One of the most common questions people ask when installing a solar power system is how will the system produce electricity at night? The answer- it doesn’t. Since the system relies on the sun’s energy, it cannot produce electricity at night or when the sun is hidden behind clouds. The good news is that this does not mean that your home will not have power during the night. This is where solar net metering comes in. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
How does it work? You can have a solar power system and still be connected to the main power grid. The solar panels will generate power during the day. However, most homes use minimal power during this time. The highest amount of power is typically produced in the afternoons but the highest power consumption is in the late evening after sunset. Through solar net metering, the excess power produced during the day can be transferred to the main power grid. An easy way to explain this is that the power meter starts working in reverse. As power is transferred to the main power grid, you get credits to your account. After sunset, when the solar panels cannot produce any more electricity, your home will be powered by electricity distributed from the main power grid. The credits in your account against the electricity generated by your solar panels will be used to account for the power you use. Thus, even though you are still using some power from the main power grid, you will still have negligible electricity bills to pay. What happens if you generate more power than you use? Solar panels typically generate more power during the summer. If you generate more power than you use, you will not get a cheque from the power grid. Instead, the credits will accumulate in your account. This can then be used to pay for electricity consumed in months when your solar panels create very little power such as during the monsoons or in the winter. Net metering vs off-grid systems Net metering is not the only option for solar power systems. You can also choose to go ‘off the grid’. This means that your home will not be connected to the main power grid but instead will be connected to a battery. The battery can take care of hourly fluctuations in the amount of power generated and maybe even a night but may not be able to account for seasonal differences. Thus, it may not be the most efficient system. With solar net metering, you can run your home by generating clean electricity and contribute to society at the same time. It’s a small step that goes a long way towards fighting global warming and reducing your carbon footprint. It also helps your neighbors as the excess power you supply to the main power grid can be distributed amongst your neighbors and thus give them access to clean energy as well. Related Post: What is Solar Net Metering and How Can it Help You? ( Click here )
1 Comment
7/27/2023 11:12:20 pm
Really informative article, PV People is the coming together of engineers, suppliers, technicians, sales advisors, friends, and family to deliver high quality solar PV systems to residential and commercial customers throughout the UK.
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