The idea of having solar panels generating my electricity has always interested me. There is just something about generating your own power that is satisfying. Recently, I was in a position to be able to start looking into the possibility of installing solar panels on my roof, however I had some questions. Mainly should I go off-grid, or have a grid-tie solar system. I also wanted a system that I could easily add on to in the future. Doing a solar panel installation isn’t for everyone, but it might be something that could work for you.
Grid-Tie or Off Grid Solar Panel Installation
When people think of Solar panels, they typically think of what is called an off-grid system. That is, one where the Solar panels, and the electricity generated from them are separate from the traditional power grid. However with improved technology of micro-inverters, it has become much more cost effective to go with a grid-tie system as opposed to an off- grid, if you already have conventional power in your house.
By choosing a grid-tie system over an off-grid one you are cutting the overall cost by over half. You also eliminate the need for having batteries, which is where most of the cost savings are. Not to mention having to replace the batteries every 5 to 10 years. Additionally, there are serious power losses in charging batteries for solar. One source puts that loss as much as 40%.
Being a Ham radio operator, I am quite aware of EMI and RFI radiation interfering with my radios. Recently I added an Off Grid Solar PV system to my ham radio station. Using solar panels is great for ham radio, especially for emergency communications when the grid is down, I am still able to operate. However it was producing a lot of EMI /RFI interference on my