Design

Solar systems broadly fall into two categories, stand alone (including hazardous area applications) and grid tied.

Stand Alone

Stand alone systems are designed to operate autonomously and are complete with both generating and storage capabilities. The storage is usually provided by secondary battery cells but could be hydrogen evolved from electrolysing water (don't do this at home) or water pumped into an elevated storage tank.

Hazardous Area

Most of the equipment used for stand alone systems can be installed into enclosures suitable for use in hazardous areas. The information contained in the Stand Alone section should be read in conjunction with this section.

Grid Tied

Suitable for installation on domestic dwellings, grid tied systems are usually designed to displace energy used from the grid either directly or by exporting to the grid during the day when the building is not occupied.

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Last update 2004-05-06