PV Gap

Jaime Said:

Is this possible by any chance?

We Answered:

There are two ways to do this. You could as another poster suggested calculate the amount of electricity needed to power certain appliances and the balance would have to be purchased on the grid. In the event of a power failure the balance of the electrical usage would have to be disconnected.

It would also be possible to provide separate outlets that were only powered by the solar array. Some trailers do this for 12 volt appliances. The drawback is that you would need a separate wiring system for the separate outlets. Backup power from the grid would be doable but a little tricky. The labor and equipment required to do this would in most instances make this option impractical.

The more electricity that someone uses the more quickly the system will pay for itself. If your heating and car were electric you would be offsetting the cost of alternative fuels for these items as well as your normal house power requirements. Conversely a limited system may have a longer payback period even though the capital investment is less.