If you have ever dreamed of being totally energy independent, then your ultimate aim is to live “off grid”. Many of the people who live off grid are in rural locations where electric utility service is either not available or very expensive to connect. But more and more people are considering it as a personal lifestyle option.

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There are a couple of main factors involved in living off-grid. First, you’ll need to learn how to use your electricity more mindfully.  You want to be careful not to waste it.

It’s also important that you learn all you can about your solar energy system - how it works and what type of maintenence is required. It would be best if you become an expert on your particular system, so you can troubleshoot anything unexpected that arises. Becoming an expert won’t be too hard considering all the readily available information on solar energy. However, it does require some time commitment on your part.

Generally, an off-grid system consists of nine components

1. The photovoltaic array and mounting rack. Wikipedia describes the array as “a linked collection of photovoltaic modules, which are in turn made of multiple interconnected solar cells”. The mounting rack is what attaches the array to the roof.

Second, the array DC disconnect. This is basically a breaker between the array and the rest of the system.  It allows you to disconnect from the system in order to fix any problems with the array.

3. The charge controller. This device prevents the batteries from overcharging.

4. The battery bank. The battery bank stores excess electricity. Because there will be overcast periods when sunlight cannot reach your solar cells, you will need about 2 to 3 days worth of stored electricity

5. The system meter. The system meter is like the dashboard of your car. It shows what’s going on with the various components of the system.

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Sixth, is the main DC disconnect. It’s better known as a circuit breaker which is connected between the batteries and the inverter.

Seventh, is the inverter. This is the device that transforms the DC (direct current) electricity, which is generated by the array and stored in the batteries, into the AC (alternating current) electricity that can be used by your household appliances.

Eighth, the AC breaker panel. This is the same type of breaker panel that the electric company uses to connect your house wiring to its electrical source.

Ninth, your backup generator. This is in case you have a stretch of cloudy days and use up the electricity stored in the batteries. You can use traditional fossil fuels, but you’ll probably want to use biodiesel to maintain your green lifestyle.

Now that you’ve seen the components of the solar power system, you can see why it’s not too difficult to become your own expert. Each component is relatively simple. The only moving parts are in the backup generator, and you hopefully won’t be using that very much.

More Data On Off-Grid Solar Systems Here