Why should you go solar? I’m sure that you have heard a lot of things said about switching over to solar energy. So what motivates so many people to make a switch over to solar energy? Here’s a list of the 10 best reasons that people decide to go solar.
Grid-tied or grid connected solar is a solar electricity system without batteries. Your home is hooked up to both the national grid and your solar electricity system, so you will always have electricity available at the flick of a switch; even at night, or if it is cloudy. You can install a solar electricity system of any size and you will only ever be billed if your power consumption is in excess of the amount you are generating.
The electricity grid acts as a 100% efficient and maintenance free battery while also providing unlimited ‘on demand’ energy. This is what makes grid connected solar electricity so attractive. It has all the benefits of being attached to the electricity grid but with a portion of your electricity bill never increasing in price.
Off-grid connected solar is a solar electricity system with battery backup. During the day the sun shines and charges the batteries as well as supplies power to your home. During the evening or on rainy days when the sun isn’t shining you use the power stored in the batteries. Your house is not connected to the national grid hence the name: off-grid.
Although there have been large price reductions in the cost of panels and inverters, batteries are generally quite expensive and require regular maintenance. Generally the idea of being off the grid is quite appealing but it does requires more investment.
Light striking a silicon semiconductor causes electrons to flow, creating electricity. Solar power generating systems take advantage of this property to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy.
Solar panels, which goes through a power inverter to become alternating current (AC) — electricity that we can use in the home or office, like that supplied by a utility power company.
Our solar PV system is designed to produce electricity sufficient for a day’s consumption. Any excess power produced during the day will be exported to the grid and will be utilized back during the night from the grid. This flow is monitored through the net meter.
There is a common misconception that solar panels need hot, Mediterranean style weather in order to work efficiently. This is not true! Solar panels work by absorbing the light from the sun, not the heat, and turning it into usable electricity.
Therefore, solar panels will work just as well in cold weather, providing there is still some sunlight. Solar panels do not work as efficiently in very overcast weather as there is not as much sunlight for them to absorb.
How will SEN Solar conclude on the solar PV capacity for me?
Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on the home's rooftop, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. If the home is net-metered, the electricity meter will run backwards to provide a credit against what electricity is consumed at night or other periods where the home's electricity use exceeds the system's output. Customers are only billed for their "net" energy use.
After the Solar System has been installed, on behalf of the customer, SEN Solar will handle the application for the net meter from CEB/LECO. Thereafter an Officer from the CEB/LECO will visit your premises and will produce an estimate for the meter. Once this is paid they replace the existing meter to the Net Meter.
Domestic Customers
the excess power produced can be offset any time of the month and we can Zero your bill based on your existing consumption.
Commercial customers
the excess power produced can only be offset during the Day Tariff Time range (0530h-1830h)
Your investment decided on your consumption and your requirement.
Recover period will defend according to your tariff. Generally it vary from 3 years to 8 years
Net Metering Development in Sri Lanka by Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka
In today’s world most of the developing countries are already swamped with power crisis due to inadequacy of generation as well as energy storage facilities to meet the demand. Therefore there is a pressing need to implement mechanisms to manage the growing demand and improve the efficiency while reducing the energy losses, accelerating the development of low-carbon energy technologies such as renewable power generation, in order to address the global challenges of energy security, climate change and economic growth. In this context, the on-site power sources known as distributed renewable generation is becoming increasingly competitive with centralized power sources on a financial basis due to technological innovations, reduced capital costs, reduced maintenance requirements, access to inexpensive energy resources, and other benefits. One promising means of distributed renewable generation of electricity closer to the end user is introducing net metering schemes which encourage customers to generate their own electricity through renewable sources of power such as solar, hydro or biomass in their own premises. Net metering programs can make self-generation more attractive for customers by eliminating the need to size systems to meet customers’ exact power needs or install on-site storage and power conditioning devices. The deployment of distributed renewables through net metering also offers several environmental, economic and social benefits that are described in this report.
SOLAR NET-METERING
Net-metering is a policy that allows an electricity customer to use renewable energy sources within his premises to generate electricity and utilise it within his premises, and to export it to the national grid if excess power is being generated, to be recovered when needed. Therefore, the grid acts like an energy bank for the customer. This policy originated in the USA, but has now spread to many countries. Both electricity distributors, that is, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Lanka Electricity Company Pvt. Ltd. (LECO), offer net-metering to their customers.
