Our solar system

Solar panels with a capacity of up to 1 kilowatt have been installed on the roofs of all Solar Schools. They are not connected to the local power grid, but function independently of the grid, i.e. self-sufficiently, and supply the generated electricity to the school in the home power grid. Therefore, in addition to the solar panels on the roof, batteries were also installed to store the solar power. A solar inverter, a battery charge controller and a monitoring system with a communication center have also been installed.

All these components can be seen in the diagram above, as well as how they are connected to each other and how every component contributes to the  proper functioning of the system. 

To explain the diagram, here is a brief description of how the components interact. All students will learn more about this in their school lessons. 

1. Sun rays hit the solar modules and are converted into direct current there. All the solar modules are connected to each other to generate the maximum amount of electricity. 

2. The current flows via the solar cables (positive = red, negative = black)  to the battery charge controller. This monitors the current arriving from the solar modules and passes it on to the battery storage system – in a suitable manner for the connected batteries. 

3. The direct current is stored in the batteries and transferred to the inverter by the user (consumer) when power is needed (e.g. at night when there is no sunlight). Fuses are installed between the charge controller, the inverter and the battery storage system to protect the electronic components and the batteries from overvoltage. The batteries are locked in a battery box to protect them from unauthorized use (risk of electric shock).

4. To use the solar power from the solar socket, the inverter converts the generated direct current, which comes from the battery storage, into alternating current and thus makes the energy usable for commonly used electronic devices (e.g. smartphones). For this purpose, the inverter transmits the converted power to the designated outlet. 

5. All electronic components are connected to the communication center with communication cables (green). The communication center provides real time information on the state of charge of the battery, the current power consumption, the power yield from the solar system and allows the adjustment and control of all components connected to it, such as, the batteries, the charge controller and the inverter.