rust-proof.

They must be designed to sustain the wind speeds as defined for the installation location and height of the building.

4. Solar accessories

These include the AC and DC cables that are required for wiring solar panels and connecting different parts to make the entire solar grid functional.

The next most important accessories required to set up an on-grid solar system are DC combiner boxes and AC combiner boxes.

A DC combiner box works like an isolation box. All the cables carrying DC current from the panels are isolated in this box. DC power coming from the panels can be as high as 1000 volts, even more. It’s dangerous (potentially lethal); hence, the requirement of a DC combiner box.

This box feeds the DC current into the solar inverter and the solar inverter produces alternating current. This AC power is fed into an AC combiner box (all cables carrying the AC current from multiple inverters are combined in this box.)

Once the entire on-grid solar system is set up, earthing is done using earthing strips and wires.

Please note: all the DC cable connections are made using MC4 connectors.