ALL You Need to Know: Off Grid Solar System

Are you a nature enthusiast inspired by living off the grid, self-sustained and embracing clean energy. You are not alone! Off-grid solar systems have become increasingly popular in recent years. It enables homeowners to become independent of the traditional electricity networks. While it also saves money on your electricity bills. Comprehensive off-grid solar systems come with batteries and all the necessary components to help you break away from the utility companies. Here is all you need to know about the off grid solar system packages with batteries. So, let’s quickly dig down to the topic!

What is meant by Off Grid?

So, what do you mean by Off Grid? The meaning of Off Grid is nothing but getting detached with utilities such as cables, pipes, wires, etc. You do not depend on gas or electricity to fulfil your home requirements. You produce your energy to run your home or office. Off Grid living is even getting encouraged with the rise of renewable energy such as wind and solar energy. But producing energy with such systems requires space, so it might be a little difficult in dense areas. Whereas, it is easy to produce renewable energy in suburban as well as rural areas.

Is It Possible to Go Off-grid with Solar Panels and Batteries?

Now, let’s understand if it is possible to go Off-Grid with solar panels and batteries. So, the answer is yes, it is possible, if you feel sure that you would be able to produce the needed electricity. During summer it is quite easy to produce electricity with solar panels and batteries, but it might be difficult during winter and rainy days. If the sun would not reflect enough heat, you would not be able to produce energy with it. In order to produce electricity during these days, you will need to add more solar panels.

How Many Batteries and Solar Do I Need to Go Off-Grid?

The number of batteries and solar needed to go off-grid depends on your power utilization. But do remember to own a solar panel larger than your need, if you are thinking of going off-grid. For example, if you are living in a 3 bedroom home, then you might need 10 solar panels. Let’s understand the number of solar panels required for different solar system with the help of a chart:

This means that for preparing a 5.25 kW solar panel system, you will need 15 panels, respectively.

Meanwhile, you should choose a battery with enough capacity to store your remaining power. For example, in general, it is said that an 8kW storage battery is charged by a 3.5 kW solar panel in 1.1 days. But, if we talk about the reality, it takes almost 2 or more days.

Which Battery is Best for Off-Grid Solar System?

So, which battery is best for an Off-Grid solar system? Let’s dedicate this paragraph to get the quick answer of this question:

1. BLUETTI EP500Pro

The first one in the list of best batteries for off grid solar systems is BLUETTI EP500Pro. It is the most recommended solar battery option for you, if you need one of large capacity. The battery is known for its ultra storage capacity with rapid charging. With these batteries, you can light up your whole house for 1 to 2 days. You can easily use these batteries for different purposes and to fulfill your large electricity requirements.

Other important features of BLUETTI EP500Pro:

1. BLUETTI EP500Pro battery comes with 24/7 UPS functionality.
2. You can operate it with WiFi + Bluetooth remote control.
3. These batteries are durable and stable.
4. The battery comes with a 5 years warranty.
5. The recharging ways to charge these batteries are flexible.

2. BLUETTI AC200MAX+PV350

One more option in the best solar battery is BLUETTI AC200MAX+PV350. It is best in terms of power as well as flexibility. The power station AC200Max is packed with 2 expansion ports and two BLUETTI B230’s(2048Wh each) or B300(3072Wh each) battery modules. These features help to increase the total capacity of the battery. These batteries never let you run out of power and help you light up your house every time.

Other important features of BLUETTI AC200MAX+PV350:

1. The battery comes with a 4 year warranty.
2. You can recharge them in 7 different ways.
3. Fast dual charging available.
4. It gets fully charged in 8.5 hours.

Note: These 2 batteries are the best option for your off grid solar power system. Both of these can be connected to roof solar panels and portable solar panels.

Off Grid Solar System Cost

If we talk about the cost of an off grid solar system UK, it totally depends on various factors and its application as well. Let’s have a look at the price of off grid solar system with the help of a chart:

Advantages of Off Grid Solar System

Now, we will understand some of the advantages of an off grid solar system with the help of some questions that people frequently ask about it.

The answer to "can you add batteries to an existing off grid solar system" is yes. There are chances that you might require some rewiring. You might also need to replace your inverter, in case it is not suitable.

A 5kWh battery could power a house for approximately 10 hours, in case of using it for a few appliances including fridge, TV, etc. Further, if you use it for any heavy duty appliances then it might discharge very quickly.

Off grid solar batteries last somewhere between 5 to 15 years. Among all the solar batteries, lithium ion batteries last for the longest and i.e. 15 years. Solar batteries life also gets affected with its maintenance, environment, cycle life, depth of discharge, installation, battery type, etc.

When the off grid solar batteries are full, it could overcharge the system. When a solar system is overcharged, it can crucially damage the life of the battery. Whenever you find that the solar batteries are fully charged, the charge controller and inverter need to be put in to mitigate risks by handling excess power.

Final words

Firstly, it's important to know how this Off Grid Solar System works and why you need it. Off Grid System works as a stand alone power generation system. So, unlike the grid connected solar systems, it's totally independent of power grids and does not require any cabling. But before purchasing a solar system you should first make a complete study of your consumption requirements. You also need to know what loads you are going to run on solar energy.