Photovoltaic systems that are connected to the electrical grid, but lack batteries for storing the excess solar energy, are called grid-connected.

Whenever there is enough sunlight available, the power supply is going to be provided by the solar panels. If the PV-generated energy is not enough, any insufficient power is going to be provided by the electrical grid. In cases when the solar panels generate more energy than what is currently in use by the household, a special meter allows the excess electricity to be returned to the grid and sold back to the local power provider.

There is an e-platform available, through which a person can track the performance of the PV system.

As this type of installation does not require the use of any accumulator batteries, its final price is significantly lower than any other type.

Grid-connected PVs are a perfect choice for locations, where the power supply is not a problem in itself, but you prefer to use green energy or you would like to decrease or remove your energy expenses.

With off-grid photovoltaic installations, all power is supplied just through the solar panels and any renewable solar energy captured by them.

This type of PV has batteries, where any unused solar power is stored. These batteries serve as an energy source during times when there is not enough sunlight to produce sufficient energy to cover the current energy needs. At all other times, all power is provided straight from the solar panels.

Once again, there is an e-platform present, through which the whole PV system can be monitored – the current battery charge, the efficiency of the panels and so on.

Considering this type of photovoltaic installation relies only on solar energy, it is a perfect choice for providing electricity to remote locations where there is no connection to the power grid.

The inverters, which are used for off-grid PVs are very similar to hybrid inverters. Thanks to this, an island system can easily be connected to a different power source and thus be converted to a hybrid one.

This also means that in case the generated PV energy is insufficient, the installation can be connected to an additional generator in a manner similar to how the hybrid systems are connected to the energy grid.

The price of this type of solar installation is significantly higher than what a grid-connected PV would cost due to the need for a more advanced inverter and lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries. The type and quantity of the needed batteries depend entirely on how much energy the supplied location needs during the time of day when there is insufficient sunlight.

This type of PV system is the most complex to set up and combines elements from both off-grid and grid-connected installations into one.

Hybrid photovoltaics are, naturally, connected to a solar panel array, which is connected both to the electrical grid and batteries, which are charged through renewable energy. Depending on the battery capacity and the system setup, the batteries can be used to cover parts of the energy needs during the dark parts of the day or as an excellent emergency power supply. In the interest of using the accumulated charge in the most efficient way possible in an emergency, two separate power supply circuits can be defined. One can include appliances that require an uninterrupted power supply – surveillance cameras, alarms, heating systems’ control units, Wi-Fi routers and other essentials that a smart home might need. The other circuit can be set up for appliances, which are not vital for the use or security of the location but are still energy-intensive and can quickly drain the battery charge. Examples are dishwashers, ovens, washing machines and others.

Whenever there is a surplus of energy generated through the solar panels, it can be returned back to the electrical grid and sold to the power supplier, just as with the grid-connected systems.

Yet again, there is a platform available, through which the efficiency and current state of the whole system can be tracked.

This combination of qualities makes hybrid photovoltaic systems a great choice for a variety of situations. Examples are villas and houses at locations where there is an established connection to the grid, but the power supply can be unreliable, as well as places where the uninterrupted power supply is vital – hospitals, server rooms, etc.

One of the most defining features of the price of a hybrid photovoltaic system is the quantity and type of batteries that the installation would need to cover the UPS needs of the supplied location.