The dacha, as a place for growing vegetables, is gradually becoming a thing of the past, areas with lawns and flowers are more often visible. Houses are designed for rest and life in the warm season. Modern man is not enough one light bulb. Refrigerators, water heaters, TVs, laptops, cell phone chargers - it's hard to imagine a full life without them.
Electrical appliances of classes A and AA are superior in energy efficiency to previously produced products. Solar systems are able to ensure the uninterrupted operation of electrical equipment.
solar systemThe high cost of the kit limits the use in places of permanent residence of people. Here, solar panels are purchased to save on electricity bills.
The dacha, as a rule, is not equipped with a large set of energy-intensive devices. Based on this, to create comfortable conditions, it is worth taking a closer look at autonomous power generation systems.
A non-alternative solar station will be in places where there is a complete absence of centralized power networks. Power plants operating with internal combustion engines are expensive to acquire and in terms of energy purchases.
Frequent outages in worn-out electrical networks of suburban communities are a common reason for the failure of electrical appliances.
Expert opinion
Alexey Bartosh
Specialist in the repair, maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.
Ask an expertThe cost of solar systems is gradually decreasing, they are becoming an "interesting" option. Buying solar panels is not enough. Energy is generated only during daylight hours, so the kit includes an inverter, battery, charge controller.
Consider the purpose and design of the necessary equipment.
Before buying a solar system in a country house, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages that a solar power plant has.
Main advantages:
Electricity generation is not accompanied by noise (like windmills);
The advantages of solar systems are somewhat reduced by their disadvantages:
Before choosing a solar system, it is worth deciding how many kilowatts of energy the connected equipment will consume.
Household electrical appliances consume in Watts:
Thus, it is clear that powerful electrical appliances cannot be powered directly from solar panels; high-capacity batteries and corresponding inverters are needed.
Solar cells consist of thin silicon wafers (mono- and polycrystalline) or a substrate coated with a thin layer of silane or hydrogen silicon (amphoric), in which the energy of the sun's rays is converted into electrical energy.
The design of the devices has a different structure, and, accordingly, a different efficiency.
According to the method of manufacture, they distinguish:
Black monocrystalline panels with beveled corners. The efficiency for such products is 15–25%. The best performance is achieved when the plates turn towards the Sun. On cloudy days, mornings and evenings, when less solar energy hits the panel, power generation is reduced. To improve the operational properties, adjustment is used, orientation in space in the direction of sunlight.
You can recognize this species by the dark blue color of the surface. The efficiency reaches 12–15%. Accordingly, to obtain a power comparable to single-crystal models, a large surface area is required, but the price of products is lower. The principle of operation allows polycrystalline panels to work on a cloudy day.
Compared to previous types, amorphous solar systems are cheap. They are made in the form of a flexible blue film protected by a special transparent coating. The efficiency of products reaches only 6%. They are less durable - the resource of the silicon layer is quickly developed, but they successfully work in areas with high cloudiness, converting even diffused light into electricity.
A solar battery is used for giving, the kit of which includes several functional elements.
Panels. Their type, quantity and generated power can be selected depending on the electrical equipment installed in the country house.
Batteries are necessary for the accumulation of energy and for it when connecting powerful consumers and at night.
The purpose of the inverter is described above. The output power must correspond to the sum of the power of the devices used.
The charge controller increases the life of the batteries, some types are capable of exploding when overcharged.
Summarizing the above, we understand that the installation of solar power plants justifies its purpose in places:
What to do if there is no electricity in the country for some reason? You can, of course, adapt to such a life, enjoying time-tested technologies: use candles and a kerosene lamp for lighting, dig a cellar to store food, carry water in buckets and heat it on fire, refuse TV, etc. However, such a "rest" is unlikely to be truly comfortable: sooner or later, you will still have to look for ways to generate electricity using alternative energy sources.
Most often, this is thought about in the following cases:
The simplest and most affordable alternative energy source is solar panels. Silicon-based photovoltaic cells, connected in an electrical circuit to convert sunlight energy into electrical energy, were invented in the United States and began to be used on American and Soviet space satellites as early as 1958. Nowadays, portable equipment (calculators, thermometers, flashlights), spacecraft, electric cars and yachts work for them, even an aircraft is being developed that will fly using energy received from solar panels.
Large solar power plants have been set up in many countries, and the French government plans to lay 1,000 km of roads with built-in solar panels so that every kilometer of such coverage provides electricity to 5,000 people (excluding heating). Solar panels have even found use in medicine: in South Korea, tiny photocells are implanted into the patient's skin to ensure the smooth operation of implanted devices, such as a pacemaker. Such a long experience and widespread use of solar cells testifies to the reliability, economy and high efficiency of this technology.
In this article I will talk about my own experience of using solar panels in the country. First of all, it should be noted that in order to meet the needs of a small country house for electricity, it is required to assemble a whole mini-power plant, which, in addition to the solar panels themselves, includes batteries for charging, a controller for controlling the system and an inverter for converting direct current into alternating current.
Solar batteries (solar panels) of domestic, European and Chinese production are presented on the Russian market. Domestic solar panels are installed at our dacha - we bought them directly from the manufacturer in Zelenograd. There are several specialized companies in Moscow that offer both individual elements for self-installation of a solar mini-power plant, and a complete set of necessary equipment with delivery and turnkey installation. The specialists of these companies give professional advice and consultations, calculate the required capacity and composition of the system for each client.
Solar panels have an unlimited lifespan. They produce 12V direct current. Depending on the size of the panel, there are different capacities. To assemble an autonomous solar mini-power plant, you need to purchase several solar panels. The exact number of batteries (more precisely, their required power) is calculated based on the potential power consumption you need. On sunny summer days, the efficiency of the panels is maximum. In cloudy weather, the panels also generate electricity, but in a smaller amount. This must be taken into account when calculating the power of the system, if you plan to use it not only in summer, but also in winter.
The electrical energy produced by solar panels is stored in batteries. For efficient operation of the system, it is best to use special deep-cycle gel batteries that do not require special maintenance, are sealed and safe to install inside the house. For a small country house with minimal power consumption, at least 3-4 batteries with a capacity of 100-120 Ah each are required. They are reliable, durable and withstand many charge and deep discharge cycles.
A controller is installed between the solar panels that generate electricity and the batteries that store this energy. Controllers vary in specifications and cost. Oddly enough, this is the most important control element of a solar mini-power plant: the controller protects the batteries from full discharge and from overcharging, which are very dangerous for them. In the event of an unacceptably low battery discharge, the controller disconnects the load. In the event that the batteries are fully charged, the controller does not allow energy from the solar panels to flow into the batteries.
Solar panels generate 12V DC, while most electrical appliances run on 220V AC. Therefore, an inverter is included in the solar mini-power plant system, which converts direct current 12V into alternating current 220V. It is best to use more expensive inverters that produce a so-called pure sine wave (“pure sine”) current. Cheaper inverters that generate a modified sine wave current may not be suitable for some equipment.
As a rule, in all solar mini-power plants, separate sockets are installed for devices (consumers) operating from direct (12V) and alternating current (220V). DC power can power energy-saving lighting fixtures, water pumps, refrigerators, and even televisions. All other equipment requires alternating current with a voltage of 220V. Whenever possible, choose equipment that consumes as little electricity as possible - in today's home appliance market there is a huge selection of such energy-saving devices.
At our dacha, a small system of solar panels worked successfully for several years, until it became possible to connect to the general electrical network. Of course, when, after installing solar panels, we were able to turn on the normal light, refrigerator, water pump, antenna and TV, it was just a miracle.
However, the system must be constantly monitored and maintained in the correct, operable condition. For example, contacts at the junction of wires from solar panels with a charge controller periodically oxidize and cease to carry out a charge in a quality manner. Therefore, they must be periodically cleaned and reconnected. If this is not done, then the charge from the batteries is not completely supplied to the batteries, the mini-power plant accumulates a smaller supply of electricity than expected, and when the normal (calculated for it) load is turned on, it can no longer cope: the discharge rate becomes faster than the charge rate. In addition, if the system is budgetary and not very powerful, it is necessary to understand very clearly which electrical appliances can be turned on at the same time and which cannot.
While my husband and I had the opportunity to often go to the country and monitor the solar panels, everything worked well and there were no problems. But when the responsibility of maintaining the system fell on the shoulders of our elderly parents, problems began with its functioning, because they lacked knowledge and experience. As a result, it was decided to take advantage of the opportunity to connect to a conventional power grid so as not to burden them with unnecessary worries.
Based on our experience, I can say that it is quite possible to assemble a fairly budget autonomous solar-powered mini-power plant. And it will really work reliably and efficiently, providing the basic needs of a small country house. However, to maintain it in good condition, you need to carefully study the issue and periodically carry out its diagnosis and prevention.
In the modern world, a person can no longer imagine his life without the use of electrical energy. In addition to the standard methods of obtaining electrical power, there are alternative ones. Using solar panels in the country, you can provide constant lighting, power any household electrical appliances, some types of garden equipment, and much more. The resulting energy will be absolutely free and practically uninterrupted.
To choose the right solar battery (SB), you need to know how it works, because many ordinary users (without special education) believe that solar panels are some kind of element that can store solar energy.
Scheme for generating electricity using the sun
In fact, the conversion of sunlight that hit the surface of the battery into electric current is a rather complicated process. A solar module is a crystalline (silicon or gallium) plate that converts the energy of a light flux into an electric current due to physical and chemical properties and processes.
From the solar module, electricity flows through the wires into the storage battery (AB), feeding it. The total battery charge is determined by the controller. In operating mode, current flows from the battery to the inverter, and from it to electrical appliances and lighting. There is also a standby mode in this process, when charging has already been completed, and the inverter has not yet been turned on (for example, people are sleeping or have gone to visit).
The main elements of the SB:
For reliable and uninterrupted operation, it is necessary to add additional elements to the circuit described above to ensure the trouble-free operation of the solar module, battery and inverter.
Solar batteries are made from different materials and come in different types. The total power of one module for household needs (depending on the size) is 10-350 watts.
To calculate the required number of cells, they take the average value that any battery should provide in cloudy weather - 80-100 W / sq. m.
If you completely cover the house with a roof area of 100 square meters. m, then the average power will be:
100 * 100 \u003d 10000 W \u003d 10 kW,
which is enough for the operation of all electrical appliances.
But in everyday life, only three types of silicon SBs are used:
Let's consider each of them.
Homogeneous silicon crystals are used for manufacturing. The special conditions created during cultivation determine their high quality, as well as the reliability and efficiency of the SB itself.
Monocrystalline modulesThe price for them is high (compared to others), and the installation of the device and subsequent operation sometimes cause difficulties. Care must be taken when cleaning the plates. The slightest pressure and they can crack.
Such SBs are often polluted and their efficiency drops. Efficient use can be arranged if you have sufficient cleanup funds or if you use such a system as a temporary reserve.
The performance of modules of this type is low due to the fact that materials of lower quality are used to create them. As a result, polycrystalline modules have an efficiency 5-10% less than monocrystalline ones.
But they stand up to cleaning freely. Due to the polycrystalline structure, it is quite difficult to damage them.
Their manufacture is made from silicon (amorphous) or from other materials that have in their composition the impurities necessary for the conversion process.
Thin Film ModulesThe purchase and operation of modules of this type have their positive and negative sides.
It is advisable that you look for a SB installation specialist. You can find out about it in the store where you make a purchase or on the global network. If you do the installation yourself, you need to know a few features of the operation of such equipment.
Installation of solar panelsMounting batteries in your country house is best and easiest on the roof of the house. This is the largest area, but there are several nuances:
With inaccurate placement, the rays of the daylight fall on the surface of the module at the wrong angle, which significantly reduces their power.
This is necessary so that in different seasons you can change the angle of inclination. After all, in winter the sun is much lower than in the rest of the year.
Ideally, it is desirable that even during the day, the batteries are turned to the star at an angle of 90 0 . Indeed, in a stationary position, the SB will give full power when the sun is at its zenith. And when the sun rises or sets, the efficiency will be low.
To eliminate this shortcoming, a special servomechanism with photocells and automation is required (you can buy or write out through the global network). This system, in fact, will "follow" the sun and turn the SB to the desired angle.
She works like this.
To the electric motors that move the SB, a circuit with a photocell is connected, tuned to a certain level of illumination. As soon as the amount of light changes (the sun is “out”, the cloud), the device commands the motors, and they rotate until the photocell illumination level reaches the desired value.
Such a device can be made by hand. One of the options can be seen in the video:
In this design, the angle of inclination of the batteries (depending on the height of the sun above the ground) is changed using a pump and pistons, and tracking the movement of the sun during the day is carried out by a separate (for each module) motor.
Home heating (if you do not have a gas pipeline) can be completely electric. This can be done with solar modules if they cover a large area.
And there are two options for such heating:
The first option is considered effective. Its advantages are in the absence of pipes, efficiency and ease of operation.
Heating a private house with solar panelsAmong the shortcomings, rapid cooling and high energy consumption are distinguished, because the devices must be turned on at full power all the time (1-3 kW in each room).
The second option is much more expensive, but has many positive qualities:
Of the shortcomings:
From the above, it can be found out that the SB with an area of \u200b\u200bless than 70 square meters. m will not be able to fully heat all the rooms if you have direct heating devices installed - there is simply not enough energy. But it may well be enough for the second (water) option.
The positive features include:
Negative properties include:
In order to effectively and profitably invest your own funds, you need to decide in advance what goals you are pursuing.
If your area experiences frequent but short-term power outages and you want to get a backup, this is not the best solution.
Installing a solar battery is quite expensive, therefore, its purchase should be carried out only in case of long-term power outages or in the absence of it.
If you still want to install batteries, then you need to involve energy specialists in order to calculate your average daily and average monthly electricity consumption. And only after that, taking into account your needs, decide whether to spend money on acquiring SB or not.
With the onset of spring, mass migration of citizens out of the city, to their dachas, begins. It is good if the summer cottage is located close to the main power lines and is connected to them. And if not? Then you can solve the problem of electrification of a country house by installing a gasoline (gas) generator, a wind power plant or a solar power plant. Of these three options for solving the problem, the third option is the most optimal. It does not require large investments, and solar panels with a capacity of three kilowatts in the country are enough to provide comfortable living outside the city during the entire spring-summer period.
The St. Petersburg company Real Solar has been operating in the solar photovoltaic market since 2010. During this time, a lot of experience has been accumulated in the design and installation of autonomous power supply systems in dacha cooperatives, country houses, cottages. Often, installing a helium home power plant is the best solution to the problem of providing electricity to remote buildings. If in order to bring a power line to a country house (it doesn’t matter if it’s an overhead line or lay a cable), sometimes you need to spend up to three hundred thousand rubles, then for the same amount you can buy a small solar power plant that will serve faithfully for decades. Plus, you don't have to pay for electricity.
For a small country house, it is quite enough to install a helium power plant with a capacity of three kilowatts. With a small load, such an installation may well provide a round-the-clock autonomous power supply. Its power is enough to maintain the operation of the refrigerator, with a chamber volume of up to 300 liters and energy saving class "A", lighting with energy-saving lamps. In addition, TVs of any models, radios, tape recorder, computer, various power tools whose starting power does not exceed 4.5 kilowatts, a garden pump or a submersible pool pump, as well as any chargers for various gadgets can be connected to the load.
Solar power plant kit from Real Solar
If the summer cottage is connected to the main power supply network, but the owner of the summer cottage, nevertheless, wants to install a helium power plant, then the company, at the request of the customer, can replace the autonomous inverter with a hybrid one. Then the consumer will receive the missing power from the main power grid, and if, on the contrary, he has a surplus of electricity, then this surplus will be given to the network. After the adoption of the law on the "green tariff", the payment for electricity will be made on the basis of the difference between the consumed and delivered power, which will be recorded by a bidirectional meter.
This solar power plant is equipped with the so-called traction batteries of the American company Trojan battery. Such batteries are very well suited for small autonomous helium electrical installations. According to the manufacturer's specification, the number of recharge cycles is more than 850. The use of these batteries as part of the equipment of this solar power plant is due to their unpretentiousness, high endurance when operating in extreme cyclic modes.
In a typical set of power plants, eight batteries of the Trojan T-105RE 6V type are provided, which, when fully charged, accumulate eight kilowatt-hours of electricity. The duration of continuous operation without recharging (dark hours, prolonged absence of the sun) for a load of one kilowatt is eight hours. At the request of the customer, the number of batteries can be increased by eight, sixteen units. Accordingly, the battery life on the load also increases.
It is possible to connect a gasoline (gas) or wind generator to recharge the batteries in case of a long absence of the sun (cloudy weather, dark time of the day for several days). In this case, a stand-alone MAC-inverter performs the functions of a charger.
Main technical characteristics:
A typical set of a solar power plant includes four polycrystalline helium modules, one battery charge controller, a display for an MPPT controller, a MAP inverter, four batteries, two MC4 connectors in the kit, two MC4T connectors in the kit.
In addition to the main components, the package also includes six jumpers for batteries 250 mm long, one jumper 500 mm long, one jumper 750 mm long. All jumpers are made of wire with a cross section of 25 mm². The standard delivery also includes a rack for the battery and tools, a switchboard, a connecting cable for the battery charge controller, two meters long, with a cross section of 16 mm², kits for fixing helium panels and equipment installation.
Under a separate agreement, the company performs installation and programming of the station at the customer's site.
The cost of the kit is 270,000 rubles.
The Helios House company has chosen the design, supply, adjustment and maintenance of autonomous power supply systems for private houses, holiday villages, separately located farm facilities as the main direction of its activity.
The company sells power plants of various configurations and capacities, designed to implement quite specific functions, for example, to provide autonomous lighting in the garden, to maintain the operation of the most necessary electrical appliances in the country, such as a refrigerator or TV. Naturally, the company's assortment also includes kits that provide comfortable living in the country not only during the entire spring-summer period, but, if necessary, also in the autumn-winter period.
Each kit has its own name, immediately revealing the purpose of this installation. For summer cottages, country houses, in which daily consumption can be from three to five kilowatt-hours, the company offers a set called "Country House". This set is intended for power supply of a country house, a small cottage in the period from March to September and operates only from the energy of solar radiation. The kit can also be used in winter, but in conditions of receiving less solar radiation, it is recommended to use a hybrid system for connecting to the central network or from auxiliary generating devices.
Set of solar power plant "Country House"
This kit includes four single-crystal solar modules with a power of 200 watts each, two Delta GH 12-200 gel batteries with a service life of 12 years and a capacity of 200 ampere-hours each, an uninterruptible power supply with an output of 24/220 volts, 3000 watts, MPPT battery charge controller. The package also includes a cable, connectors, jumpers, splitters, mounting hardware.
The cost of the kit is 162353 rubles.
If we turn to the catalogs of solar photovoltaic products, it is easy to see that the market is now saturated with a wide variety of products. And you can choose for your needs exactly what will suit the customer both in terms of configuration, power, and price.
The set of solar batteries for summer cottages includes: two or three solar modules with a size of 1-1.4 m, a rated power of 60-80 W and a voltage of 15.5 V, place them on the roof of your "cabin house" and connect them to a car battery with a capacity of 90 A .h. Connect a small refrigerator, a light bulb and a portable TV to the battery through an inverter (DC-to-AC converter). And when the blue screen lights up in the evening, the neighbors will be pulled into the light in your window.
The “solar roof” on your “cabin house” is, in fact, a completely autonomous mini-power plant. In recent years, such solar batteries for giving different capacities are becoming more widespread in more than 70 countries where state programs have been adopted for the development of environmentally friendly solar energy that allows you to save irreplaceable natural resources of solar energy - from northern Scandinavia to the Australian deserts scorched by the merciless sun. In the conditions of the Far East and central Russia, solar panels for summer cottages with an area of 15-20 sq. m generate 1.5-2 thousand kW / h of electricity per year and have a warranty period of at least 10 years. Two-thirds of this energy is received in the most important summer time for summer residents and one-third in winter. In many countries, individual solar panels for a dacha of 3 kW are being built even where houses are connected to public power networks. The daily surplus of electricity is directed to the public grid. After sunset, energy is returned to the owner of the solar power plant, and in the evening and at night, when the power plants are underloaded, electricity is often received at a preferential nightly rate. Electronic meters vigilantly ensure that he pays only the difference between the electricity consumed and supplied to the network. Even a very small solar electric installation can find a variety of, sometimes very original, applications in a personal plot. An example is solar-powered dacha lamps, by installing one, even in the dark, your lawn will be brightly lit.
kayabaparts.com -