Off Grid
Solar & Wind
Energy
Solar & Wind
Energy
What is an Off Grid System?
Your own power plant. Off grid systems are installations that are not tied to outside electrical lines.
They operate independently from the grid and thus must store power on-site in large battery banks.
These systems contain three main components, a power collection device, power
conditioner/inverter/control module and battery bank.
The power collection devices capture energy from the sun, wind or flowing water.
The conditioner/inverter/control module are the brains of the system. They regulate the flow of power
between the collection devices, battery bank and house.
The battery bank acts as a buffer, storing power while you collect more than you use, and releasing
power to the house when you call for more than you collect.
Since these systems must generate all the power available to the user, the selection of appliances,
lighting and the other loads is extremely important. Careful selection of appliances and lighting will
help to ensure the most bang for your buck in any off grid installation.
Which Off Grid System is right for me?
Selecting the right off grid system involves careful understanding of three things, your power load,
your usage and your site. Together these factors will determine what system is right for you so it is
important to understand what each one is and how it is determined.
Your Power Load.
Your power load is the total power usage of your location on an average day as measured in Kilowatt
hours and it is the primary factor in determining the size of your system. The size of your power load
will determine which power conditioner and control centre needed for your installation.
If your location is already existing and is on the grid then this information can be gleaned from your
power bill, otherwise you need to add up the power usage of all the electrical devices you use in your
home. To do this you simply take the power rating of a device and multiply it by the amount of time
you would use that device in an average day. Take the time to list out all of your electric loads, being
careful not to miss any or underestimate your usage of each device. Proper load sizing is crucial to
ensure that your system works properly.
Your Usage Pattern.
Usage is extremely important when considering an off grid installation as it is usage that helps to
determine the mix between collector and storage capacity. Usage is defined as how often your
location is occupied. Full time, part time or seasonal part time are the typical usage categories but
things like week long vacations spent at a cottage must also be taken into consideration when
determining a location's usage.
Full time use locations need to have more collection capacity than their average daily use to ensure
that when power is being generated it can recharge the batteries that have been drained down during
high use or low production days.
Part time use locations like cottages can generally get away with a smaller collector capacity than an
full time use location with the same power load. This is because there are regular, extended periods
of little or no power usage when the system can recharge.
Seasonal part time locations are those that are used sporadically and are rarely used for extended
periods. These locations can generally get away with much smaller collector and storage capacities
for a given power load since they have very long periods in which to recharge and do not require
many days of backup.
Usage is not necessarily a clear issue as many locations don't reliably fall into one category.
Carefully consider things like extended vacations, possibility of retirement living and other such
issues when determining your usage.
Your Site.
The last thing to consider in any off grid installation is the physical site itself. Some locations are
particularly sunny, some are very windy. The combination of particular factors on your site will help to
determine what system is right for you.
Modern photovoltaic cells can produce power even in dim or diffuse light, however, a southern
exposure that receives unobstructed sunlight are the recommended site characteristics.
Residential sized wind turbines generally require an annual average wind speed of over 10mph and
must be mounted at least thirty feet higher than the highest object within 500 feet. With our wide
range of tower options this is almost always feasible, however, some locations preclude the mounting
of a wind turbine even if the site meets the minimum wind speed requirements.
Your own power plant. Off grid systems are installations that are not tied to outside electrical lines.
They operate independently from the grid and thus must store power on-site in large battery banks.
These systems contain three main components, a power collection device, power
conditioner/inverter/control module and battery bank.
The power collection devices capture energy from the sun, wind or flowing water.
The conditioner/inverter/control module are the brains of the system. They regulate the flow of power
between the collection devices, battery bank and house.
The battery bank acts as a buffer, storing power while you collect more than you use, and releasing
power to the house when you call for more than you collect.
Since these systems must generate all the power available to the user, the selection of appliances,
lighting and the other loads is extremely important. Careful selection of appliances and lighting will
help to ensure the most bang for your buck in any off grid installation.
Which Off Grid System is right for me?
Selecting the right off grid system involves careful understanding of three things, your power load,
your usage and your site. Together these factors will determine what system is right for you so it is
important to understand what each one is and how it is determined.
Your Power Load.
Your power load is the total power usage of your location on an average day as measured in Kilowatt
hours and it is the primary factor in determining the size of your system. The size of your power load
will determine which power conditioner and control centre needed for your installation.
If your location is already existing and is on the grid then this information can be gleaned from your
power bill, otherwise you need to add up the power usage of all the electrical devices you use in your
home. To do this you simply take the power rating of a device and multiply it by the amount of time
you would use that device in an average day. Take the time to list out all of your electric loads, being
careful not to miss any or underestimate your usage of each device. Proper load sizing is crucial to
ensure that your system works properly.
Your Usage Pattern.
Usage is extremely important when considering an off grid installation as it is usage that helps to
determine the mix between collector and storage capacity. Usage is defined as how often your
location is occupied. Full time, part time or seasonal part time are the typical usage categories but
things like week long vacations spent at a cottage must also be taken into consideration when
determining a location's usage.
Full time use locations need to have more collection capacity than their average daily use to ensure
that when power is being generated it can recharge the batteries that have been drained down during
high use or low production days.
Part time use locations like cottages can generally get away with a smaller collector capacity than an
full time use location with the same power load. This is because there are regular, extended periods
of little or no power usage when the system can recharge.
Seasonal part time locations are those that are used sporadically and are rarely used for extended
periods. These locations can generally get away with much smaller collector and storage capacities
for a given power load since they have very long periods in which to recharge and do not require
many days of backup.
Usage is not necessarily a clear issue as many locations don't reliably fall into one category.
Carefully consider things like extended vacations, possibility of retirement living and other such
issues when determining your usage.
Your Site.
The last thing to consider in any off grid installation is the physical site itself. Some locations are
particularly sunny, some are very windy. The combination of particular factors on your site will help to
determine what system is right for you.
Modern photovoltaic cells can produce power even in dim or diffuse light, however, a southern
exposure that receives unobstructed sunlight are the recommended site characteristics.
Residential sized wind turbines generally require an annual average wind speed of over 10mph and
must be mounted at least thirty feet higher than the highest object within 500 feet. With our wide
range of tower options this is almost always feasible, however, some locations preclude the mounting
of a wind turbine even if the site meets the minimum wind speed requirements.