To build a complete solar electric generating system for your house, you will need to source ten generic parts. Of course you don’t have to use all them. You can pick and choose depending on what type of system you want to end up with.

It doesn’t really matter where you start. For example, if your home gets electricity from the national grid, it doesn’t mean you have to hook your system up to it if you don’t want to.

PV Solar Panels

Solar cells are placed in direct sunlight, and they transform daylight into electricity. It converts it into DC electricity. It doesn’t matter how many solar cells or solar panels you connect together. Really, you want to connect as many as possible.

They are connected in series so the flow of electricity is from to the next one in line. The more panels you have, the more energy you produce.

DC (Direct Current) Disconnect

As the electricity flows from your panels, the first component it hits is the DC disconnect. This is a vital piece of kit as it switches off the electricity generated by your solar panels. This now allows to carryout maintenance on any other part of your system.

Battery Charge Controller

A charge controller is very important to have if you are using batteries to store electricity. If you have a charge controller, this will protect your batteries from becoming over charged. Over charging will reduce the life of your batteries.

Battery Bank

Be careful about what type of batteries you use to store electricity. The type you need is deep cycle. These batteries are often used in forklift vehicles. Do not use car batteries.

Batteries also perform better when they are warm. Do not expose them to the elements; keep them in a garage or some sheltered building. Furthermore, consider investing in a battery box which will help keep them at the optimum temperature.

System Meter

Your solar system meter is, in effect, your dashboard. It tells you the amount of electricity you are generating, consuming and how much is  stored in your batteries. Without a system meter, you are working blind.

DC Disconnect to the Main Supply

You only need this if you have a battery backup as it turns of the electricity from them. You design the system so that it sits between your batteries and the AC DC inverter. Again it is very handy if you want to do any systems maintenance.

DC To AC Inverter

Both the battery bank and the solar cells generate a direct current. The problem is, many if not all your electrical gadgets in the home use an alternating current. This is the job of the inverter to convert direct current to an alternating current.

Generator

Check out the many types of fossil fueled generators. If you live in a house that does not have an electric utility supplier then this is a good option to add to your system. The generator can produce electricity when there is no sun or when the batteries are run down.

AC (Alternating Current) Breaker Panel

If you have a utility supplier, you will have a AC breaker panel. This is where the electricity from the national grid enters your home. Although all houses have them, only the electric company is allowed to wire them up. Which means, when you are ready, arrange for them to connect your solar energy system to the grid.

Whatever you do, do not wire it up yourself. You can get into a lot of trouble, and it isn’t worth the hassle. The utility company will find out in the end..

KW per Hour Meter

All homes which are on-grid are fitted with a kilo watt hour meter. The meter measures your electric usage and your bill is calculated based on the figures from this meter. So if you send power back to the grid, this will go in reverse.

The first step is to build a solar panel, after that we have to design a home electrical system for it to work with. Check out Build a Solar Panel and get full instructions on how to put it all together.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/construction-articles/how-does-the-differnet-items-of-a-home-solar-powered-system-fit-together-1766360.html

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