Middle East is blessed with ample sunlight all throughout the year. In addition, most of our homes boast of spacious rooftops that bathe in sunlight during the day. These are ideal circumstances for harnessing the energy produced by the Sun and convert it into electricity for domestic use.
This can be achieved by interfacing the energy with the help of an inverter. This inverter would convert the DC energy generated by a rooftop solar plant into AC energy and make it usable for our electrical appliances.
But while rooftop solar plants are excellent for generating electricity from the sun, there are a few factors that you should keep in mind before installing solar rooftop systems. Let’s take a look at a few of these factors.
Types of Rooftop Solar Plants
There are three kinds of rooftop solar plants that you can choose from.
1. On-grid Systems
An on-grid rooftop solar plant is directly linked to the main grid supply. This system enables electricity to be used from the grid when the rooftop solar plant is unable to generate the required amount of energy. However, a well-planned rooftop solar plant can efficiently generate enough power without using grid supply, enabling significant cost saving.
In fact, on-grid rooftop solar plants can also generate excess electricity that can be supplied back to the grid and earn you compensation through a process called net-metering.
2. Off-grid Systems
The off-grid system is one in which the rooftop solar system is not connected to the main grid. This system is self-contained and has its own battery. The battery is charged by the solar energy generated by the rooftop solar plant, which is then used to power different appliances.
When there is no grid supply or when the supply is exceedingly irregular with frequent breakdowns, this system comes in handy.
3. Hybrid Systems
The third option is a hybrid rooftop solar plant. This system combines on-grid and off-grid power sources. Although a battery is included in this type of system, the advantage is that once the battery has been fully charged, the extra power generated is fed into the grid, creating added profits for the user.
The Nature of Your Rooftop
The next thing to keep in mind before installing solar rooftop systems is the nature of your roof and how feasible would it be to install a rooftop solar power plant over there. Here are a few things you need to consider:
- How much sunlight is available throughout the year
- Available area on the rooftop
- Whether the orientation of the roof is towards the sun or not
The cost of a rooftop solar plant is influenced by the nature of your roof. Certain rooftop layouts may require additional elements and those elements might add to the cost of your rooftop solar plant.
How Much Area to Use?
The availability of sunlight and the space available on the roof determines the maximum energy that can be generated through your rooftop solar plant. The type of system you opt for (on-grid, off-grid, or hybrid) can help you decide how much space needs to be allocated on your roof for installing solar panels and producing electric power.
Costs
The homeowner can conduct a cost analysis and determine the amount of electricity required in order to be profitable. This could involve satisfying the homeowner’s energy requirements as well as the amount of energy that can be transferred to the grid to create additional profits.
Aside from these factors, another factor that you need to keep in mind before installing a home solar plant is the brand. While there are several companies that offer these systems, you must opt for reputable brands in order to get your hands on a system that not only offers superior quality but also lasts longer.
