As explained before, the name hybrid for battery-based solar systems comes first from the fact that the connected AC load draws energy in a shared way from the grid, the solar panels, and the battery bank.
Second, batteries can be charged both, AC energy from the utility and converted to DC by the hybrid inverter, as well as from solar panels.
Finally, the inverter is capable of returning AC energy to the grid in On-Grid mode which was obtained from both the battery bank and the solar panels, through net-metering agreements.
All these processes can be carried out tailored to the user's needs, depending on how the system's operation is programmed or set. That is why there is often talk of a con of hybrid solar systems that would be based on the idea that their operation could be very cumbersome.
But, are solar hybrid systems confused to handle?
It is said that when an On-Grid solar system is installed, little attention and maintenance are needed, which is not necessarily true. However, due to the more complicated technology than On-Grid involved in a hybrid system, a certain significant amount of knowledge is needed to ensure that everything runs smoothly, or rather, to get the most out of the system, which involves two completely different objectives since it is obvious that operation could be achieved with minimal failures that do not necessarily lead to maximum savings.
For example, settings for how the hybrid inverter, battery, and grid coordinate may need to be checked and adjusted, and while there is minimal maintenance for the solar panels and inverter of a hybrid system, it may need to monitor the battery as environmental elements can further wear down its useful life.
The electricity tariff scales per day, per hour, per week, and even per climatic season imposed by utility companies should also be known in depth.
It is fortunate that hybrid solar systems already provide battery banks with protection against extreme temperatures as well as IP65 or IP66-rated enclosures. Likewise, they also offer sophisticated interfaces for monitoring and establishing key operating parameters in real-time, in addition to a range of alarms to alert the user when the parameters settings should be readjusted for maximum performance and also have very explicit reports of energy consumed, energy sent back to the grid, lists of faults or alarms, all of them via WIFI or online.
The possible detractors of these systems who argue how confusing it is to manage them, do not seem to understand that the search for sustainability implies maximum human-machine integration, a commitment by everyone to the environment, and knowing how to help the system work at their best in order to get its maximum performance.
And this is not a disadvantage at all.
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