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Solar technology has advanced significantly during the past couple of years. Today’s smart solar systems are significantly more sophisticated than systems installed only a few years ago. Differences are as pronounced as between today’s smart phones and the first-generation mobile phones of the late 1980s. Elements of smart solar systems are:
Systems with Battery Storage
Adding a battery inverter with battery storage gives solar systems the ability to store solar energy that is captured during daytime for usage during the night or during times of load shedding/blackouts. Battery storage is essential for off-grid systems.
Systems without Battery Storage
The cheapest type of solar system consists of only a solar array and a grid-tie inverter. Such systems do not include batteries and are only geared towards energy saving. Grid-tie battery-less systems can only produce energy when connected to a live grid. If the grid falls away the system stops producing energy. In areas with reliable grid connection, this leads to significant energy cost reductions.
Simple Backup System
A simple backup system consists of only an inverter/charger and a battery bank as depicted below. The inverter incorporates an automatic transfer switch (ATS). When utility power is available it is passed directly to the load, but in the event of a power cut the ATS, in a split second, connects the load to the output of the inverter, which draws DC power from the batteries and inverts it to AC power. These types of inverters usually incorporate a battery charger which charges the battery when utility power is available.
Simple Solar SystemWith Battery Backup
By adding solar panels with a charge controller to a backup system as shown below, it can be upgraded to a full solar system.
Grid-Tie System
By adding solar panels with a charge controller to a backup system as shown below, it can be upgraded to a full solar system.
Grid-tie SystemWith Battery Storage
The advantage of this type of system is improved efficiency since power from the grid-tie inverter is fed straight into the high voltage AC supply line without the need to step the power up from the low battery voltage (12-48V DC) to the AC supply voltage (240V AC), which is not very efficient.
The type of inverter used in this configuration is called a bi-directional inverter since solar power from the grid-tie inverters can be fed back into the grid. It can also be used to charge the batteries.
A well-known example of bi-directional inverters is Victron inverters.
Smart Integrated Solar Systems
Advanced smart systems usually integrate the grid-tie inverter, battery inverter and charge controller into a single unit. The system manages four sources of power (utility, generator, solar & batteries) and three types of loads: essential, non-essential and smart loads. Essential loads are those that will always be powered, even if the grid is off and the generator fails. Smart loads are non-essential loads (e.g. hot water tank) that will be powered from the grid or from redundant solar power if the grid is off. The smart inverter controls the flow of energy to ensure optimum efficiency and availability of power.
Good examples of this type of inverters are Synsynk and Deye inverters. These inverters can also be classified as on-grid hybrid inverters.
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Pictures showcasing some of our successfully installed home solar systems
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Sunray Power Company Limited, a Zambian-owned firm, offers integrated solar solutions, enhancing socio-economic development by providing accessible, reliable, and clean electricity across Zambia and neighboring regions.
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Stand Nr. 3, Chamba Valley Shopping Mall, Munali Rd. Chamba Valley,Lusaka, 10101, Zambia
Sunray Power Company Limited, a Zambian-owned firm, offers integrated solar solutions, enhancing socio-economic development by providing accessible, reliable, and clean electricity across Zambia and neighboring regions.
Quick Links
Visit Us
Stand Nr. 3, Chamba Valley Shopping Mall, Munali Rd. Chamba Valley,Lusaka, 10101, Zambia
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