Stand-alone PV systems

Stand-alone photovoltaic systems have been used for many years to supply solar electricity to households where grid solar power supplies are unavailable or difficult to connect to. Examples can also include monitoring stations, radio repeater stations, telephone kiosks, battery chargers for boats and caravans, as well as for powering garden equipment such as solar electricity fountains.

These systems normally use batteries to store the solar power; if larger amounts are required they can be combined with another source of power – a biomass generator, a wind turbine or diesel generator to form a hybrid power supply system.