Sundance Power
Systems, Inc.
Phone: 828.689.2080
Fax: 828.680.9798
925 Beauty Spot Cove
Mars Hill, NC 28754
E-mail

Grid-Tied (Without Batteries):

• In a Grid-Tied system, the solar system and the utility work together as a hybrid system to power the loads in a house.
  • If the solar is not producing enough power to carry the loads in the house, the utility will provide the balance.
  • If the solar is producing more power than is being consumed in the house, the surplus electricity is "sold" to the utility.
• The primary purpose of a Grid-Tied system is to offset the costs of electricity and to reduce dependence upon dirty power from the grid, but these systems do not provide back up power when the grid goes down.

Back-Up Power (With Batteries):

• Grid connected systems can be designed with the addition of a battery bank sized to provide back-up power to specific loads for times when grid power is unavailable.

Off-Grid (Battery Based):

• Off-Grid systems operate independently from the main utility grid, most commonly in remote areas where access to the grid is either unavailable or extremely costly.
• Stand-alone systems generate 100% of the homes electrical demand by providing continuous power by storing the energy produced by the PV array in high capacity batteries for use when power generation is limited because charging sources are unavailable (i.e.: periods of inclement weather, nighttime, seasonal variances etc...)
• Off-grid systems may employ more than one renewable energy resource. This is commonly referred to as a "hybrid system."

Solar Water Pumping:

• The most common applications for solar water pumping are livestock and remote residential water systems.
• Solar and water pumping are a natural fit due to the fact that the need for water is highest when the sun is shining the brightest.
• Solar water pumping systems are "sun-synchronous" - meaning that when the sun is shining the pump operates; there is no battery in the system for reserve power storage.
• There are few components in a solar water pumping system, which increases the system reliability. The array and the mount, the DC pump, and a small charge controller. There is no need for an inverter since the pump operates directly on DC electricity that the panels are generating.