FollowAll across our country there are great expanses of land which have no electrical grids making power access limited to what you bring with you. Photovoltaic solar energy generation has always been a developing primary source of power for these remote regions and for good reasons. The development of solar electric generation stations have been an integral part of any remote power requirement for scada systems, telecommunications transmission sites, and a wide range of government sites. Solar generator stations today are large enough to power electric vehicles in a matter of minutes and smaller solar generators have greatly improved as the technology advances.
Solar generator stations today offer far greater controls options as well as advanced battery systems that can retain power for many more years than their predecessors and in many cases 10 years is the norm. Automated charge controllers have also been employed to keep your batteries at full charge and other than a 6 month system checkup these systems are designed to function with very little human interaction. Their installation is very easy as they will only require approximately 1 hour to install and align your panel(s) and the only wiring they require is the installation of your batteries. They come in a wide variety of power sizes and can either be purchased with or without a pole as there are wood pole mounting kits available.
A very important consideration that needs to be addressed is the finish of the components which are used in these systems. Galvanized metal surfaces are fairly weather resistant but if you are serious about this system lasting the true test of time then powder coated components are the only way to go. This not only gives you the long term protection of an investment of this nature, but also adds an optional consideration of color these systems can be ordered in. This may or may not be an important consideration to the individual user of these systems but given that they are typically installed in remote locations some may opt for a color that blends into the surroundings and in effect keeping them out of sight.
These systems are by far more affordable than the high price tag of having a grid supplied line and transformer brought in. For project sites such as the family cabin these solar generators are the perfect choice for indoor/outdoor solar lighting, energy efficient appliances or solar well pumps just for a starter system. Many agricultural applications will benefit from the power availability and versatility which these systems offer. In fact, the number of uses that anyone can come up with are only limited by your own imagination and creativity in becoming energy independent in locations which normally prohibit it.
Here are just a few that we came up with: Outdoor lighting systems, Boat Lifts, Security Systems, Outdoor Monitoring Equipment, Highway Digital Signs, Construction Sites, Transmission Sites. As you can see there are a great many uses for remote solar generator stations and as our needs for remote power increase so will the viability of these systems.
Source: solarfeeds
