Off The Grid Inc. | Information

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Company Info

About Off The Grid Inc.

Off The Grid, Inc. seeks to become a single point of commerce for solar energy enthusiasts and those wishing to purchase solar products by offering the most comprehensive, yet targeted, array of solar products possible. Our company's aim is to bring enthusiasts of various sports, technologies, and activities to a single site that meets their purchasing needs but offers a solar, green option for their items of interest. For instance, we will carry solar golf bags for the golf enthusiast, backpacks and laptop travel bags with solar chargers for personal computing devices for the technology enthusiast, and solar fans with radios and cell phone chargers for the beach enthusiast. In addition to an online store where a broad range of customers can learn about and purchase various HOT solar items, our website will also serve as an online brochure and news source to inform customers about our company, our systems, and our services. Our website is here to provide customers with ways to learn COOL information about solar energy use, "true green usage" of power, and advances in photovoltaic energy.

Solar Info

Solar (Photovoltaic, or PV) Basics

Off The Grid, Inc. deals primarily in Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy. PV cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV cells are made of semiconducting materials similar to those used in computer chips. As sunlight is absorbed by these materials, the solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. This process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) is called the photovoltaic effect. The performance of a PV cell is measured in terms of its efficiency at turning sunlight into electricity. It takes sunlight of certain energies to generate electricity when it strikes the surface of a PV cell. In addition, the material that makes up a PV cell will reflect or absorb varying portions of that energy depending on the material that makes up the cell. Based on these factors, a PV cell's efficiency is rated as a percentage, which denotes the percentage of sunlight striking the cell that is generating electricity. Improving PV cell efficiencies while holding down the cost per cell is an important goal of the PV industry, NREL researchers, and other U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories, and they have made significant progress. The first PV cells, built in the 1950s, had efficiencies of less than 4%. Presently, the PV cells in many of the products we carry are returning an efficiency rating of 17%. The photovoltaic effect is one that has been understood in some form for a long time now. The principle on which solar panels operate is the same principle that allows our eyes to see. When some substances absorb light, they give off an electric signal. In our eyes this signal is known as transduction because the electric signal travels to the brain where it can be processed. In solar panels and other inorganic substances, the effect is known as the photovoltaic effect because the electrical signal created is not information laden the way our eyesight is.

Different Types of Solar Power Systems

A typical photovoltaic (PV) system includes solar panels, also known as solar arrays, an inverter, and a battery charging system. The panels create electricity when struck by sunlight, which is then fed to the batteries. The batteries are where the power is drawn from when you turn on piece of equipment or appliance. They store the energy for use so that even during the night, or when it is overcast, the user will still have a steady supply of power. These systems can be installed in homes, cabins, RVs, boats, or other structures. The fact that solar panels can only gather sunlight during the day is often referenced as a drawback to solar power. However, it is possible to draw the power off into a battery source for later use. In fact, this is the way outdoor solar lights work-- they draw energy during the day to power nighttime illumination. PV systems which exclusively use battery storage and are not connected, or tied, in any way to an existing utility or power company grid system can be referred to as an Off-Grid System.

Grid-Tied Systems are typically used in areas that already have an existing utility supply infrastructure and tie the userís solar power system into the existing utility grid. A utility interactive inverter will monitor the solar energy coming from the solar panels as well as the energy being used by the house or building. PV systems which interact with the existing utility or power company grid system can operate with or without batteries. For consumers who are concerned about utility rates going up and who would like to take proactive measures to reduce their monthly electric bills, a grid-tied solar system may be appropriate. For these systems, the solar modules can be roof mounted or ground mounted on the property where they sit quietly generating power from the sun. Grid-tied systems can either operate on a net-metering basis or a non net-metering basis depending on the programs, policies, and incentives available in particular regions through local utility systems. Grid-tied net-metering systems are those in which any solar power generated is valued at the same retail rate at which the local utility system sells their power, and these types of systems utilize a single kWh meter which is allowed to spin in either direction depending on if the consumer is buying (using) or selling (generating) energy. Grid-tied non net-metering systems require the utilization of separate kWh meters for monitoring of energy produced by the solar power system versus consumed through the existing utility system grid. Consumers interested in installing and utilizing a solar power system should contact their local utility system to inquire about specific programs and policies available. Various regions make available various incentives for installing renewable energy systems, including tax credits (as opposed to tax deductions) in some areas. To find out if your state offers net-metering or any other incentives for installing a renewable energy system.
Click on the following link:
www.dsireusa.org

Charging Items with Solar Energy

Solar panels collect or draw energy throughout the day which is collected into a battery source for either immediate or later use. The solar charger, including its energy-laden batteries, is connected to the device or appliance either internally (such as in the case of a solar powered flashlight) or externally (as in the case of a cell phone charger linked to the customers cell phone by a connector, like a USB cord, for standard electronic devices). Many of our products come equipped with such connectors and/or rechargeable batteries, where noted.

High Wind Fixed Horizontal System

high wind fixed horizontal system Single axis fixed horizontal mounts (fixed HZT series) are ideal for large commercial scale projects that require high durability and sustainability. The robust mount lends itself to harsh conditions by incorporating heavy tubular pillars and cross beam. These are expandable from 2.5 kW up to 1 MW depending upon the requirements of the project. All units come standard with modular rails (fits nearly any commercially available PV module) and bolt and template kits for installation.

Fixed Pole Mount System

Fixed Pole Mount Systems are built more durable than smaller units using thick wall steel mounts. The system is manually adjustable for different seasons with easy installation and minimal maintenance. It is ideal for homeowners, small to medium businesses and remote sites.

Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Solar PV Panels

Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Solar PV Panels High cell efficiency PV solar panels with quality silicon material for long term output stability and reliability. Rigorous quality control to meet the highest international standards. High transmittance, low iron tempered glass with enhanced stiffness and impact resistance. Unique frame design with high mechanical strength for easy installation. Advanced encapsulation material with multilayer sheet lamination to provide long-life and enhanced cell performance. Outstanding electrical performance under high temperature and low irradiance conditions.

Solar Collector/Reflective Material

Solar Collector/Reflective Material Most of todayís reflective surfaces are made of either glass or aluminum. Glass is heavy and has environmental issues, aluminum needs a coating to be reflective which adds labor costs, is less reflective, and needs to bend to fit, which cause survival issues. The solution is to use plastics that can be molded into an exact shape, coated with an amazingly reflective coating which has already lived in the hot sun for many years; all for much less than the price of any other reflective solution. Using the solar reflective solutions we distribute, your costs of materials, shipping, and deployment can be lowered which allow you to focus on other parts of your solar energy needs.

Articles Solar News

US Solar Energy Industry Continues Record-Setting Growth in 2011 by Staff Writers Boston MA (SPX) Jun 20, 2011
The U.S. solar energy industry continued to be one of the fastest growing economic sectors in Q1 2011 according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight(TM): Q1 2011 released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research. Cumulative grid-connected solar electric installations exceeded 2.85 gigawatts (GW), enough to power nearly 600,000 homes. In Q1 2011, 252 megawatts (MW) of grid-connected photovoltaics (PV) were installed, or 66 percent year-over-year growth over Q1 2010.

All PV market sectors (residential, commercial and utility) continued to grow, with commercial showing the strongest gains. In Q1 2010, the top seven states comprised 82 percent of total installations, but grew to 88 percent in Q1 2011, implying an even larger share for established markets. Installations more than doubled in 11 of the 21 states analyzed.

Price declines were a growth factor, as technology costs fell and the industry matured further, capitalizing on greater economies of scale and streamlined project development and installation. Domestic PV module production equaled 348 MW, a 31 percent increase over Q1 2010. No concentrating solar power (CSP) projects came online during Q1 2011, but 1.1 GW of CSP and concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) projects are under construction. Concentrating solar continued its momentum with several projects receiving government loan guarantees.

Additional highlights:
PV
+ Cumulative grid-connected PV exceeded
2.3 GW.
+ U.S. module production increased 17% relative to Q4 2010, from 297 MW to 348 MW.
+ Wafer and cell prices dropped approximately 15% each; module prices fell around 7%.
UC San Diego Researchers Create Tool to Put the Lid on Solar Power Fluctuations by Staff Writers San Diego CA (SPX)
Jun 23, 2011
How does the power output from solar panels fluctuate when the clouds roll in? And can researchers predict these fluctuations? UC San Diego Professor Jan Kleissl and Matthew Lave, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Jacobs School, have found the answer to these questions. They also have developed a software program that allows power grid managers to easily predict fluctuations in the solar grid caused by changes in the cloud cover. The program uses a solar variability law Lave discovered.

The finding comes at a time when the Obama administration is pushing for the creation of a smart power grid throughout the nation. The improved grid would allow for better use of renewable power sources, including wind and solar.

Also, more utilities have been increasing the amount of renewable energy sources they use to power homes and businesses. For example, Southern California Edison reported this month that it is adding more large-scale solar power plants to its grid and retooling its distribution system to accommodate the power fluctuations that will follow.

Kleissl and Lave's finding could have a dramatic impact on the amount of solar power allowed to feed into the grid. Right now, because of concerns over variability in power output, the amount of solar power flowing in the grid at residential peak demand times-your typical sunny weekend afternoon in Southern California, say-is limited to 15 percent before utilities are required to perform additional studies.

As operators are able to better predict a photovoltaic system's variability, they will be able to increase this limit. In California, a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in April 2011 requires all electricity retailers in the state, including publicly owned utilities, to generate 33 percent of their power sales from renewable energy sources by 2020.

Incidentally, Kleissl and Lave's research shows that the amount of solar variability can also be reduced by installing smaller solar panel arrays in multiple locations rather than building bigger arrays in just one spot, since a cloud covering one panel is less likely to cover the other panels, Lave said. "The distance between arrays is key," he said.

The variability in the output of photovoltaic power systems has long been a source of great concern for utility operators worldwide. But Kleissl and Lave found that variability for large photovoltaic systems is much smaller than previously thought. It also can be modeled accurately, and easily, based on measurements from just a single weather station. Kleissl presented the paper, titled 'Modeling Solar Variability Effects on Power Plants,' this week at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.

His findings are based on analysis of one year's worth of data from the UC San Diego solar grid-the most monitored grid in the nation, with 16 weather stations and 5,900 solar panels totaling 1.2 megawatts in output. Lave looked at variations in the amount of solar radiation the weather stations were receiving for intervals as short as a second. The amount of radiation correlates with the amount of power the panels produce.

Based on these observations, he found that when the distance between weather stations is divided by the time frame for the change in power output, a solar variability law ensues. This operation was inspired by a presentation by Clean Power Research, a Napa-based company, at the Department of Energy - California Public Utility Commission High Penetration Solar forum hosted by UC San Diego in March 2011.

"For any pair of stations at any time horizon, this variability law is applicable" says Lave. In other words, the law can be applied to any configuration of photovoltaic systems on an electric grid to quantify the system's variability for any given time frame.

But Lave didn't stop there. He developed an easy-to-use interface in MATLAB that allows grid planners and operators to simulate the variability of photovoltaic systems. Data can be input as a text file, but the interface also allows users to simply draw a polygon around each system on a satellite Google Map. Based on solar radiation measurements at a single sensor on a given day, the model calculates the variability in total output across all systems.

"It is as easy as painting by numbers," said Kleissl. "In Google Maps, photovoltaics show up as dark rectangles on rooftops. Draw some polygons around them, push the button, and out comes the total variability."

Kleissl said he anticipates this tool will be useful to figure out whether problems in voltage fluctuation may occur in power feeder systems with a large amount of photovoltaic arrays. At this point, the solar installations on almost all feeders are still far below the capacity that would cause any major issues.

But as the United States moves to affordable solar systems producing energy at lower costs through the Department of Energy's SunShot initiative and continued robust growth in installations, this will change. That's when the tool developed by Lave and Kleissl could become key. The model development was sponsored by DOE's High PV Penetration Program grant 10DE-EE002055.

While the tool is being prepared for final public release, the authors would be happy to consider requests by third parties that can provide PV system location and size data to run the tool.