Stand Alone Systems (Off Grid)

An Off Grid system, is as the name indicates, is primarily for areas where mains 230v electricity is either not available, or not needed. As an example, an Off Grid system may be installed at a remote farm location where it is simply uneconomic to pay out thousands of pounds just to install a cable, followed closely by ongoing electrity bills.

In this scenario, it makes so much more sense to use that money to install a self sufficient power system and be free from electricity bills!

 

Break Free!

To be independant of the Grid you will need, as well as either wind turbine or solar PV array, a suitably sized bank of batteries, a charge controller to charge the batteries from the microgenerator and a suitably sized 230v inverter.

The 230v Inverter will convert the either 12volt or 24volt battery voltage into 230v AC. We can supply a range of combination charge controllers & inverter units. Made by the international company Mastervolt or Outback these units are designed for daily use year in year out.

 

Basic systems will simply use small battery charge controllers coupled onto some 12v leisure batteries, which can run a small 230v inverter. This will provide power for lights and, say, a TV or radio for a few hours, or just lights for a much longer time... When Off Grid its all about being aware of your resources and not wasting them.

 

 

Current Top Electricity companies, who will buy your Green generated power. Applicable until April 2010 when the Feed In Tariff commences.

From April 2009, the Government has doubled the Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) allocation per Green megawatt generated. This has meant some electricity companies have passed this onto their green generating customers. Significantly, lead suppliers Good Energy and Scottish & Southern have just increased their scheme values.

Good Energy have increased their credit payments from 10p to 15p for every unit generated on the HomeGen scheme. An ideal plan for many domestic situations, as this 15p is paid to you whether you use the power or not. A double saving!

Scottish & Southern have increased to 28p a unit exported power. (website still to be updated). This only applies to the surplus power not being used by the house, and may be a good scheme if the house is empty during the day when the sun is doing its work.

Ecotricity have kept their generated unit cost at 12p, as their rate increase in February on the Renewable Rewards scheme took the recent ROC increase into account.

N Power pay 12p for every unit exported, so currently come bottom of the value list, but check out their website as this rate may change imminantly in response to the new ROC value.

 

Renewable Obligation Certificates are electronic 'credits' issued for every megawatt of green electricity you generate. These are currently worth around £45 each to Electricity suppliers who will auction them off on your behalf.

It is usually far more financially beneficial to sign over your ROC claim to your electricity supplier, who will be able to obtain a far higher cost for the ROC than you will get as an individual, this higher price will be passed onto you. Plus of course, you get that ROC value incrementally paid per kWh generated and not having to wait till you have generated a megawatt (1000kWh) of power.

 

email: enquiries@chrisrudge.co.uk