The first step to adopting a solar lifestyle is to decide if you are going to have a “grid-tied” or an “off-the-grid” electrical system. In an off-grid system, you will not be using the municipal or state electric power at all. You will be completely independent of power outages, but you will also miss some of the benefits of a grid-tied system. Off-grid systems are often installed where there simply is no other option for electric power. Often these homes are located in remote areas, without power lines -; or where the power lines are simply too expensive to run to a home. In other situations, an off-grid system is installed simply because the home owner wants the security and satisfaction of being independent of the power grid itself.
In a grid-tied system, you have power lines and access to electricity coming from the electric company. In this case, you will use your best solar system Hawaii up to its capacity each day, and after that, you will start to draw on the electric company’s power. If you are able to keep your electric usage so that you never have to access the electric company’s power, then your excess solar electricity is “fed back” into the power grid. This can result in you actually receiving a check each month for what you have, in essence, “sold” to the electric company.
The cons to a grid-tied system can be that in some states, your system may be “taken down” during a power outage. Typically, you will typically have power during an outage. This can be dangerous to linemen out there working. This is also another reason why some homeowners choose an off-grid installation. While it may call for more lifestyle changes, it does provide the ability to stay “up and running” during a wide-spread outage.
Another advantage to a grid-tied system is that federal, state and local subsidies can offset the cost of your new solar system by varying degrees. If you choose an installer who is certified by your state utility to appy for these subsidies, they can offset the cost of your system by 20-30%. Some local cities have been known to provide property tax relief for solar installations. Unfortunately, these subsidies do not typically apply to off-grid installations.
If you are considering a Solar System Hawaii, you may want to contact Akamai Sustainable Technologies . Their experience and advice will prove invaluable.
