LJW Solar has the experience of installing thousands of Off Grid Solar systems for Australian customers for over 30 years.

What is Stand Alone Power?

Stand Alone, SAPs or Off Grid Solar power systems are solar systems that run independently from the utility mains. If grid power is too far away or too expensive to install, a Stand Alone Solar system is a great solution to your energy needs.

How does it work?

Energy from sunlight is collected by the solar panels which are mounted on the roof of buildings, ground frames or solar sun trackers. This energy is regulated and fed into batteries. The batteries are the “fuel” tank of the system. The battery power is fed into an inverter. This inverter turns the DC battery power into useable 240 AC power, the same as a normal house.  In the event that you need more power than the batteries have stored or you need a greater amount of power, (i.e. for occasional air-conditioning, heavy machinery or welding), a generator can be used to assist the system and at the same time charge the batteries. In most cases the generator can be programed to start automatically. All your standard household appliances can be used as normal on a correctly designed system.

What size do you need?

Each system is designed to suit the individual end user. A consultation with one of our trained designers will help put together a system perfect for your situation. The amount of power you want to use each day as well as the peak load demands are needed to size the system. A load calculator is a great way to work out the average daily usage. Listing each appliance, their wattage and how long they are used for will give the designer a clear understanding of the kilowatt hours you need each day.

System Design

Systems consist of:

• Sun Tracker and/or Panel Frames
• Panels
• Charge controllers i.e. Regulators and Maximum Power Point Trackers
• Batteries
• Inverters and Inverter Chargers
• Accessories i.e. In house monitoring
• Generators

How Much Will It Cost?

The cost of a system will be guided by the amount of power you want to use each day, the type of components used and the complexity of the job. The important point to remember is the system must be designed correctly. An undersized system will not cope with the daily load required. The generator may be needed more often which defeats the purpose of the solar system.  If the system is too big you may have spent too much on the initial cost. That’s not so bad but the goal is being efficient and economical. It is also important to design the system with any future upgrades needed, i.e. a growing family or future plans to retire on the property. The system can be designed to accommodate changes in the future and make system upgrades easier and affordable.

Please talk to one of our staff to find out more about off grid power