Solar:

Ive had quite a few people around town ask me . So you have solar panels on your roof Man you have a lot . What is it like . Do you have to watch the batteries this and that. It seems when people hear solar . They almost always associate solar with batteries and having to have generators . Solar no longer relies on big bulky batteries or having to use generators when they finally go dead at 2am. If you have a power grid and it is reliable . That can now be your battery. If you want battery backup. Solar edge storedge check it out. When i tell them this they get wide eyed and the other questions start spilling in. I can put solar and not have batteries no generators Hmm. Solar is no longer in the stone age they are several major big boy players Obviously the two we mostly hear about is solar edge and emphase . These both use the grid as a virtual battery . Way this works is when the sun drops down onto the solar array it gets absorbed into the panels and they turn it into dc voltage . In my particular setup i have a thing on the backside that is a optomiser this makes the voltage stay dc but as the power flows from each panel it ramps up to around 350 to 400 volts makes it a bit more efficient than 12 volts flowing through a wire with high amps. Once it reaches the last panel in the string it flows to an inverter . Here is where the magic happens . I have the newer hd wave it changes this unusable dc voltage that is 350-400 volts and changes it into around 59.9-60 hertz and 240 volts Ac . This is the same as the typical house uses . If your running something . Energy flows to point of least resistance .If your ac is on some will go to the ac . The other . Well it goes to the virtual battery aka the grid. In a lot of places there is a special meter . It will spin backwards if you are using less than the panels are producing If not it will slow down significantly in turn basically you charge your virtual battery during the day and night time you use the battery but with one perk . If you happen to not produce enough that day . The power stays on no going to crank a generator any thing of this sort. As with everything you have tools . In solar the grid is a efficient tool to use. If you are trying to decide do you want solar but are limited on budget. If your power grid is reliable you may want to choose grid tie . It is a bit cheaper. There is flaws . If the power does happen to go out (storms, power outage like this) You loose power same as anyone else . This is mainly to protect the workers that are working on the lines down the road to get the power back on. You dont want them up there getting shocked from your solar panels . All inverters now are required to shut down if power failure . So if you are thinking on solar you may want to put this info into consideration. Its getting a bit long gotta wrap it up.