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Backup
Power for Grid-Tied Solar Systems
Renewable,
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Do you need this? Whether you actually
need backup power for a grid-tied system is a personal decision each
family makes. If power outages in
your area are infrequent or of short duration, you probably do not need
backup. You may still want backup, though. However, if you live
in an area of frequent or long outages, it is certainly worth considering. You basically have
three choices for backup power: 1. Battery bank Some grid-tied
systems add batteries to store electricity for utility outages. Battery
back-ups add considerable cost to your system and also make it more
complicated to install and maintain. Other grid-tied
systems include a fossil fuel generator for backup power during times of
utility outage. Generators are cost effective and produce alternating
current so that current need not be converted before you can use it. Probably no one wants
a fossil-fuel generator with a renewable energy system. However, some
argue that the generator is at least as environmentally friendly, if not
more so, than batteries. Regardless, that is a decision you must make. If you have the
space, the correct location, and the wind velocity, a wind generator can
be used in tandem with any solar system. At this time, a rural location
and/or large properties are usually more suitable for generation of
electricity by wind than the normal urban lot. Summary Generators are cost
effective and generally considered at least as environmentally friendly as
batteries. Using batteries as backup power makes the system unnecessarily
complex, less efficient, and substantially more expensive. If long outages are
common, you might need a generator anyway. If you are on the grid and have
a generator, batteries are superfluous and expensive additions. Wind turbines can be
operated in tandem with grid-tied solar systems under certain conditions. Back
to Solar Power Directory For
further information about Renewable
Energy or this area of Texas
contact Terry
Jensen Renewable Energy & Green Services
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