Could I use an Automatic Transfer Switch with a solar or wind system as the main power source?
by admin on Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 | 2 Comments
I’ve never used an Automatic Transfer Switch but someone recommended one to me for my solar/wind system which doesn’t provide enough power to be a stand alone source of power.. The idea is to use it only when there is enough power and it would (hopefully) switch to secondary power ie the power company. Any tips, suggestions, explanations, or corrections would be appreciated as I am new at this. Thank you for your time and energy to help a newbie.
As long as you have safety-certified (not homemade) panels, you should look into a grid-tied system. That’s generally better than a transfer switch because it wastes nothing. Your panels operate side-by-side with the grid, giving you whatever power you need, and selling any excess to the electric company.
For example, let’s say your panels put out 1000 watts during the day. If you use 1400 watts in the house, you will be drawing only 400 watts from the power company – still a savings. If you use 700 watts in the house, then you will be selling at the rate of 300 watts to the power company. If that goes on for 5 hours, you will have sold 0.3 x 5 = 1.5 kilowatt-hours to them. At night, when you are powered only by the power company, you are basically buying those kilowatt-hours back.
Not all power companies will let you do this, but most do, with variations in the plans.
There’s a wikipedia link below with more info on grid-tied inverters.
A second advantage of this scheme is that there are no batteries, nor the problems associated with their maintenance and replacement.
Yes, so long as it has a high disconnect rate.
As well as an ATS, I would have a battery bank for the alternative energies to charge, and oversize the charging, so it can charge the batteries the time they do produce enrgy, and provide long term supply for your loads.
Of course, if your energy collection system is of a certain sort and installed to certain standards, you could, as said, do a grid tie system, with no expense for batteries or transfer switches.