Autonomous power supply at home is the provision of the required amount of electricity for a residential building or suburban area without power interruptions and power surges. The question of the independent creation of an autonomous power supply system is relevant for people living away from city life.
Such a need can arise for a number of reasons:
- the difficulty of connecting to an existing power supply network;
- lack of stability of the supplied voltage;
- power outages.
Electricity, necessary for normal life in a country house, must be generated endlessly, regardless of external factors. When choosing an energy source, preference should be given to the renewable and environmentally friendly option.
Autonomous Power Requirements
Autonomous power supply of a private house depends on the total capacity of electricity consumers and the nature of their “needs”. Most often, energy consumers include:
- home heating system;
- refrigeration equipment;
- conditioning;
- various large and small household appliances;
- pumping equipment that supplies water from a well or well.
Any type of electricity consumer has its own power. However, the requirements for the power supply network are the same for everyone. This is, first of all, the stability of the supplied voltage and its frequency. For many consumers, the sinusoidal shape of the AC voltage is also important.
The next step is to determine the required total power, which should provide an autonomous power supply at home, as well as the technical characteristics of the power supply. Experts recommend overstating the total power by 15-30%. This is done in order to ensure the growth of electricity consumption in the future.
Next, it is necessary to determine the technical characteristics on the basis of which the autonomous power supply system of the house (SAE) will be built. They depend on what function the SAE will perform: a fully autonomous power supply or a backup power source. If the system plays the role of a “safety net” for supplying energy resources, it is necessary to establish the duration of the operation of the EPS in the absence of a centralized energy supply.
An important factor in planning an autonomous power supply system for a private house is the financial ability of the homeowner. The project budget determines how expensive the purchased equipment will be, and what part of the work is to be done by hand. It is known that independent execution of work will cost much less than paying for the services of specialists employed from outside. At the same time, it is worth considering the availability of the necessary equipment and the skills to work with it, as well as the level of technical education of the homeowner.
Advantages
One of the main advantages of SAE is the lack of fees for energy consumption. This is a significant savings in the conditions of suburban life. Autonomous power supply at home, unlike centralized, does not have any social energy consumption standards.
The quality of electricity depends on the correct calculation of the total power at the stage of designing the system and putting the necessary equipment into operation. Due to this, there is no risk of voltage drops or blackouts. Do not be afraid that a sharp jump in power will disable home appliances. The quality and quantity of electricity will be exactly what was originally planned, and not what the nearest substation is capable of allocating.
SAE equipment is quite reliable and rarely fails. This advantage is maintained with proper care and proper operation of all elements of the system.
Special programs are being developed that make it possible to sell surplus electricity to the state. However, it is worth thinking about this in advance (at the design stage of the SAE). To do this, you will have to prepare permits, which confirms that the equipment generates electricity of the declared quality and in a certain amount.
Autonomous power supply at home has another clear advantage: complete independence. Whatever the cost of electricity consumed, the homeowner will always have his own energy resources.
Autonomous power supply of a country house: disadvantages
Despite the many advantages, the SAE has a number of disadvantages, among which are not only expensive equipment, but also high costs for its operation. Before choosing devices and materials, everything should be carefully calculated so that the equipment does not fail before it has time to pay off.
If the autonomous power supply of a private house for some reason ceases to function, you should not wait for the on-duty team of electricians from the local substation. All will have to be taken care of on their own - to call specialists and pay for repair services for the EPS. In order to prevent this from happening and the equipment lasts as long as possible, specialists should be regularly invited for routine inspection and maintenance of autonomous power supply at home.
Choosing an Alternative Energy Source
The main problem of autonomous power supply at home is the choice of an alternative energy source, of which there are not so many at the moment. The following types are considered the most common:
- gasoline and diesel generators;
- solar panels;
- wind power;
- hydropower;
- batteries.
Each of these sources has certain characteristics and features that should be carefully read.
Generators
This is the easiest and cheapest way to provide the home with the necessary amount of electricity. The device works on the principle of burning fuel. If we are talking about autonomous power supply at home, the generator involves the creation of an adequate base for storing fuel. At least 200 liters of diesel fuel, gasoline or other combustible substances should be in stock. In this case, gas generators compare favorably . For their uninterrupted operation, a connection to the gas pipeline is required, and the problem with the storage of fuel disappears automatically.
Solar cells
Autonomous power supply at home with solar panels is a fairly common occurrence in Western countries. There are several methods for converting solar energy into electricity:
- Photovoltaic cells - used to concentrate solar energy. Using special mirrors, the sun's rays are generated in a certain direction or they heat the fluid passing through the steam turbines of the electric generator (heat engine).
- Photo cells - the energy accumulated by the photocells on the roof of the house is direct current. In order to be able to use it in the household, it must be converted to alternating current.
Autonomous power supply at home with your own hands using solar panels is the most efficient and economical option. This equipment has been around for 40 years. However, depending on weather conditions, the supply of electricity during the day may be interrupted.
Wind power
If weather conditions do not allow the use of solar panels, wind energy can be an alternative. It is taken through turbines located on high towers (from 3 m). Autonomous windmills convert energy using installed inverters. The main condition is the presence of constant wind at a speed of at least 14 km / h.
Hydropower
If there is a river or a lake nearby, you can use water sources of energy. Hydroelectricity on a small scale is the most real and profitable option for an autonomous power supply at home. Using one turbine is not considered an environmentally and socially dangerous phenomenon. Microturbines are easy to operate and have a long service life.
Batteries
For full power supply at home, this option is not suitable. Batteries are used as emergency power supply or as an addition to alternative energy sources. The principle of operation is quite simple - as long as there is electricity in the network, the batteries are charged, if the power supply is interrupted, the batteries give energy through a special inverter.
Scheme of autonomous power supply at home
The general scheme of the SAE consists of sequentially arranged elements:
- The primary source of electricity - the above-described solar panels, generators operating on various types of fuel and others can be used.
- Charger - converts the voltage from the primary source to the values necessary to ensure the normal operation of the battery.
- Battery - used to store and release energy.
- Inverter - designed to create the desired voltage.
All these elements are an integral part of the autonomous power supply at home, and can not work without each other.
Installation of SAE
Doing autonomous power supply at home with your own hands is quite simple. To do this, you need components: several batteries, which are connected in parallel to increase capacity, a charger and an inverter. When there is electricity in the network, batteries accumulate energy from the charger. If the power turns off, the batteries provide power through the inverter.
Manufacturers offer a wide range of inverters designed for consumers with a certain capacity. The quantity of electrical appliances that can work from this source depends on these indicators. The larger the number of appliances in the house, the greater should be the total capacity of the batteries. If the capacity is incorrectly selected, the batteries will run out faster.
These are the most common options for creating an autonomous power supply at home. The cost of such systems is quite large, especially considering the cost of fuel for generators. The most acceptable in this regard are free sources of energy, such as the sun, wind and water. Such equipment is much more expensive, but it quickly pays off and serves for many years. Do-it-yourself installation of the SAE is quite simple. You must clearly follow the instructions and adhere to the scheme.