Stand Alone Power Systems – What You Need to Know

Stand alone power systems are growing in demand on a global scale. Thousands of families still live off grid in certain countries. Off grid means that they have no mains power running to their properties and they have to look at alternate solutions.

Up to now, these people would rely on wood burners for heating and cooking and paraffin lamps for light in the night, but with stand along power systems, also known as SAPS, their lives have been changed and they can enjoy all the modern conveniences you enjoy in your home powered by grid or mains power.

There are numerous options available when looking for SAPS for your off the grid property starting with solar. The stand alone solar power systems are reliable, affordable and convenient. They comprise of solar panels which absorb the light from the sun and then convert that to energy which is stored in batteries.

So many people are under the false impression that these systems only work on a sunny day and it is true that to charge the batteries faster you want your panels to get the most amount of sunlight, but they do work even on overcast days, the difference is that the batteries will take longer to charge.

With the stand along solar power systems you will want to speak to a reputable company that can provide you with advice based on your current household. They will look at the size of the property and what electrical appliances you will be using and then advise you on the number of solar panels and how many batteries you will need to comfortably run your home day and night with confidence.

The good news with the stand alone solar power systems is that they are reliable and they don’t require expensive and regular maintenance. Once up and running, you leave the system to work and the only adjustments you may need to make is removing snow off the solar panel in the event of it snowing or replacing the battery every few years as it tires and charges slower or starts losing its charge.

The next option is wind power. This type of SAPS is less common than solar as while convenient is not as reliable. With wind power you rely on the wind, so you need to live in an area that enjoys a regular wind flow that is relatively stable. This means that you will need to mount your wind turbine as high as possible as the air flow is more stable the higher you go. Gusts from lower ground is not going to provide the turbine with enough force to generate power.

The problem with wind turbines is that they are ideal for a boat out on the water, but for a property off-grid, you may not have wind for days, which means that your batteries may not have any power left in them. This is something that is easily avoided with stand alone solar power systems.

Both of these products will use batteries. So you will need to find some storage options to keep your batteries. The number of batteries you have will determine how much power you have stored and how long it will see you through.

They all use inverters and then convert the solar or wind power to energy and then the inverter is used to allow for AC low voltage for all your regular home appliances.