With solar energy gaining popularity because of its several benefits, many households are switching to solar power systems in their homes. Various governments across the world are also promoting the use of solar power by giving subsidies and benefits. So, there are many reasons for you to switch to the solar power system or at least have it as a backup or an alternative energy system.

However, with several types of home solar power systems available in the market, it can be hard for you to choose the one that can be perfect for you. Therefore, we have come up with a list of the solar power system to help you look at its features, compare them and decide which one would work correctly as per your needs and requirements.

The two main types of solar home panels are off-grid and grid-tied solar system. Within these two types, there are several others that are mentioned below:

Off-grid Solar Power System with PV only

The off-grid solar power system is perfect for you if you have personal requirements at home. It has all the essential elements that are needed for a solar system to function. However, it is not the cheapest solar system available.

The cost of this type of solar system ultimately depends on the availability of sun in your area and your requirements. If you choose to install a big PV system, you would need more panels and batteries. If you don’t have strong sunshine in that area, then you won’t get much power from your solar panel.

Hybrid Off-grid Solar Power System

A hybrid solar system that is off-grid is a system that makes it easier for you to take advantage of various energy forms. As the name suggests, it is a hybrid model, and therefore, in case the sunshine is very low in your area, but the wind currents are high, you can use wind energy with the help of micro-hydro generator, a wind-turbine, or a combination of all.

You can use both hydro as well as wind energy along with the solar power in this system. This ensures that your system is up almost 100% of the times especially when the wind currents are high at night. However, it is a complicated system and required high levels of maintenance.

Grid-Tied Solar Power PV Systems

With a grid-tied solar system, you have zero energy dependence. You can save money on your electricity bills as well. The up-time of these types of solar power systems is that they are friendly to the environment and have an uptime of almost 100%. However, you would need to depend on the grid for such systems.

Grid-Tied Solar PV Systems with Power backup through Batteries

The grid-tied solar system is similar to the off-grid PV system except for the fact that you would need to provide an interface to the grid with your inverter. The benefits of this system are that it manages your connection automatically and allows for a production of excess power that can again flow into the grid.

Also, to look at another bright side, this system allows the battery to provide power to your home even when the grid system is down. The total time of power without a grid would depend on the size of the battery though.

Grid-Tied PV Only Solar System

Grid-Tied PV Only Solar System is the simplest type of solar system and also the least expensive as compared to the home solar systems available in the market. You can be quick to choose this system if your budget is low, but you do want to cut down your electricity costs. You can see the benefits of this system almost right after installing it. So, you can say that it gives quick results. The best part of this system is that it has a little maintenance cost. However, you can be affected if there is a grid power outage.

Points that you need to consider while choosing your Home Solar Power System:

• Do a fair assessment of the solar potential at your home
• Note down limitations of solar power for your home
• Make a reasonable estimation of your need for solar energy
• Assess all the solar system options that can be effective for you
• Learn about the subsidies and incentives that you get by installing a solar system in your house.
• Check out various contractors who are readily available to install a solar home system at competitive rates.

Once you make a fair assessment based on the checklist and the various types of home solar power systems, you will be ready to choose the right one for yourself!

Author Bio:

Sunil Rathi is Director of sales & marketing at WAAREE Energies Ltd. He is an assiduous, inquisitively power electronics engineer with an exceptional Sales and Marketing knowledge backed by a degree of MBA. He has a robust record of expertise acquired over 24 years in Solar Energy and Power Electronics Industry. His proven strategic vision facilitated in firmly establishment of the brand and himself as a stalwart in the solar industry.