The amount of electricity you use for your home or business adds up over time. The cost seems to go up too. This means when your consumption increases, you are very likely to see a spike in your bills. Getting off the grid and being in control of that energy use is possible with the implementation of stand alone power systems. It is worth checking into them and learning more.
There are several options you may consider to make this happen. It means you are relying on solar energy or other alternative for you to collect energy to be used as electricity. Create enough of it to complete all of your uses and you won’t have to pay the electric company at all. If you don’t create enough, you will only pay for what you use. The goal is not to have to pay for it at all.
Getting Started
Being well informed is the first place to start when it comes to getting off the grid. You need to look at the pros and cons the various stand alone power systems can offer. You also need to look at the installation process and the cost. There is a good match for every need and every budget. Such systems are far less expensive today than they used to be. That is encouraging!
Evaluate the various choices you have too. While many people think about solar energy when they consider stand alone power systems, that is just one possibility. The use of wind power and hydro power can also be great possibilities depending on where you reside. The goal is to identify the resources you have the most of and can realistically use.
Evaluating Resources
Solar energy is the most common of the stand alone power systems because the sun is always there. Of course, where you reside can influence how many days and hours of sunlight you gain. The time of year can also influence it. You may not realise you can still collect solar energy on cloudy days.
This process often involves collector cells being placed on the roof of a home or business. These panels collect the sunlight and it is converted into electricity. They are virtually maintenance free and they work well for large scale needs. Wind power can be a great choice if you live in an area where it is often windy.
The amount of wind on a daily basis though can be much harder to determine than the anticipated energy from the sunlight. This is one element that has to be carefully looked at before moving forward with it as the right stand alone power systems to select. Hydro power relies on water but this is very expensive. That is why it is often refrained from by individuals.
That is more of an option for larger companies and corporations to get involved with. For small businesses and homes, you may wish to consider one of the smaller scale stand alone power systems. This includes a power inverter or a battery bank. They allow you to create the energy you need without being on the grid. Such options aren’t realistic for a larger business though.
Cost and Installation
The overall cost of the implementation depends on the method you select and who is going to install it for you. Carefully make your selection of type based on the most benefit to you. When this is done correctly, the cost of the materials and installation will more than pay for themselves in a short amount of time. When you go off the grid, you never have to pay for electricity again!
