Vidya Jonnagada, a resident of Tarnaka escaped the hardships of many of her neigbours who were stuck in their homes and flats without power, water and connectivity for several days due to the flood havoc caused by the incessant rains in October. “We had one advantage,” said Vidya. “We had set up a solar-powered backup for our entire complex, which proved a life-saver”.
Tilak S. Gajendran, a resident of Nizampet too said the solar power backup enabled him to see through those rainy days even though the solar panels wasn’t very effective. “We were fortunate to have some power during the rains last year, though the ground floor of our house was flooded with three feet of water,” said Tilak.
A single 100-Watt Solar Panel can power several small devices ranging from cell phones, lights, fans, routers, laptops, mixers. “I always wondered if we could really power an entire house with solar power,” said Raju Mishra, a resident of Mehdipatnam. “Although I’ve not been able to power my indoor areas, all my garden lights run on solar power.”
Types of Solar Grids
“The main aim of a home-installed solar system is to help reduce your electricity bills and your carbon footprint,” says Sirisha Prabhala, a techie who has worked with Microsoft and Infosys. “But it can be expensive to set up a unit that will provide complete backup in case of power failure.”
There are three main types of solar power systems:
- On-grid, also known as a grid-tie or grid-feed solar system, is the most used option. These systems do not need batteries and use either solar inverters or micro-inverters connected to the public electricity grid. Any excess solar power that one generates is exported to the grid. In exchange, a consumer is paid a feed-in-tariff (FiT) or given equivalent credits. When the solar system is not operating or one is using more electricity than the system is producing like in hot weather conditions, one can redeem the credits by importing or consuming electricity from the grid. An on-grid system can power all appliances including water pump, motor, lights, etc. These are the most cost-effective and simplest systems to install and are by far the most widely used by homes and businesses. However, on-grid solar systems are not able to generate electricity during low sun-light conditions.
- Off-grid, also known as a stand-alone power system (SAPS), is more for personal use as it is not connected to the grid and requires battery storage. This system can provide power for critical loads even when there is a power outage. These solar systems need to be designed to generate enough power throughout the year and have enough battery capacity to meet the home’s requirements, even in peak winter when there is generally much less sunlight. Off-grid systems are also much more expensive due to the high cost of batteries and off-grid inverters, but battery costs are coming down, creating a growing market for off-grid solar battery systems even in smaller cities and towns.
- Hybrid, grid-connected solar system with battery storage. Hybrid systems can both export excess electricity and store excess energy. Most hybrid solar systems with battery storage are able to automatically isolate from the grid (known as ‘islanding’) and continue to supply some power during a blackout. This is an expensive option and is generally not recommended for a residential setup.
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