What Is Off-Grid and On-Grid Solar Energy?

What is meant by off-grid solar systems? With an off-grid solar system, you`re completely reliant on the sun and energy stored in batteries to power your home or business.

If you opt for a solar system that is not tied to the electric grid and you do not have a generator, you will only have electricity at two points:

When the sun is shining and your solar system is producing electricity.

When you`re pulling electricity previously generated by your solar system from a solar storage device, like batteries.

If you do not have batteries or a means to store your energy, you will have less or no electricity when it`s cloudy, and you will not have electricity at night.

With an off-grid system, you will not have access to extra electricity if you need it. What you are producing and what you have stored is all that`s there to power your equipment.

If you decide to install an on-grid solar system, you will always have access to electricity (unless the grid goes down), whether or not your solar system is producing or if you have batteries.

If your system is not producing any electricity or not producing enough electricity to power the devices, lights, machines, etc. that you`re using, you can pull energy from the utility grid to supplement it. This ensures you always have enough electricity for what you need.

Depending on the size of the system you install, how much electricity you use, and when you use that electricity, there will likely be times when your system is producing more electricity than you`re using. What happens to this excess energy depends on the equipment you install.

Most off-grid solar systems are designed to produce a certain amount of “extra” electricity in the daytime, which is sent to batteries for storage. The energy stored in those batteries can then be accessed when the system is not producing, like at night or during cloudy weather.

Depending on your energy goals, systems can be sized to produce enough excess electricity in the daytime to cover your entire energy usage around the clock.

However, despite even the best and most accurate estimates, the weather is unpredictable. If you experience abnormally cloudy weather several days in a row, your system may not be able to produce enough electricity to charge the batteries and fulfill all your needs.

While having extra batteries offers peace of mind and can provide a bank of stored electricity just in case this happens, they`re also expensive. Purchasing more batteries than you need may be cost-prohibitive, depending on your budget.

Just like off-grid solar systems, many who choose to install an on-grid solar system want to cover 100% or nearly 100% of their energy usage. This can be achieved with on-grid systems as well.

Depending on the time of day you use electricity, your solar system can produce excess energy. Instead of sending it to batteries as you would in an off-grid system, you can send it to the grid and you will be compensated for that electricity.

While there are distinct differences between off-grid and grid-tied solar systems, the one that is best for you is dependent on your situation. Off-grid systems allow for complete freedom from the utility, but they`re often more expensive. Grid-tied systems marry significant electricity savings with grid-backed dependence, so you`ll never have to worry about not having the electricity needed to power your house or business.