Hello, i’m New here.
Intro:
Since 2015, we‘ve been 100% offgrid living (electricity wise) in our small home. Our electricity needs and existing off-grid setup are very basic, just 1.5kw pv on 24vdc @ 428ah lead-acid battery bank, mostly for just devices, lights and small fridge & efficient freezer. The house is 100% heated by wood & water by propane. No electricity is used for heating or cooling. Being up @ 55*N, We have too much sun energy from Feb to Oct, then not enough to pretty much no sun from Nov-Jan. That being said, we run our generator during 3 months/year, about $200-300 CAD worth of gasoline per year. Over the years, I remember our neighbords had to tell us numerous times about the grid power outages that we had no idea about...& I actually had FOMO about those moments of special power outage that we were missing out on... lol
Question:
7 years later (now), we are right in the middle of hooking up to the grid for the first time. After a bunch of research about grid-tie/hybrid options and what to do with my exisiting offgrid setup, I came up with this idea.
Instead of intergrating my existing offgrid and hooking up my AC distribution panel to the grid, I’m planning on isolating what I‘m currently using from the grid.
To do so, I add a new Grid-powered AC distribution panel in the house. All grid-powered AC circuits (i.e. dryer, electric car charger, minisplit, tools, etc) will run off this panel.
In essence, all electrical appliances that I’ve been using offgrid will remain off grid. All new & heavy electrical loads will be powered by the grid. And during those low-no sun 3months/year, I simply plug in my 120vac-24vdc battery charger to the grid to charge my battery bank as needed.
Pros:
-Best of both worlds. To be able to use both systems in the house simutanelously with each system on their own isolated circuits.
-eliminate the need to decommission my existing offgrid setup as they still have useful service life left
-still get to enjoy the benefit of offgrid setup during power outage
-eliminate the need to invest on a new grid-compatible all-in-one inverter to deal with the switching between battery charging & using/selling power to/from the grid.
-Still get to add another separate grid-tie system (i.e. micro inverters) on my grid-powered AC circuit in the future with net metering agreement with my utility company
-eliminate transfer switch system and possible conflicts/confusion about offgrid inverter (Samlex PST- 60S- 24A 600 Watt DC-AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter - 24V) to have no Neutral-Ground bonding requirement between vs. grid AC neutral-ground bonding requirement
Cons:
-I cannot sell excess power currently produced by my 1.5kw PVs to the grid during summer months
-I have to wire new distribution panel and extra separate circuits in the house for those grid powered appliances
-possible conflicts/confusion about offgrid inverter (Samlex PST- 60S- 24A 600 Watt DC-AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter - 24V) to have no Neutral-Ground bonding requirement between vs. grid AC neutral-ground bonding requirement
Discussions I’ve read about my idea:
diysolarforum.com
Is there anyone out there doing this kind of setup?
Any suggestions, comments, etc?
If anyone have pros or cons to add to the list above, please do so!
I am attaching a diagram* to show my idea.
*please note that the 200amp main panel is my outdoor service panel located really far away (>200’) from my house. The 60amp panel listed as “outside” the house will actually be a 100amp sub-panel located on the inside of the house, adjacent to my current 60amp offgrid ac panel.
Thanks,
Chris
Intro:
Since 2015, we‘ve been 100% offgrid living (electricity wise) in our small home. Our electricity needs and existing off-grid setup are very basic, just 1.5kw pv on 24vdc @ 428ah lead-acid battery bank, mostly for just devices, lights and small fridge & efficient freezer. The house is 100% heated by wood & water by propane. No electricity is used for heating or cooling. Being up @ 55*N, We have too much sun energy from Feb to Oct, then not enough to pretty much no sun from Nov-Jan. That being said, we run our generator during 3 months/year, about $200-300 CAD worth of gasoline per year. Over the years, I remember our neighbords had to tell us numerous times about the grid power outages that we had no idea about...& I actually had FOMO about those moments of special power outage that we were missing out on... lol
Question:
7 years later (now), we are right in the middle of hooking up to the grid for the first time. After a bunch of research about grid-tie/hybrid options and what to do with my exisiting offgrid setup, I came up with this idea.
Instead of intergrating my existing offgrid and hooking up my AC distribution panel to the grid, I’m planning on isolating what I‘m currently using from the grid.
To do so, I add a new Grid-powered AC distribution panel in the house. All grid-powered AC circuits (i.e. dryer, electric car charger, minisplit, tools, etc) will run off this panel.
In essence, all electrical appliances that I’ve been using offgrid will remain off grid. All new & heavy electrical loads will be powered by the grid. And during those low-no sun 3months/year, I simply plug in my 120vac-24vdc battery charger to the grid to charge my battery bank as needed.
Pros:
-Best of both worlds. To be able to use both systems in the house simutanelously with each system on their own isolated circuits.
-eliminate the need to decommission my existing offgrid setup as they still have useful service life left
-still get to enjoy the benefit of offgrid setup during power outage
-eliminate the need to invest on a new grid-compatible all-in-one inverter to deal with the switching between battery charging & using/selling power to/from the grid.
-Still get to add another separate grid-tie system (i.e. micro inverters) on my grid-powered AC circuit in the future with net metering agreement with my utility company
-eliminate transfer switch system and possible conflicts/confusion about offgrid inverter (Samlex PST- 60S- 24A 600 Watt DC-AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter - 24V) to have no Neutral-Ground bonding requirement between vs. grid AC neutral-ground bonding requirement
Cons:
-I cannot sell excess power currently produced by my 1.5kw PVs to the grid during summer months
-I have to wire new distribution panel and extra separate circuits in the house for those grid powered appliances
-possible conflicts/confusion about offgrid inverter (Samlex PST- 60S- 24A 600 Watt DC-AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter - 24V) to have no Neutral-Ground bonding requirement between vs. grid AC neutral-ground bonding requirement
Discussions I’ve read about my idea:
On grid and off grid in the same house
I have been trying to find if NEC has anything saying if you can or can't have two power sources that are not tied to eachother in the same house, my plan is to keep all of my non essential loads (220) tied to the grid through their own breaker panel and another breaker panel that has all...
diysolarforum.com
Is there anyone out there doing this kind of setup?
Any suggestions, comments, etc?
If anyone have pros or cons to add to the list above, please do so!
I am attaching a diagram* to show my idea.
*please note that the 200amp main panel is my outdoor service panel located really far away (>200’) from my house. The 60amp panel listed as “outside” the house will actually be a 100amp sub-panel located on the inside of the house, adjacent to my current 60amp offgrid ac panel.
Thanks,
Chris
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