This system includes an off-grid inverter and a grid-tie inverter. The grid-tie inverter works during the day, by saving you money. The off-grid inverter only works when there is load shedding. This off-grid inverter will ensure you have an uninterrupted power supply.
A grid-connected photovoltaic power system (grid-connected PV system) is an electric generating unit converting the sun’s power through PV modules (solar panels) to electricity you can use and is directly connected to the utility grid. The grid-tie inverters supplement the power grid during the daylight. This PV inverter converts direct current from the PV module into alternating current for the grid. A grid-connected PV system consist of solar panels, one or several inverters, a power conditioning unit and grid connection equipment. They range from small residential and commercial rooftop systems to large utility-scale solar power stations.
The term off-grid refers to not being connected to a grid, mainly used in terms of not being connected to the main or national electrical grid. In electricity, off-grid can be stand-alone power system or mini-grids typically to provide a smaller community with electricity. Off-grid electrification is an approach to access electricity used in countries and areas with little access to electricity, due to scattered or distant population. It can be any kind of electricity generation. The term off-the-grid (OTG) can refer to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities.
The SMA Fuel Save Controller (FSC) is the central component of SMA solution for photovoltaic diesel hybrid systems. It allows the use of cost-effective solar energy to generate electricity in the hybrid system, thereby reducing the fuel consumption of the diesel generators. As an interface between diesel generator, photovoltaic system and load it takes over the demand-led control of solar feed - depending on the load and generation profile of the overall system. The FSC takes comprehensive network management functions, ensures maximum operational reliability, minimizes fuel costs and CO 2 emissions. The second generation of the FSC is available for system sizes from 100 kW to 50 MW. Hybrid systems with SMA Technologies are always modularly expandable and offer an optimal system control by remote monitoring.
Africa is a rich source of wind and solar. These two sources of renewable energy compliments each other perfectly. The wind can be tied into the grid in an AC or DC configuration. In a basic off-grid application we will have the PV panels supplying direct AC to the load as well as charging the batteries, while the wind charges the batteries during the night when there isn’t any solar to do so.