Cougourde Refuge
- Power : 1,5 kWc
- Photo credit : Tenesol Some sites, homes or others, are not or cannot be connected to the public distribution network (STEG) because it is technically too complex to extend the network to them (in mountainous areas for example). ) or because the cost of such an operation is not justified compared to other existing solutions.
These sites are called “isolated sites.” However, it is often essential to have access to electricity in order to provide some basic services such as lighting, cold conditioning, or even powering a radio. These sites can then be supplied with electricity by photovoltaic solar energy.
An autonomous photovoltaic solar installation is composed of 4 major elements :
- Photovoltaic modules or solar panels that are the only components present in all installations
- Batteries to use electricity at night or during periods of low sunlight
- An inverter if it is necessary to convert the direct current produced by the photovoltaic modules into alternating current
- A solar regulator to improve the lifespan and efficiency of the installation.
Operating principle
Electricity requirements during the winter are considerably higher than in the summer..However, on an isolated site, there is no external electricity supply to the photovoltaic installation.
It is therefore essential to favor a better average electricity production during the winter than over the year,unlike. a site connected to the network.
As the sun is low in the sky, a panel tilt close to 45° will allow them to receive maximum solar radiation in winter, while keeping a “correct” production for the rest of the year.
Because consumption periods do not always correspond to production hours, a battery park is installed to store the energy produced.
The batteries are charged during daylight periods in order to be able to power the site at night or on days with very bad weather.
An electronic regulator is then essential so that the quantity of electricity, integrated or withdrawn, corresponds to the capacity of the installed batteries.
Most high-consumption electrical appliances run on alternating current.These devices will require an inverter which will transform the direct current, produced by the photovoltaic system, into alternating current.There are also specific devices, most of which consume little electricity, which operate on direct current. In this case, it is not necessary to introduce an inverter.
