Off Grid Solar Power a Bright Idea

 Making the switch to solar power allows you to connect to the state grid via the feed in tariff scheme which also pays you for any surplus electricity fed back to the grid. However, this luxury isn’t always available for people living in remote locations, typically farmers, but this does not mean that offsetting your carbon through solar power solutions is impossible.

Going off grid has become a popular solar power solution for farmers and households who live in remote locations. Off grid solar PV systems basically works like a normal system that you see in an urban setting the only difference is the use of a storage unit which normally is a lithium-ion battery pack. Off grid solutions often are bigger in size to ensure continued supply of electricity throughout the day and store enough power for the evening.

Bigger system size means bigger investments but is absolutely worthwhile since you never have to pay electric companies again and fully offset your carbon emissions turning your home into an absolute green hub. Like grid connect PVs, off grid solar PV systems offer quick return of investments and profit for a long period of time.

Another reason to make the switch to solar power is the New Solar Credits Incentives implemented by the federal government of Australia since June of 2010 which provides generous financial incentives to eligible applicants in replacement of the former Renewable Remote Power Generation Program (RRPGP).

The scheme will work by creating Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to households or businesses that are not under the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program (RRPGP), are located more than 1 kilometre from the state’s main grid and has proof that the system costs more than $30,000. The RECs will be created for the first 20 KW of the system which will be multiplied to the current solar credits factor (today is the factor of 3). If a system is less than 20 kW the RECs can still be multiplied for the rated power output up to 20 kW.

The scheme will be implemented until July 1 2015 however the scheme will have variable annual caps for the RECs financial year which are as follows. 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012 250,000 RECs, 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013 250,000 RECs, 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 150,000 RECs and 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 100,000 RECs.

At full capacity the incentive can subsidise tens of thousands of dollars of the system cost making off grid solar power solutions cheaper and available for almost everybody who wishes to eliminate their electric bills and help mitigate greenhouse gases.