Can i start an off-grid solar project without batteries and add them later?

tanout
tanout Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
I am making some researches on the Magnum Energy MS-PAE Inverter as starting point.  But I am not limited to this particular inverter brand.

I live in the USA and I have solar experiences.  I am planning to help my brother in the Niger Republic West Africa, to build a solid  solar  project
Niger electricity grid  (50Hz/220V) is relatively reliable (compare to some others African countries), but very expensive. But mainly Niger is one of the sunniest places on earth with irradiation always between 5.1 kWh/m2 and 6.3 kWh/m2 day during the year.
Two reasons that motivating to move progressively to full solar.

I am planning to start small and grow because of the initial budget limitation and the build and learn the process.
The initial and the main objective is to cut down the electricity bill (no resell to the grid) AND I would like to start without batteries.
My question is:  Can I build my project starting with one Magnum Energy MS-PAE  without batteries and taking the advantage of long Niamey sunny days to shave the energy bill AND later on add batteries? 
I mean is it possible to run an off-grid inverter in order to saves on home electricity without batteries and adds them later to build the backup power? 
 
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,642 admin
    #2
    The short answer is no--You cannot run a off grid AC inverter without a battery bank.

    What is normally done, if you have AC mains, is a Grid Tied Inverter to reduce the cost of electricity from the utility. However, that really depends on the local laws and regulations regarding GT inverters and if they are "legal or not".

    There are other methods for trying to save money/use solar... But they are pretty much based on your specific needs and situation.

    For example, conservation can be a big help (energy efficient refrigerators, air conditioning, appliances, TV's, computers, lots of insulation (if needed), shading over windows/roofs/etc.).

    Then looking at your loads... For example, if you have a lot of water pumping, there are solar powered well pumps that can pump to fields/holding ponds/cisterns, etc... Solar Water Pumps are designed to take the variable solar power and pump efficiently (at various flow rates) to optimally use the solar power.

    Most of our modern appliances need the power that they need (washer will not slow down if not enough sun, standard refrigerator/freezers will not slow down, computers will crash, nobody wants flickering lights during the day and no lights at night)...

    Take your loads, figure out what uses the most power (ranking on list), figure out when conservation works (turning stuff off, reducing usage), vs new more efficient appliances, vs some sort of solar assist, etc.). And address each in turn.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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