Solar Power Off Grid
Living off the power grid is often the ultimate dream of many people. Traditionally, off grid power systems have been very expensive. Technology has come along way recently. Not only has the cost of the renewable energy equipment significantly reduced over the last few years, but its durability and reliability have greatly increased. The cost of solar power panels has greatly reduced, and the advancement in battery technology has removed the single biggest financial hurdle, regular battery replacement. Modern off grid batteries now last 15-20 years.
The other factor which has made small scale renewable energy power systems more affordable is the energy efficiency of modern appliances. Years ago, an expensive system would be required just to run lights. With the advent of energy efficient LED bulbs and energy efficient appliances, the electrical load of a modern home can be much lower than in the past, meaning a much smaller system is required to service the load.
When designing an off grid system, the load sheet is the starting point. This is the list of power consuming items intended to be used along with how long they are used per 24h. Once we know the daily load, we can size the solar array, the battery bank and battery inverter. We treat all off grids the same regardless of weather its a couple of panels and a battery to run some lights in a shed, or a full high end accommodation resort, the load sheet is critical to designing a system that will operate reliably long term.
Often, load sheets come back with high power consumption which makes the off grid power system expensive. The average New Zealand home uses about 30kw per day, a large off grid system load would be 15kw per day so it is bit of a process to work through the load sheet with clients to balance the system price with their budget and the lifestyle they want to live. Careful consideration needs to be given to home heating, water heating and cooking which are the three big areas of power consumption.
When you are the power company, reliability and easy of use become very important. We use Victron Energy equipment in our off grid systems because they provide unmatched reliability and ease of use. Being designed for the marine market, Victron equipment is very robust and has a proven track record. Victron integrate seamlessly with Fronius solar inverters and they work in partnership with multiple brands of batteries so we have full technical support on a wide range of battery options.
- CategorySolar Inverters, Solar Storage Batteries, Solar Panels
- RangeSolar Power Systems
Projects featuring
Solar Power Off Grid
More from
SUNZ Solar Energy Specialists
Installers of
Solar Power Off Grid
About the
Seller
Sunz Solar Energy Specialists was formed in 2000 to offer clients energy-efficient renewable energy solutions. Energy costs are rising and have been doing so for many years. The hydro lakes always seem to be in some state of emptiness, there’s no new oil and gas exploration allowed, and New Zealand imports coal from Australia just to keep our lights on.
In the early days, solar water heating was the only real financially viable renewable technology so most of Sunz systems we built around highly efficient solar water heating products from Europe and the USA. Technical improvements and cost reductions in solar power and battery products over the last 10 years have these systems now not only financially viable for most New Zealand households and business, but actually the preferred option.
Energy costs are rising and have been doing so for many years. The hydro lakes always seem to be in some state of emptiness, there’s no new oil and gas exploration allowed, and New Zealand imports coal from Australia just to keep our lights on.
Sunz expertise is in offering energy-efficient solutions tailored to the clients’ requirements. We assess what the client wants to achieve and provide an integrated solution to meet that requirement, often combining multiple energy sources and technologies in our systems. While our systems are primarily renewable energy-based, we can integrate with almost any other energy source, grid power, gas, diesel, heat pump, wood, or waste process heat.
So whether it's providing electricity to power your home or business, or heating your home, your domestic hot water, swimming pool, or spa, we can offer a solution for you.
- ArchiPro Member since2021
- LocationView address
- More information