The era of using wind power in the form of a windmill to grind grains and pump water is over. Who would believe that heavy wind signifies more than the downpour of heavy rain and fresh air?

Wind power is now very valuable for generating electricity. Yes, we are talking about wind. How would you see using wind power to stop the incessant electricity problems?

If after knowing this, and you still go ahead to complain about insufficient electricity, then I don’t know what I will call that. Let me take you to a whole new ride of realization of what wind power can do.

WHAT IS WIND POWER?

Wind possesses kinetic energy. Now, wind power is a process of energy conversion, in which turbines are used to convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy. How this works is that, once wind hits the turbine blade, it causes the turbines connected to them to rotate.

This will turn the rotational energy to kinetic energy, thereby turning the shaft of the generator connected to them. Then the kinetic energy is now converted to electrical energy through electromagnetism.

A great amount of power can be generated by the winds, but this is solely dependent on the size of the turbine and the measure of its blade. By implication, the output depends on the dimensions of the rotor and the size of the wind cube.

Therefore once the winds speed increases, wind power potentials increases too. The rate at which wind powers are used has increased over the decade.

The wind power that has been installed both on shore and off shore has increased tremendously by almost a factor of 75 in the past two decades, moving from 7.5 gigawatts in 1997 to 564 gigawatts by 2018.

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WIND POWER

Wind power is a major source of renewable energy.

Wind power cannot be exhausted, because there is no such thing as scarcity of wind.

Am sure you care much about your health, and in that regard wind power is not in any way harmful because it does not contain fossil fuel.

Wind power reduces the dependence on fossil fuels.              

Wind power has also been very useful to the economy as it provides a series of jobs for different personnel in different sectors.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN WIND POWER SECTOR

You might be wondering if there are chances of a job in this sector. Of course, the wind power industry is one energy industry that employs many laborers.

Here, you will find, engineers, plant managers, and quality assurance personnel are needed in the manufacturing, installation and operations departments.

Workers will also be needed for blade productions, tower productions, or gear box productions.

We also believe that there will be space for computer scientists, mathematicians and atmospheric scientists. So if you fit into any of the categories mentioned above, you can seek for the nearest wind power industry closest to you as you might be lucky to get a job.

Could there be disadvantages to using wind power?

In as much as wind power cannot be exhausted, you must note that it fluctuates a great deal.

It produces a great deal of noise pollution.

Visual pollution is also associated with wind power.

Wind powers also is not all that affordable.

Amidst all these, wind power is highly encouraged because it goes a great deal in satisfying our electrical needs. Obviously the advantages outweighs the disadvantages, so let’s talk about how you can get it installed.

HOW TO INSTALL WIND POWER

There are several processes involved in the installation of wind power but don’t panic I will give you a step by step process to make your installation a success

  • The very first thing to do is foundation preparation and installation. The size of the turbine will determine whether you will use large or small machinery.
  • After carefully laying out your foundation, it is advised that you wait for at least a period of 2 weeks for it to properly set. But then, if it is a home-based installation, it is proper to strengthen the roof of your building so that it won’t be affected.
  • Once you are done with the installation, you go ahead and dig a trench. This trench is needed for electrical cables which run from the turbine to the control unit and inverter.
  • The next is to go on and erect your turbine. The size of the tower and the turbine determine the machinery to use for it. Big sizes require big machinery like a crane, while small size turbines require small machinery.
  • You can now go on and carry out the electrical wiring. This needs the service of an electrical engineer. You can always contact me anytime for proper guidance.
  • The wind turbines DC output will be connected to the control box and inverter, while your AC output will be connected directly to the property’s electrical supply and the electrical grid. Now for safety purposes, isolators can also be installed.
  • You can now go on and connect to the electricity grid. Ensure you get the necessary approval from the concerned bodies.
wind power installation process
wind power installation process

WIND POWER STATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE

So many countries originally used wind mills for different reasons. Some used it to grind grains, others used it to propel boats. This was very much rampant in the Nile river as early as 500BC.

As at 200BC, China started using it to power water pumps. This continued until like 11th century when countries in the middle east started using wind mills and wind pumps to produce food.

The oil shortages that happened in countries like the US around 1970 was an eye-opener. People started using wind powers for other different means for generating electricity, and windmills was a very wonderful means. That opened the vast possibilities of using windmill to generate electricity in the US and the world at large. This was how we came to have so many different wind farms scattered around the globe.

There are many wind power farms, but I will give you some of the largest.
  • Jiuguan wind power base, China- This is believed to be the world’s biggest farm. It’s installed capacity is up to 20GW
  • Jaisalmer wind park India- This Jaisalmer wind park is the highest in India. It was developed by Suzim energy.
  • Alta wind energy center, US- They have an operative capacity of 1,548MW.
  • Mupandal windfarm India– This is the biggest onshore wind farm in India. They have 1500MW capacity.
  • Shepherd flat wind farm, US– This is the fifth biggest wind farm in the world. It is located near Arlington in Eastern Oregon US. It has 845MW capacity.
  • Roscoe wind farm US- It is located 45 miles southwest of Abilene, in Texas US. Roscoe wind farm is owned and operated by Germany based company E, ON climate and renewables.
  • Horse hollow wind energy center, Texas US– It is located in Taylor and Nolan County Texas US. It is operated by NextEra energy resources. It has a facility of 735.5MW
  • Capricorn Ridge wind farm, Texas US– This is an onshore wind farm owned and operated by NextEra energy resources. It is located in sterling and comes countries. It has a capacity of 662.5MW
  • Walney extension offshore wind Farm, UK- This is located in the Irish sea and has a total capacity of 695MW. The project is 50% owned and operated by Orsted, with the remaining half of the ownership shared equally between, Danish pension funds, PKA(25%) and PFA(25%)
  • London array offshore wind farm UK- this is located in the outer Thames Estuary more than 20km off the coasts of Kent’s and Essex. This is the largest offshore farm in the world, with its installed capacity as 630MW. It is generally ranked as the world’s sixth-largest windfarm.

For more detailed information about the various wind farms, check here

GLOBAL WIND POWER CAPACITY

The largest wind power market in the world is China, with a capacity of over 237 gigawatts of wind power installed.

China’s wind potential is remarkable due to a large landmass as well as a long coastline. At first, China set ambitious goals for adding offshore wind capacity, however, offshore development has progressed slower than expected as many domestic turbine manufacturers lack experience. To reach its offshore goals, China had to use foreign products.

Below is a graphical representation of the global usage of wind power over the years. The chart will show you that so many people are currently opting for wind power to make life less stressful for themselves unlike some decades ago.

wind power statistics
photo credit: wwindea

China is by far the largest installer of wind power capacity in the world, more than doubling the second-ranked United States. As of 2019, China had cumulatively installed over 237 gigawatts of wind energy, in comparison to 105.4 gigawatts of wind energy installed in the United States.

Worldwide, the cumulative capacity of installed wind energy reached 650.7 gigawatts in 2018, a generous increase over the last decades. The potential of wind energy around the world is immense, and wind power can often be accessed from remote places, as seen in the rise of offshore winds energy.

CONCLUSION

Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one that marvels at how the wind power system operates. If you have access to any wind farm around you, I will advise you to go and see the wonders. Wind power has helped and is still helping to save the electrical need of the world.

If you own a large company, I am sure you won’t hesitate to have a windmill installed in your company.

For small homeowners, there are actually small wind electrical systems that work for residential homes. You can seek the advice of professionals like NAIHCOTECH to get the installation process and details. Again if you are leaving in a country with an unstable electrical supply like Nigeria, you should be getting one installed right away.

A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy through blades. This is one of the easiest types of renewable energy. Before I proceed let me give a brief description of renewable energy. Renewable energy is simply the energy obtained from natural processes.

These natural resources are constantly replenished, just like energy from solar, wind, rain, tides waves, and geothermal heat.

Renewable energy can be described as clean energy which is one of the less expensive energies and this brought about its continual use.

WHAT IS A WINDMILL?

A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy through blades. It can also be called wind turbines. It helps in different purposes like generating electricity, grinding grains, and pumping water.

The first invention of the windmill was now due to invalid evidence between the Chinese and the Persians. But this two-country started the use of windmill at the same time and for the same purpose (that is grinding grains and pumping water).

The knowledge of windmill led to the development of the first vertical axis system, used by the Chinese and Persians.

HOW WINDMILL WORK

In the construction of the windmill, it is in four blades, mounted onto a central post. The four-blade is then connected to a Cog and ring gears, which converts the motion of the wind in the horizontal struts to energy. The cog and ring gear was initially constructed with wood, which was invented by Vitruvius, an engineer of the Augustan age.

The vertical shaft is connected to a stone used for grinding, which is then attached to the end of the horizontal struts.

The first windmill use in Europe is called the post Mill.

This post mill is a horizontal axis system of a windmill. The post mill was is described by monsters’ Mill, as a balanced building, with the pivot kept in an upright position lying on the Central vertical post.

The pivot bears a crosstree and angled quarter bars, having stones at each end ( with a total of four stones).

The post mill has a wallower and large brake wheel. The brake wheel transfers power to a smaller gear with the help of the wallower which shares the vertical shaft with the great spur wheel.

After the post mill, the tower Mill was invented. The tower Mill composes multiple floors for storing grains, grinding grains, removing the chaff, and also living place for the workers.

The tower mill advances post mill. It has a cap also known as the roof as one of the important features that differentiate it from the post mill.

The cap is a movable structure that moves as a pattern of the wind changes. After the tower mill comes the smoke male which is similar to the tower mill. The only difference is the larger size of the smock Mill and the octagonal or hexagonal shape of the smock mill.

Further Description of How Windmill Works

In our modern days, a windmill usually three-bladed. But it didn’t obstruct its initial purpose as created in the olden days, just an advancement in technology. A windmill can be two-bladed, but the purpose is to remain to swing around a rotor connected to the main shaft. This shaft spins the generator to generate electricity.

The windmill has a controller, which the main purpose is to control the blade and maintain it’s wind speed (if the wind becomes too high or too low to produce electricity) in other words prevents some technical damages.

The brake system used, can mechanically, electrically, or hydraulically stop the rotor in case of any emergencies.

The movement or motion of the blades is kinetic energy and the instrument used in the measurement of wind speed, transmits data to the controller is called the Anemometer.

Using a simple analogy, a windmill generates electricity when the wind blows. The turbine blade spins clockwise, capturing energy. This triggers the main shaft of the wind turbine, connected to the gearbox within the nacelle, to spin. The gearbox sends the wind energy to the inverter, converting it to electricity which is what we consume at home.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WINDMILL AND SOLAR ENERGY

Windmill comes from wind energy. When these changes occur in the atmosphere, the air moves around the earth’s surface resulting in wind energy through the use of spin turbines.

In other words wind energy is another form of solar energy. Solar energy uses the effect of the sun to produce energy similar to wind energy but here, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels replace the spin turbine. As the sun hits the panel, the semiconductors collect the energy and release the electron for easy flow. This process is what we refer to as a photovoltaic effect.

solar panel
solar panels trap the radiant energy from the sun

Then the electric field contained in the panel collects these electrons and makes them flow in one direction. By so doing electrical direct current (DC) is produced.

The direct current is passed through an inverter, which simply converts the DC to Alternating current (AC).

It is this AC that is being used in our various homes and residential areas.

On the other hand wind energy works similarly to solar energy. But wind energy works with windmill or wind turbines which are set at top a tower or poll of 50 to 120 feet.

This process describes how the windmill work. Just like solar energy, the electricity generated by the windmill is a direct current (DC), which is passed through an inverter to convert it to an alternating current (AC).

WINDMILL AS A RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

The two major categories of energy resources are renewable and nonrenewable. Nonrenewable energy resources are limited in supply due to the long time it takes to replenish whereas renewable energy resources are replenished naturally over a short period. They are inexhaustible and limitless.

This renewable energy is of 5 major resources namely solar, wind, water, biomass, and geothermal heat. This is where windmill falls. The fact that wind blows naturally on the surface of the Earth and it’s inexhaustible makes it a renewable energy resource. And it works everywhere because wind virtually blows all over the earth’s surface.

With windmill as a renewable energy source, clean energy is a guarantee. And you can stabilize the electrical grid, control energy flow, and generate revenue through wind energy storage and net metering.

ADVANTAGES OF WINDMILL

As a renewable energy resource, so many advantages accompany windmill and they include:

WINDMILL GIVES CLEAN ENERGY

Windmill produces a clean fuel unlike other resources like fossil fuel, coal, etc which undergoes combustion, greenhouse producing nitrogen oxide, sulfuric oxide, and other dangerous and toxic waste.

These wastes pollute the environment leaving it so unfriendly to lives and cause depletion of the ozone layer. Windmill produces its fuel by the blow of wind, which is clean and free energy, very safe to lives.

WINDMILL IS COST EFFECTIVE

The cost of a windmill is effective; Windmill is one of the lowest price energy, this is because the wind is produced naturally and does not require processes. The wind constantly replenishes on daily bases, and these make the price of electricity fixed for a long period.

Unlike fossil fuel with the high cost and price fluctuation due to change weather conditions or transportation rates.

CREATES JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Windmill now generates job opportunities, It is a technical structure that produces energy, and requires to be taken care of. By so doing it creates job opportunities for the technicians like in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and supporting services.

For the fact that when they are commercially available, Over 5 million population feed with the help of windmill.

IT IS AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE

Windmill or wind turbines can built-in remote and isolated areas. This is of great advantage to the developing countries. It helps those residing around the mountain/countryside and other people living “off the grid” providing them with electricity and lots more.

WINDMILL PROVIDE DOMESTIC ENERGY

Windmill produces a domestic source of energy. This is because the wind is always in abundance and inexhaustible. This helps the country by reducing health issues related to pollution of the environment like asthma attacks and other lung-related health issues.

WINDMILL IS SUSTAINABLE

It is sustainable with regards to the fact that it’s a natural process of producing free and clean energy. This energy is available for both domestic and industrial use.

SMALL LAND SCALE

Windmill has a small land footprint: the windmill is less inconveniencing to the surrounding land, as the base is small and Minimal.

Mostly windmill is located on the fields, hilltops, or out at sea. At this process farmers in the area farm and graze their livestock normally without inconvenience.

IT PROVIDE BOTH INDUSTRIAL AND DOMESTIC ENERGY

A windmill is specifically big or small. Small ones can be built for domestic use and they are less powerful. When the big powerful once I normally built or constructed for industries. At home is a small residential area where the windmill is mostly installed alongside with a solar panel.

IT HAS LOW MAINTENANCE COST

The cost of maintenance is relatively low that is it can last for months without maintenance checkup. The maintenance normally ranges from lubrication of the moving parts to proper cleaning of the turbine gearbox. Typically lubrication is the major maintenance to a windmill.

WINDMILL PROVIDE CONSTANT POWER

With the use of windmill, constant power is a guarantee; At some point in a country, there is a scarcity of fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas for a country that depends greatly on it.

With the help of Windmill energy is secure, if the country controls or reduces its dependence on external supplies of nonrenewable resources. This is a good reason to join the campaign for a clean and free energy future.

DISADVANTAGE OF WINDMILL

We believe that anything that has an advantage must surely I have a disadvantage. So now is to look into the disadvantages of Windmill and they include;

  • A windmill is expensive: The construction of Windmill is expensive because the cost of installation and purchase is high at the initial time. The engineer that surveys the area before installation as well, transportation to the place of use, installation, and other processes to achieve its completeness. All these made windmill very expensive, although the cost is reducing the fact remains that it is expensive.
  • The wind fluctuates: Although wind energy replenishes and inexhaustible, it is still not constant as the speed changes from time to time. This poses a problem to the windmill causing it to perform inefficiently.
  • A windmill is noisy: in as much as windmill does not pollute the air with toxic waste, it pollutes the environment with noise. This noise has become a great challenge to peoples residing around it because the sound travels as far as 100m away. This is the reason for the installation of windmills on mountains and off the grid.

SUMMARY

For as long as the earth remains round and spinning, wind can never be exhausted. Windmill has come a very long way ever since it’s first use. The modern advances on windmill make it an environmentally friendly substituent for fuels in the production of electricity.

Wind power has become one of the best ways to solve the world’s increasing energy demand because the wind is clean, non-toxic, inexhaustible, and free.

The world has been through many environmental hazards through harnessing energy from fossil fuels and nuclear reactions. We are on a lead for a clean and free energy future. Join our campaign for a clean and free energy future through education and investment in renewable energy resources. Sign up to our newsletter to receive updates on renewable energy resources.

NAIHCOTECH

AGM or Absorbent Glass Mat battery technology is an advanced lead-acid battery that provides superior power to support the higher electrical demands of today’s vehicles and start-stop applications.

AGM and gel batteries are often considered to be one and the same. This is because they have a similar core of attributes. Both are unspillable. Both offer deep cycles and they can both be mounted anywhere, so they’re flexible.

In AGM batteries, the positive and negative plates are separated by an absorbent glass mat that absorbs and holds the battery’s acid and prevents it from flowing freely inside the battery.

The plates are in tight compression with each cell and held under pressure in the rigid battery case. The internal compression limits the shedding of plate material caused by cycling and allows for a significantly longer life. Thus, AGM battery can resist vibration, recharges faster, cycles more, and lasts longer in demanding applications.

Victron AGM battery
Victron Energy AGM battery

The concept of AGM battery is similar to that of gel battery but this time, it’s more advanced. This product offers the same resistances and the same sealed and spill-proof case as a gel, but now the flexibility and high performance distinguish AGM from gel battery.

AGM battery has many advantages over other types of battery. AGM has the lowest internal resistance of any commercial battery. This is one of the reasons why AGM battery is the preferred choice in many applications.

Here are some of the Advantages of AGM battery:

  • AGM batteries have much better internal resistance to vibration and shock due to their construction than other batteries.
  • The glass mats used in AGM battery are not totally saturated and the liquid does not expand to cause plate and case damage. Thus AGM batteries can withstand harsh climates and demanding conditions like freezing.
  • AGM battery has a fast reaction between acid and plate material. This is because the glass mat absorbs and immobilizes the acid while still keeping the acid available to the plates. The result? Even if the battery is broken, no electrolyte will spill out.

AGM Battery is Also:

  • Up to 2x longer life than standard flooded batteries
  • Handles high electrical loads
  • Quickly recharges and extends cycle life
  • Ideal for start-stop application
  • Nonspillable and maintenance-free
  • Greater mounting flexibility

AGM battery is most times maintenance free. so if you want to learn about maintenance and how to check the health of your battery, I recommend you read: How to check the health of solar battery in the previous posts.

AGM battery(Victron Energy)
Photo Credit: Amazon UK

GENERAL BATTERY TERMS AND TERMINOLOGY

STATE OF CHARGE

The percentage of capacity that your battery is at. Typically this can be worked out by measuring battery voltage when there are no loads or draws on the battery.

Example: AGM Battery at approx. 12.7 volts is 100% fully charged (AKA 100% state of charge), while an AGM battery at 10.5 volts is entirely discharged at 0%.

DEPTH OF DISCHARGE (DOD)

Depth of Discharge (often abbreviated to DOD or D.O.D) is the percentage amount of a deep cycle battery’s capacity that you drain, before charging it back up again.

To understand DoB in a practical sense, let’s take a quick example. When you buy a solar battery which holds 13.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, and you discharge 13 kWh, then the DoD is approximately 96 percent.

So when purchasing a solar battery or AGM battery make sure the DoB is 100%. DoB is expressed in percentage.

SELF DISCHARGE RATE

All batteries slowly lose power over time, even when they are not in use. The self-discharge rate is the percentage of capacity that the battery will lose when it is in storage.

Typically batteries like AGM or Tubular Gel will only lose a couple of percent capacity per month, while other batteries can lose over 10%. This is important when working out how often you need to provide a maintenance charge on batteries when they aren’t in use.

BATTERY CYCLE

A cycle is a process of discharging a deep cycle battery or AGM battery and then recharging it to full. One cycle means that the battery is discharged and then recharged once. Deep cycle batteries or AGM batteries rate to a certain number of cycles at a depth of discharge.

Example: If a battery is to perform 1650 cycles at 30% depth of discharge rate. This means that the battery should withstand being discharged 30% and then recharged to full 1650 times.

ROUND-TRIP EFFICIENCY

Round-trip efficiency is the useful energy we get back after storing energy. This term usually applies to home solar batteries which are design to be “stackable,”

This means that you can include multiple batteries to your solar storage system to get extra capacity. I know that this isn’t a common term we are using, but let’s look at it this way.

If you store (5kWh) of electricity into your battery bank and can only get (4kWh) of useful electricity back. Then the battery has 80 percent round-trip efficiency (4 kWh / 5 kWh = 80%).

Note that the higher the round-trip efficiency, the less energy you lose due to storage, and the more efficiency of the system as a whole.

INTERNAL RESISTANCE

Internal resistance is how much a battery “resists” energy flow. Lower is better, allowing charging and discharging at more efficient rates. Most of the loss in charging and discharging batteries is due to internal resistance, and the lost energy then converts to heat (which is why batteries get hot when they are charging). Many factors can affect internal resistance such as battery age and sulfation.

BATTERY CAPACITY, AMP HOURS (AH)

Battery capacity is measured in Amp Hours (AH). Using this capacity, you can roughly work out how long your battery will last by finding out the Amp Hour draw of whatever you are going to run off the battery.

Example: a 100AH Deep Cycle Battery running a fridge with a 5AH draw would last about 100/5 = 20 hours before going completely flat. However, it is recommended not to drain the battery that low.

CAPACITY Hr RATE, HOUR RATE, C RATING

While battery capacity is in AH, it is also rated at a certain hourly rate. This is because the capacity of battery changes depending on how quick you are discharging it.

Example: Discharging a battery with a steady 5 amps/hr draw, the battery lasts 20 hours. This means that the battery is rated to 5×20 = 100AH at a 20hr rate.

Using the same battery or AGM battery with a higher draw of 8.5 amps/hr, the battery only lasts 10 hours. This means that the battery is rated to 8.5×10 = 85AH at a 10hr rate.

To accurately compare capacities of battery they must measure at the same hour rating. Most deep cycle batteries follow a standard 20hr rate (sometimes shown as C/20), or a 100hr rate for off-grid scenarios.

NOMINAL VOLTAGE

Simply means “named” voltage, and is basically an easy way to categorize any batteries within a standard voltage range. This is because the voltage of deep cycle battery actually fluctuates depending on its construction and use.

Example: A 12V Nominal voltage battery could actually measures at 11V, 12.2V, 14V, etc. But to easily categorize them, we just call all of them 12V.

CHARGE VOLTAGE

This is the recommended voltage to charge the battery at. Different batteries charge at different rates, such as flooded batteries charging at a higher voltage than AGM.

It is important not to charge a battery above its charge voltage, as this will overcharge the battery and cause damage.

DISCHARGE RATE

The discharge rate of a battery is the amount of power you are draining at any one time (usually measured in amps). If you have a particularly high amount of power you are trying to draw in a short amount of time, it’s important to make sure that the battery you are using can support this rate.

CCA (Cold Cranking Amps), MCA, CA

Cold-cranking amps are the maximum amount of amps that a battery is able to release on a cold start. This is typically for starting engines in vehicles, as the engine will draw a high rate of amps over a short period of time to start the vehicle.

Since I have discussed deep cycle battery in my previous post, I recommend you read it also. my next post is a comparison between AGM battery and other sealed batteries. So subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to get the post once I release it.

READ MORE ON:

NAIHCOTECH IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. IF YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH US KINDLY CONTACT US AND WE WILL ADVERTISE YOUR AGM BATTERY AND OTHER SOLAR PRODUCTS.

In the case of renewable energies, batteries are usually referred to as deep cycle batteries. A lot of people believe that the normal car battery made of lead, is the same as deep cycle batteries.

This article will educate you more on what deep cycle batteries actually are and how they differ from the car lead battery. Also the importance of deep cycle batteries cannot be overemphasized.

WHAT DOES DEEP CYCLE BATTERY MEAN?

Deep cycle batteries are energy storage units, in which a chemical reaction develops voltage and in turn release electricity. This is an energy conversion process. These batteries are built to be able to cycle(i.e. to discharge and recharge) as many times as possible.

These deep cycle batteries are rated in 2 ways which are Volts and Amps.
Amp-hours means the rating capacity that can be found in chemical energy inside a battery, later it converts into electrical energy.

This can also be seen as the quantity of energy the battery can store. It can also mean the discharge rate, which measures the time taken to discharge a battery before it can be recharged.

If the battery gets discharged over a short period, the capacity of the battery reduces. The amp-hour capacity reduces by about 50% and so will the number of cycles. If the rate at which a battery discharges is constant, over a number of hours, it refers to as ‘C’ rating.

For instance, many small batteries deliver their amp-hour capacity over 20 hours if discharging, which means that they have a C 20 rate.

What is Difference Between Deep Cycle Battery and Regular?

Both car batteries and deep cycle batteries are lead-acid batteries that use exactly the same chemistry for their operation.

The structural difference between deep-cycle and lead-acid batteries is in the lead battery plates. Deep cycle battery plates have thicker active plates, with higher-density active paste material and thicker separators.

Alloys used for the plates in a deep cycle battery may contain more antimony than that of regular batteries.The thicker battery plates resist corrosion through extended charge and discharge cycles.

The difference can also be in the way that the batteries optimize their design:

CAR BATTERY

Car batteries are made for the sole purpose of providing short, sharp power burst in other to start the vehicle engine. This makes it most suitable for daily drivers. They have alternators that maintain power and recharge batteries.

Just a small part of the battery’s capacity is used, and it is restored by the vehicle alternator. Car batteries are able to deliver greater starting power because, they have thin lead grids and active materials, which will maximize the plate surface area.

A car battery typically has two ratings:

  • CA (Cold Cranking Amps) – The number of amps that the battery can produce at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) for 30 seconds
  • RC (Reserve Capacity) – The number of minutes that the battery can deliver 25 amps while keeping its voltage above 10.5 volts

DEEP CYCLE BATTERIES

Deep cycle batteries are built to deliver long-lasting power with a low current drawn over a long period of time. They are designed using thick battery plates with materials that are denser. This enables it to withstand repeated charges and discharge cycles.

Deep cycle batteries are mainly for golf cars, forklifts, and large solar power systems (the sun produces power during the day and the batteries store some of the power for use at night).


Typically, a deep cycle battery will have two or three times the RC of a car battery but will deliver one-half or three-quarters of the CCAs.

In addition, a deep cycle battery can withstand several hundred total discharge/recharge cycles, while a car battery is not build to totally discharge.

Types of Deep Cycle Batteries

Deep-cycle lead-acid batteries generally fall into two distinct categories.There are so many deep cycle batteries, but the most common ones include:

Flooded Battery

Flooded batteries are the most long lasting. These are the traditional engine start, tractor and cycle batteries. It contains liquid electrolyte which moves freely in the cell compartment.

In this type of battery, the user can access the cells individually and as the battery dries out, they can add distilled water. These flooded deep cycle batteries are popularly used for starting engines and deep cycle designs. The batteries typical absorption rate is 14.4 to 14.9 and it’s typical float range is 13.1 to 13.4 volts.

Flooded batteries have free-flowing liquid acid inside the battery, and are the opposite of AGM or Gel style batteries. This method of construction is typically for automotive batteries, but it can also apply to deep cycle battery applications, however, these will not last nearly as long as their AGM or Gel counterparts.

These batteries are designed for automotive starting batteries, motorcycle batteries, ATV batteries, golf car batteries, and flood batteries for solar and emergency back up system.

They are the oldest batteries and has an affordable price. You can easily detect when there is a malfunction. They produce enough energy, so they are best used when there is a demanding application. Because they are sealed, they have to be placed in an upright position.

Sealed Battery

Sealed Batteries has the same internal composition with flooded batteries, but in sealed batteries, the user cannot access the cell compartment. They are known as sealed because, they are airtight.

For it to function properly, it must have a regulator valve. The essence of the regulator valve is to help in pressure reduction when it increases. This is why they are also known as Valve regulated lead-acid batteries(VRLA).

VRLA batteries normally makes use of nitrogen and oxygen. This is to enable the battery produce electricity. Some models include gel inside. This gel enables the user to be able to place the battery in an unstable position.

Because of its ability to stay in an unstable position, it can be easily used in off-grid locations. They are most commonly used by individuals or organizations that have a need to store a huge amount of energy.

They don’t need conventional maintenances , but cleaning and testing is highly necessary.

Gel Battery

Gel batteries are good batteries, owing to the fact that it is simple and less complicated. These batteries contain acid, but the acid is turned into a gooey gel form by the addition of silica gel. This means that the batteries won’t leak acid even in broken.

Therefore in terms of placement, it can be both upright or in any other position. when you want the battery to last longer. This is a unique feature in comparison to other batteries.

Gel batteries are mostly for automotive industries because they are appropriate for heavy-duty applications. They are similar to AGMs.

Though the maintenance is more complicated than other types. This is because it is filled with gel. When the gel level is low, it requires trained personnel to fill it due to the acid inside the gooey gel.

This battery functions well at low temperatures, so it is mostly in use in areas where the temperature might drop below zero. In addition to that, they are also in use in aircraft industries because they withstand high temperatures as well.

Tubular Gel

Unlike standard flat plate gel batteries, tubular gel batteries use special tubular plate design that provides a large increase in performance. These batteries are typically in use for long life power storage solutions due to extremely high service life and cyclic life.

Tubular gel battery

Unlike standard 12V batteries that contain 6 individual cells within a single battery, tubular gel usually only contain a single 2V cell in each battery, which further increases reliability.

Lithium-ion Battery

These batteries are great in terms of energy-saving and output. They are long-lasting and have a capability of withstanding high temperatures and vibration. There the weight is usually light.

They are so very expensive, and can’t be gotten in any market compared to other types. It is advisable for users of lithium-ion batteries to manage it well because replacing them can be well tasking.

100Ah 12v lifePO4 deep cycle battery

This is build for use in an RV, boat, or off-grid power system. These can be in a 12,24,36,48 volt system. They are built with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) technology.

This battery has twice the power, half the weight, and lasts 4 times longer than a sealed lead acid battery – providing exceptional lifetime value. 100 Amp-hours of capacity provides a full day of power for high amp draw trolling motors or for long days on the open road in your RV.

Features and details

  • It has a built-in BMS- BMS means a battery management system. This protects the battery from most causes of battery failure.
  • They are made with Lithium-ion technology- the monitoring capability of this, is limitless. It also has a long life span and it is also cost-effective.
  • Green energy batteries- made from 100% safe non-toxic renewable energy. This lasts for more cycles and can be charged and discharged repeatedly.
  • It also has lightweight and is very much versatile.

Applications and Maintenance of Deep Cycle Batteries

Marine Deep Cycle Batteries.

The deep cycle marine batteries are different from other types of batteries because they are build to withstand rough usages. For deep cycle marine batteries, flood batteries are frequently in use, and they are quite common.

The disadvantage of using flood batteries here is that they are prone to leakages, which may damage the battery or even the boat.

For the maintenance, it has to be regular because of their short life span. The terminals should be cleaned at least once a year. Store properly especially in garages or boatyard.

Gel batteries appear to be a better option because it is leak-proof, which makes them safer and more durable.

Recreational vehicles

The batteries needed in this case are very special. This is because they are continually in use, and are required to deliver their energy over and over again.

For recreational vehicles, I advise the use of 2 deep cycle batteries. This will increase the amp by 100% because with one deep cycle battery, you have 85AH, so two make it 170AH.

In terms of maintenance, you should avoid overcharging, as this is likely to cause damage.

Golf cars and Wheel chair Batteries

The deep cycle batteries for golf cars and wheelchair batteries are smaller and lighter because golf cars require low weight to be able to provide battery range. Compared to the normal 8 cells, they have 3, which means that they will store less energy.

wheel chair battery image
Photo Credit: Alibaba

Deep cycle batteries for wheelchairs are very much specific. Just get a battery that will suit your wheelchair and you are good to go. The recharging time is 8 and 16 hours. So it is good that you have two batteries.

For the maintenance, the batteries are not greatly resistant to vibrations and damages. This is because they are lightweight. So it is advised that you handle them with care. They can last for a year if frequently used and 16 months if not frequently used.

Solar panels

While solar panels are used to produce more energy, deep cycle batteries are needed for solar storage bank. This makes room for proper usage. The most recommended deep cycle battery for solar panels is a sealed battery.

This is because there is no room for leakages thereby keeping your home or office safe from harmful toxins. Flooded batteries are long-lasting and are much affordable.


Another important way of maintaining a deep cycle battery is through the use of equalizing charge.

What is an equalizing charge and why we need it?

An equalizing charge is a deliberate action to overcharge a battery in other to eliminate sulfate crystals that build upon the plate over time.

Accumulation of sulfate on the battery can reduce its overall capacity and make it hard for the battery to be serviced. Sometimes, acids accumulate more at the bottom of the battery compared to the top.

So equalizing charge also helps in reversing this effect known as acid stratification. We recommend equalizing charge at least once a year.

I have done a great job of informing you about deep cycle batteries, telling you why you should consider getting a deep cycle battery and things to look out for. Deep cycle batteries are powerful energy storage units with little or no risk involved in their usage. Feel free to ask your questions on this topic as I am here to guide you through.

Naihcotech

Recently, there has been an increased need for renewable energy sources like solar. A solar panel inverter is just like your regular inverter except that this one uses energy from the sun (solar energy). Solar panel inverter is highly recommended for every home.

This is because unlike when most homes depends only on electricity, introduction of solar inverter has made life easier. I will say that there is no better way of generating energy for your home, if not with the use of solar panel inverter.

What Is a Solar Inverter?

A solar panel inverter is a device, that functions to change the variable direct current into alternating current. While direct current is used for small gadgets such as iPod, Mp3 players, which has its power stored in the battery, Ac is used for bigger household appliances.

The conversion of this DC to AC is made possible because various electrical and electronic components connected in the circuit. The solar inverter is a very important component of the solar power system.

How Does Solar Inverter Work?

The main purpose of producing solar panel inverter is to be able to get a system that will use solar energy to power household loads. This how it works, it converts the DC (Direct Current) output of a PV solar panel into a utility frequency AC (alternating current) that can be fed into a commercial electrical grid (or) used by a local, off-line electrical n/w.

In this process, the solar energy is stored in the battery from PV cells. This solar energy will be converted to electric energy. During the day, the energy is initially stored in batteries till when needed. The solar inverter utilizes solar energy for home loads.

Why You Should Use a Solar Inverter

  • solar panel inverters make changing of direct current into batteries or alternating current possible. This is very helpful for people who do not use full electricity.
  • Solar energy also decreases the greenhouse effect and global warming to a large extent.
  • Solar panel inverters help in saving both money and energy.
  • The solar panel inverter is not so costly.

Types of Solar Inverters

Different solar inverters are being created all over the world, but the types commonly used in the markets are:

Off Grid Inverters

This type of solar panel inverters is used in remote systems. The source of DC power for the solar inverters are from battery panels. The solar panels are used in charging these battery panels.

off-grid solar inverter image

Several of these inverters are normally to boost the battery from an Ac power source because they have integrated with basic battery chargers. These inverters can’t connect directly to the power grid without a changeover switch.

Grid Tie Inverters

These inverters most times associate with grids, so they are grid-tie inverters.  These inverters supply power in the electricity grid, by corresponding phase and frequency. In India, the range of the frequency is 50Hz, and in North America 60Hz. These inverters shut down once it senses any loss of supply from the utility.

gried-tied solar inverter

This inverter can connect directly to the power grid without any need for a changeover switch. When there is excess energy coming from the panel, compare to what is require in your home or office, a grid-tie inverter has the ability to push the excess into the grid.

Battery Backup Inverters

These inverters draw energy from batteries. To save the battery charge, an onboard charger and an additional charger is transferred to the grid. These inverters can provide AC power during outrages to particular loads.

battery backup inverter image

Micro Inverters

These ones are one of the modern solar inverters in the solar industry. They have high performance despite being very small and compact. You can find all features of central inverters in micro inverters.

micro solar inverter image

Microinverters have several advantages over conventional inverters. The main advantage is that they electrically isolate the panels from each other, so small amounts of shading, snow lines on any solar module, or even a complete module failure, does not reduce the output of the entire array.

String Inverters

These solar panel inverters are connected directly to the device they are to power. They do not support inverter batteries. The inverter also helps in changing the DC solar output of the solar panel to Ac voltage. The entire solar panel arrays can all be connected to a central inverter.

string inverters

Hybrid Solar Inverters

This is usually used in small houses and also for office installations. It is a combination of the standard inverter with solar power support. They are highly flexible, in the sense that your power system can be built gradually.

hybrid solar inverters image
photo Credit: Google image

How Much Does Solar Inverter Cost?

At this point, I know you will be considering buying a solar panel inverter for your home or office. I will give you the prices you should generally expect in the market.

8kVA Solar Inverter

This is a very good solar panel inverter to invest in. It has a high-performance output. Its battery protector has high functionality. It can withstand high usage, which is common most times.

Some of it’ unique features includes:

  • The time for change over is fast.
  • It has a surface mounted technology.
  • This invert has intelligent thermal management.
  • It also comes with pre-loaded battery management software.
  • A built-in digital display screen.
  • It also comes with full thermal protection.
  • Its size is 62×24.5×18.5.
  • Its weight is 9kg.

8kva solar panel inverter cost starts from #300,000. Currently, this is about $770 US Dollars.

2.4kva Solar Inverter

This is a modified sine wave inverter. It can function without a transformer. This means that its weight is light. It can power your phones, fans, television.

It’s unique features includes:

  •    
  • 10A|20A selectable Ac charging current.
  • Off mode charging function.
  • The installation can be in different forms, either vertical, horizontal, etc.
  • This inverter protects against overcharging, overload, surge, short circuit.
  • It has a generator and utility power compatibility.
  • Inbuilt PMW charge controller.
  • It has a weight of 3.6kg. 

2.4kva solar inverter cost starts from #47,000. This is currently equivalent to $120.67 US Dollars.

2000 watts (2kVA) Solar Power Inverter.

 Unique features includes:

  • It’s efficiency is greater than 90%.
  • The input and output are totally independent.
  • It protects against overload.
  • It has universal sockets, suitable for all kinds of plugs.
  • Its weight is 0.9kg.

This solar inverter cost is from #30,500. Which is about $78.3 US Dollars.

100Watt(0.1kva) Solar Inverter

This particular solar panel inverter comes with a radio and Bluetooth mp3 players. (for Nigerian buyers) When in full charge, this inverter can power your laptop, phone, and 2 bulbs.

Unique features include:

  • Battery capacity is 12volts.
  • Built-in inverter: DC 12V to Ac 220v 100w
  • Charging LED indicator.
  • LED bulb:12v 5w-3meter wire with an individual switch 2pcs
  • Solar panel:18v 10W poly-crystalline with 3 meters wire-1pc
  • USB cable 10 in 1 USB cable-1pc

Solar inverter costs starts from #16,000. This is equivalent to $42 US Dollars.

1500 Watts (1.5kVA) Solar Power Inverter.

Unique features includes:

  • Supplies 1500watts of AC power from a 12v battery.
  • An audio alarm warns of low battery.
  • Safely shuts down in case of over temperature or overload conditions.
  • Can operate a 25 inch TV for about 4 hours from a typical car battery.

Solar inverters cost for this starts from #11,000. This equivalent to $28 US Dollars.

NOTE: the prices above were base on the Naira to dollar exchange rate at the time I wrote this article. Please contact us for current prices and any other guild regarding solar inverters or solar power system in general.

Factors to Consider When Buying Solar Inverter

Check that the safety of the inverter is certified

It is very important to check for the level of safety. The inverters have to be certified safe by any independent testing laboratory, before purchasing it and putting it to use.

Be familiar with the important terms

Before buying a solar inverter, you have to be familiar with all the related terms. This will enable you to know what to look out for in an inverter. The terms to note are watt, watt-hours, amp-hour, and efficiency of operations of the solar inverters.

Choosing the correct battery.

The longevity of your solar panel inverter depends on the battery most times. This is because your storage bank determines to some extent the success of your solar power. You can also know the battery capacity by taking the product power requirement in watts, and backup hours, in hours, and dividing it by the voltage in volts.

Know the power rating and the surge.

The power ratings of solar panel inverters are usually different. This is because the surge ratings of a solar panel inverter is define by the number of watts of overload, handled by the inverter over a short period of time.

Consider the peak power and the typical power considerations.

The highest power that a solar inverter can supply for a small duration of time, ranges from a few seconds to 15 minutes. This is referred to as peak power.

Some devices or appliances require a very high power while starting, compared to normal operation. So this is where the peak power comes to use.

Your solar panel system will hardly be said to be complete without a solar inverter hence, it is very necessary that you purchase one. I will be very glad to assist you whenever you want to purchase and install one for your residential or office solar power system.

NAIHCOTECH

Related posts:

Considering the improvements in solar technology, most homeowners are opting for the installation of solar power systems in their homes. This has caused many questions concerning either choosing on-grid or off-grid solar system to install in our homes. Remember that self sufficient energy is a form of security.

Freedom is one essential value that everybody deserves. So if freedom and self sustaninability really makes sense to you, then off-grid solar system is definately for you. Off-grid solar system ensures access to electricity at all times, this means you dont have to worry about power failure usually faced by the on-grid system.

The idea behind off-grid solar system is to build a self-sustaining power that powers all the loads in your house. This means that you have full control of the amount of energy you produce and consume per day. For most people, the feeling of self-sufficient energy worths more than saving money.

What is Off-grid Solar System?

Off-grid solar system is an alternative form of on-grid system which gives you access to store your own solar energy. Off-grid systems have no connection with the utility grid, this why most people call it a stand-alone power system (SAPS).

To ensure access to electricity at all times, Off-grid solar systems operate from the stored energy in a battery bank. Off-grid systems provide power to offset the grid power whenever the sun is shining and will even send excess power to the storage bank for later use. This means that you have full access to the power supply when the sun goes down.

The summary is that when you live off-grid, you simply don’t have to worry about the power failure of the utility grid(on-grid). And in as much as your solar storage bank is in good condition, you have no limit to a steady power supply.

Components of Off-grid Solar Power System

While considering living off-grid, it’s good you know there are components which works together to ensure the success of your solar power system. These devices bring about the conversion of solar power(DC current) into alternating current(AC) which can be used to power your home appliances, maintain safety at home, and store excess energy. They include:

  • Solar Panels
  • Solar Inverter
  • Array Mounting Rack
  • Array Dc Disconnect
  • Solar Performance Monitor
  • Solar Storage Bank
  • Circuit Breaker/Breaker Panel
off-grid solar panel image
Photo Credit: Silicon solar

The explanation and working principle of these components were explained in detail in my previous post “solar power system“. So let talk more about how much an average homeowner can spend in order to live off-grid.

This is because the first step to determining the best off-grid solar system for you is to determine how much power you will need to produce and store.

How Much Does Off-grid Solar System Cost?

This question is of course a common one amongst others concerning solar power systems. But depending on your location, you may have different purchase prices. But I would state the cost based on the power generated. So its let for you to substitute the price in your locality.

According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s s(NERL), the cost of a residential solar power system has dropped with as much as 61% as of the year 2010. However, in recent years the cost solar power has declined significantly. In fact in 2019, off-grid solar system costs about a half of its cost in 2010.

I have taken my time to explain in detail the cost of off-grid solar system in my recent post “the cost of solar panel”. So I recommend you read that.

And if you have questions concerning how your off-grid storage bank costs, do well to read “solar storage bank” in my last post. So lets do a little comparison between “on-grid and off-grid solar system”.

What is On-grid and Off-grid?

The difference between on-grid and off-grid is really far apart. The choice might base on some criteria which I will talk about below. so keep reading!

On-grid power system is when your power supply is connected to the utility company. This means that you pay bills every month. On the other hand, you might as well receive money from the utility company if your solar panel produces more energy than you consume. This process is called net metering.

Living on-grid is beneficial because you don’t have to buy an expensive battery back-up system to store any excess energy. But at same time, its not adviceable to live on-grid if your home is 100 yards from the ultility company. This is due to the high cost of over head transmission lines.

Living off-grid is somehow completely opposite of on-grid. Off-grid solar power system offers 100% self-sustaining power supply. This grid system allows you to store the excess energy to your storage bank for re-use at night. But the disadvantage here is that you have to purchase a complete home solar power system all by yourself.

Living off-grid is advisable if you are living in a rural area. This is because the cost of over head transmission line is high. Off-grid solar system is the sure way to enjoy 100% constant power supply. Make a quote to about “how to install solar power“.

Which is Best On-grid or Off-grid Solar System?

The question of either to live on-grid of off-grid is a challenge to many people. But I will state clearly to you that the choice depends greatly on:

  • Your Location
  • Financial Status
  • Lifestyle
  • Economic Feasibility
  • Availability of Power

However, our individual life matters the most. every individual’s mindset about a particular thing could be entirely different from others. As it usually said “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”. So I will explain how this affects your choice of considering “on-grid or off-grid”.

Your Location:

Depending on your location, on-grid, and off-grid may be a good choice. For people living close to the transmission line, living on-grid is better because you don’t have to spend much on the cost of extending power lines.

However, if you are 100 yards away from the transmission line, then living off-grid is better for you. This because the costs of overhead transmission lines range from $174,000 per mile (for rural construction) to $11,000,000 per mile (for urban construction).

Financial Status:

Most people consider the cost of installing off-grid as being high. The truth is that when you install off-grid solar, it can last for 25-30 years. This means you will not pay any utility bill to anybody and you have a constant power supply.

On the other hand, when you calculate the amount you pay every month as a utility bill. You will definitely know that its way too much than living off-grid. Thus, your financial status determines either to install off-grid at once or continue paying the utility bill every month.

Lifestyle:

Personally, our lifestyle affects our choice of either living on-grid or off-grid. Our hobbies are different, as such some people can’t stay with watching the television, playing music and others. And we need a power supply to do all these. Thus, such people definitely need to live off-grid because power backout can occur sometimes in on-grid solar system.

Economic Feasibility:

For homeowners that have access to on-grid, off-grid solar systems are usually out of question. This is because to ensure access to constant electricity at all times. Off-grid solar systems require a battery storage bank. And this batteries are expensive. In fact, batteries need to maintenance as the efficiency decreases over time. Though solar battery can last up to 10 years before replacement.

Availability of Power:

If you are the work from type, then living off-grid is better for you. Power failures on the utility grid do not affect off-grid solar systems. This is only possible if your battery storage bank is in good shape.

Typically, if your home consumes about 30kilowatt-hour(KWh) of energy per day. Then you need about 3 solar batteries because each solar battery produces 10KWh of capacity. For more clarification on how much solar battery to power your home. I recommend you read ” Solar Storage Bank” in my previous post.

Recently, more homeowners are opting for the installation of solar power systems (also known as the solar panel system) in their homes. Unlike in the past decades when there was much dependence on primary sources of energy like coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy as the major source of electricity. Technology has evolved in recent years with even better alternatives and one of these alternatives is solar power system.

The solar power system offers an excellent way of harnessing solar energy and then transforming it into electrical energy, which we use mostly at home. There are different benefits of installing the solar panel kit for home and one of such benefits is that it saves you enormously on your power bills.

Harnessing solar energy seems to be the future of energy in few years to come as it has witnessed much growth across different regions of the world such as China, Europe, North America, and even India. Some regions such as Africa and Nigeria in particular are yet to embrace fully this innovative approach to generate energy for use in the home.


The idea behind the use of the solar panel system is that homes reduce their cost of energy, save more, and maximize their carbon footprint as well. Personally, I would say there is no better way of generating efficient energy for your home than the use of the solar panel system.

What is a solar power system?

The solar power system consists of the solar panel kit which is mounted on the roof of a building. It traps the energy-packed photons from the sunlight and converts them into a usable form of energy. They are also simply referred to as “PV”.

When you install the solar panel kit for home. You have done a great job of reducing your dependence on the local community power grid. This means you can now utilize the solar panel kit to generate the electricity needed to light, cool, heat, and operate your home.

typical working process of solar power system

The summary is that you will get a clean, renewable source of energy, which requires little or no maintenance. Also, you will get the profits from this investment over a span of a few years. Some solar systems come with as much as 25 years’ warranty and this means you get free energy for more than 2 decades.

What constitutes the solar panel kit for home?

You need to understand that the solar power system consists of different components, which are coupled to generate electricity. These components will cause the conversion of power into alternating current. Which can be used for powering home appliances, maintaining safety at home, and even storing excess energy.
Here the very important components of the solar power system.

Solar Panels

These very significant components are noticeable in the solar panel kit for home. They are typically installed on the roof where they can have easy access to the sunlight converting it into electrical energy via the photovoltaic effect. This is how it got its alternative name, “PV panels”.

Solar panel outputs are rated in Watts and delivers between 10 to 300watts per panel. There are majorly two types of solar panels that are ideal for residential home installation- the monocrystalline and the polycrystalline. While both are well suitable for the home, the monocrystalline panel is a bit more efficient and expensive than later.

Solar Inverter

Solar inverters offer a means of converting the Direct Currents generated by the solar panels into the Alternating Current required in powering the home. They are of three types- micro-inverters, centralized or string inverters and power optimizers.
Just by discussing what you want and of course assessing your home. I would tell the ideal type to install in your home.

Solar Array Mounting Racks

Solar panels are coupled into arrays and then mounted either on the roof, directly into the ground, or on poles. It is more common to come across the roof-mounted systems as this seems to be more efficient and better aesthetically. If the roof is too high, there might be an issue with maintenance here.

However, you do not have to worry much about that, as panels don’t usually require much maintenance.
If you prefer your panels mounted on a freestanding pole, that is still okay. I could do the installation such that its height cant affect the maintenance if the need arises. Remember that mounting array on the ground isn’t ideal for areas that accumulate snow regularly.

Mounts are either tracking or fixed irrespective of where you mount the arrays. Tracking arrays move to adjust their angles as the sun moves.

Array DC Disconnect

This device comes in to play when you want to run maintenance on the solar arrays. The solar arrays produce DC power and with the array DC disconnect, you can get it disconnected from the home.

Solar Performance Monitor

The monitoring system functions to verify the performance of your home solar system. While the system shows you how much electricity is produced per hour. It goes ahead to identify potential changes in performance.

Solar Storage Bank

The solar power kit for home produces electricity when the sun is shining during the daytime. However, your home will still need electricity at night or even on cloudy and rainy days when the sun is not shining. This is when you need to add a battery pack to your panel system in order to offset that mismatch.

Circuit breaker/Breaker Panel

The power source which connects the electrical circuits in the house is what we call breaker panel. While a circuit is a continuous pathway that connects all lights and outlets in the electric system.

There is a circuit breaker for each circuit and the work of the circuit breaker is to prevent an unfortunate occurrence such as fire hazard as a result of excessive drawing in of electricity. The circuit breaker does this by tripping off each time the circuit demands much electricity thus, interrupting the flow of current through the circuit.

Benefits of Solar Panel kit for Home

Solar energy is renewable. It is sustainable and is simply inexhaustible. As people have realized the benefits of the solar power system, most people nowadays are opting for it. The good news is that I have a versed knowledge about this system and can have it installed efficiently and at an affordable rate.

Now, what do you stand to gain when you have the solar panel system installed in your home?

It saves cost

This is the number one reason why people opt for solar energy in the home but there is more to it. It offers a great opportunity for people looking to reduce their monthly electricity bills and to go into a longer duration investment with low risk.

You should, however, know that the savings you will get from going solar will depend on certain factors like the amount of energy you consume, the size of the solar energy system, the angle and size of your roof, the local electricity charge rates as well as the number of hours of direct daily sunlight.

Solar Power System Works Everywhere

Solar panel system works almost everywhere in the world. It is surprising to know that even some regions of the world like Alaska and the Pacific Northwest with relatively low solar resources still get to benefit and save some cost using solar energy.

How much more countries like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, etc. which are located in the tropical sub-Saharan region? These countries could boast of good-to-excellent solar resource and should do well to harness the resource they have.

It Increases Your Home Value

Increase the value of your home by installing the solar panel kit for home. This is like an upgrade to your home. Maybe you don’t know this but studies have shown that homeowners pay even higher rents for a home with solar power system.

According to a study carried out by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It revealed that the solar system on average increased the value of a home by as much as $15,000. This also means that homes with solar installed systems have the tendency of selling more than homes that do not have PV.

It Has Positive Environmental Impact

It is high time we think about our environment as well. We feel the impact of the environment directly or indirectly. The use of fuel, coal, etc. as a source of energy has over the years created much greenhouse effect which has accumulated and has been causing more harm than good to the environment.

Using the solar power system offers an excellent remedy to this. Asides the fact that using the solar-generated electricity doesn’t cause pollution of air, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions like CO2. It also prevents excessive pollution of air by major pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. It also reduces the need to consume more water.

Installing the solar power system is undoubtedly the best upgrade you could give to your home at this point. It will save you a lot of costs both now and in the future. If you will work with me to have the solar panel installed for you right in your residential home.

By naihcotech.com

Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first-hand information about solar-related topics