What is a Nanogrid?
Often called nanogrids, single-home microgrids are increasing in popularity.
It’s basically residential solar panels, a smart combination battery and control system, with a small backup generator.
How do we do it at Avolta Energy?
At Avolta Energy, we primarily work with Sonnen’s Ecolinx system for their nanogrid. The beautiful, German-engineered sonnenBatterie – a fully integrated unit equipped with an inverter, lithium-ion batteries, a 200-A automatic transfer switch and associated wiring – is a plug-and-play solution that installs quickly. The system can support a 12kW generator connected directly to the facility.
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Effective power backup with nanogrids
Sonnen really proved its value in Puerto Rico after the hurricane in 2018. The island suffered prolonged power outages, but Sonnen owners were able to switch between the national grid and their nanogrid to maintain a much better quality of life.
Unlike commercial and industrial solutions, we at Avolta Energy recommend a more measured approach to energy resiliency with a nanogrid.
When installing a nanogrid, it is impractical to try to support 100% of a household’s consumption. In most cases, we recommend the installation of a small electrical panel, sometimes called a “protected panel”, into which the most critical devices are connected.
For example, we could connect the refrigerator, the air conditioner of one or two rooms, some lights and some electronic devices to the panel
Why invest in commercial and industrial microgrids?
Sistema Ecolinx de Sonnen
With prices starting around $40,000 ($55,000 in Costa Rica, after import taxes) for a complete Sonnen solar PV system and battery installation, we know that a Sonnen solution is a serious investment.
However, the Sonnen system has an unrivaled 15-year or 15,000-cycle warranty , and because it features a lithium iron phosphate battery, it should last 20 years or more.
There may be cheaper residential battery solutions on the Central American market, especially those built around inferior battery technology, but there is no better solution in the world than an Ecolinx sonnen for a nanogrid.
Thanks to rapid advances in the sophistication of microgrid controllers and the falling price of solar panels and batteries, there are now many cases where microgrids make a lot of sense.
From nanogrid to community microgrid, Avolta can help you determine if a microgrid is right for you.