Zero Down Solar San Diego
Zero Down Solar is a reliable solar contracting company that serves San Diego, El Cajon, Chula Vista & Escondido
  • Solar Services
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Not-For-Profit
    • Galleries
      • Residential
      • Commercial & Not-for-Profit
    • Cost
    • Does my home qualify for a solar rebate?
    • Free Solar Quote
    • Make A Referral
  • About
    • FAQs
    • News
  • Save on Gas
  • Contact

(760) 776-8182

January 10 2018

Residential Solar Installation Choices: Storage

Residential Solar Installation options include choosing between a standard grid-tied solar energy system, a solar battery backup, or a hybrid solar system. Here’s a simple explanation and discussion of all three options that you should keep in mind when you’re comparing hybrid solar panels to typical grid-connection or off-grid options.

Residential Solar Installation Option #1: Hybrid solar panels

A hybrid solar panel system is a combination of a grid-connected and storage-ready system that provides consistent energy supply during day and night. The hybrid system stores power for later use in solar batteries but then also allows the system to pull from the grid in high energy use periods such as air-conditioning season. Any solar plus storage system that is not meant to be entirely off-grid will be a hybrid system.

Residential Solar Installation Option #2: Grid-Tied Solar System

Grid-tied, on-grid, utility-interactive, grid intertie and grid back-feeding are all terms used to describe the same concept – a solar system that is connected to the utility power grid. A grid-connected system makes sense in situations where the home-owner can take advantage of better efficiency rates and net metering (this situation is changing in San Diego and only people grandfathered in will benefit). A grid-tied residential solar installation usually offers lower equipment and installation costs. Grid-tied solar systems are usually a better choice for areas that have a high climate variation. Additionally batteries, and other stand-alone equipment, are required for a fully functional off-grid solar system and add to costs as well as maintenance. Grid-tied solar systems are therefore generally cheaper and simpler to install.

Residential Solar Installation Option #3: Battery Storage

Off-grid solar technology is growing in popularity, a number of solar companies are manufacturing solar batteries for residential solar installation. Adding battery storage along with your PV system, you can store excess solar electricity when it’s produced and then use it as later. There are a number of situations where taking your home off the grid makes sense. In some places, particularly in remote areas, off-grid solar battery systems are the best (or even the only) option. There are a few criteria your property should meet to be a good fit for off-grid solar.

  • Low electricity demand
  • Low climate fluctuations (snowstorms are not good solar generation days)
  • Can afford to add a battery backup
  • Tiny houses, boats, and RVs are also great candidates

According to EnergySage Marketplace data, the average solar shopper offsets 86 percent of their annual electricity use with solar – a significant amount, but not enough to go fully “off the grid.”

For the average solar homeowner in the United States, it usually makes sense to maintain a connection to the utility company. However, even if you don’t choose to go fully off-grid, you can still install a solar battery backup with your PV system and use a hybrid solar system.

Solar-plus-storage systems that include a battery are particularly beneficial if your utility doesn’t have a good policy for compensating homeowners who generate excess solar electricity (check out our post about the net metering solar changes in San Diego).

However, if you’ve grandfathered in net metering, installing a hybrid solar system helps to maximize off-peak electricity prices. When your solar panels are overproducing, you can store it in your storage array or in the grid depending on the context of peak pricing. Then you can pull from the grid only when prices are below market average at off-peak times. For example, during warm summer months when panel production is high but so is household energy use, you can opt to store all extra panel production in your batteries in an effort to be less grid-reliant in a time when energy prices are surging.
Solar batteries can provide a few hours of backup power in the event of a power outage. A hybrid system with a battery can be more cost-effective in the long term than a diesel-powered backup generator.

 

 

Solar Storage System: DC versus AC Timeline: Solar Installation San Diego

Related Posts

CPUC

Solar News, Solar Regulations

CPUC NEM 3 “Proposal” Will Hurt Future Solar Owners

Residential Solar San Diego

Solar News

Approximately 20% of our Zero Down Solar clients use the opportunity of adding solar to reroof their homes! 

Average Solar Panel Cost.docx

Solar News

Average Solar Panel Cost

Search:

Categories

  • Recent Installations
  • Reviews
  • Solar News
  • Solar Regulations
  • Videos

Recent Posts

  • CPUC NEM 3 “Proposal” Will Hurt Future Solar Owners
  • CALSSA Statement on California Energy Commission’s Announcement on California’s Clean Energy Progress
  • Approximately 20% of our Zero Down Solar clients use the opportunity of adding solar to reroof their homes! 
  • Average Solar Panel Cost
  • Debuting ZDS’s New Monitoring & Referral App!

Archives

  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017

CSLB License #1022433

Copyright © 2020 Zero Down Solar, all rights reserved.
San Diego, CA 92124

Direct: (760) 776-8182

Installing Solar throughout San Diego County including Poway, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Encinitas and Carlsbad.