Off-Grid Solar Power

Make solar power the heart of your standalone remote power system.

Whatever your reason for choosing to live off-grid, energy efficiency and system reliability are your paramount concerns. Independent Power can design and install an off-grid solar power system you can depend on for decades.

What is "Off Grid"?

Off-grid homes have no connection to conventional utility power. Many rural areas lie just outside the edges of the electrical grid and the cost of extending power lines to remote homes can be prohibitive. For many of these homeowners the best solution is clean renewable energy. Depending on your local conditions, we might recommend solar, micro-hydro, wind, biodiesel-powered generators or some combination of these green energy sources. In most situations, however, solar-generated electricity will constitute the heart of your remote power system.

Why Go Off Grid?

The reasons for going off grid are as varied as the people who decide to do it. For many, the best reasons are economic. Extending conventional electrical lines to power your home typically costs from $40,000 to $80,000 for 1 km. For others, the main motivation for staying off grid is environmental.

More and more people are becoming aware of the true cost of conventional power generation – a cost that can be fully measured only by taking into account the increasingly dangerous effects that carbon-based fuels have on our planet.

A growing awareness of the impact of global warming and a disagreement with the portrayal of nuclear power as a legitimate source of clean energy is moving many homeowners to prefer solar, wind and micro-hydro as their primary sources of power. To many of us, the desire to live green, self-sufficient lives is just too powerful to ignore.

How it works?

Why Efficiency Matters

Efficiency always matters. Whether you get your power from the grid or a renewable energy system, efficient appliances save you money and help spare the environment. It's also better for the environment because fewer electric appliances and devices in your home mean less need for manufacturing processes that negatively impact the ecosystem.

But in the off-grid home, efficiency is more than beneficial, it’s essential, for the simple reason that you do not have grid power to fall back on. Conserving energy lowers the cost of your power system by reducing the number of solar panels and batteries you'll need, and, often most important, by minimizing the amount of time you’ll need to run an expensive generator for power in periods of little or no sunshine.

Strategy for a Successful Off-Grid System

An off-grid remote power system is substantially more complex and requires more time and effort to design, install and maintain than a grid-tie system.

Successful off-grid system requirements include:

• Expert system design from start to finish
• PV array and battery bank accurately sized to the household electricity demands
• PV panels with the right kind of mounting rack
• Efficient deep-cycle storage batteries and a safe battery enclosure
• A PV charge controller with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to ensure that battery charge level is properly maintained
• A DC-to-AC inverter that correctly matches your household electrical use
• Properly sized conduit, wiring, disconnects and fuses
• Professional installation to ensure years of safe operation
• Regular attention and appropriate maintenance