Off Grid Solar Applications

For some people just don't understand Off Grid Solar Applications. Let me explain. Solar panels are connected to batteries. The batteries are connected to inverters. This type of application uses the storage of DC power or electric power to act as a buffer for when the sun is not shinning on an array of solar panels. A good off grid solar system large or small will always offer reliable electric power for up to 5 days without direct sun light on the solar panels. Clouds do not affect the output of the inverters large or small. In the photo that I use is a typical off grid solar system. This location along the RR tracks is 9 miles away from any paved road. This system has been operational 18 years and is designed to power communications and switch gear systems. This is a DC to DC system. In the little box on the left is used to store 16 batteries. The batteries are used to store DC electric power and to match the load of the system for a total of 120 hours or 5 days. . The very first application for solar PV was Off Grid Solar. In the last 3 years net metering became available. Solar farming started less than 10 years ago. Years ago all Off Grid Solar Systems were in remote sites where there was no grid access. Now more and more Off Grid Solar Systems are being installed. The main reason is Off Grid Solar Systems cost less over all. Most have no inverters or maybe one small inverter. I will not argue the facts that the sun is intermittent. I just don't want authors to make a statement that makes no sense. People more and more see something written and start to take those written works as facts.

1. The sun itself is not intermittent. The availability of solar energy however, is. The earth turns. In some cases, cloud cover matters. Thus it is true that availability of solar energy is intermittent.
2. There is simple technology to alleviate the intermittency. Thus to dismiss solar energy because the availability of the energy is intermittent is a poor argument.