Design, installation and performance
Grid-connected system (on-grid)
Also known as: on grid, interconnected system, grid-tied self-consumption.
Definition
An on-grid system is connected to the electricity grid and uses it as backup: it draws energy when the panels are not producing and exports surplus when they produce more than needed. It is the most cost-effective configuration and needs no batteries to generate savings.
Sources: Resolución CREG 174 de 2021 (net metering regulation) (opens in a new tab)
It is the majority configuration in Colombian urban areas and the one that offers the best return, because it removes the most expensive component of the system — the batteries — and lets the grid play its part. During the day, consumption is met first from solar output; what is left over is exported to the grid; at night, whatever is needed is drawn from the grid. Net metering settles that back-and-forth on the bill.
Its known limit is its behaviour during blackouts: for safety, the inverter disconnects when it detects the grid has gone down, so the system stops producing even though there is sun. Anyone needing continuity has to move to a hybrid configuration with batteries and a backup output.
An on-grid system is not installed unilaterally: it requires an application for connection with the grid operator, which reviews the design, authorises it and changes the meter for a bidirectional one. That process is part of the project and should be explicit in the quote.
The essentials of On-grid system
- It needs no batteries: the grid acts as backup.
- It is the configuration with the best economic return in areas with a stable grid.
- It shuts down during a grid outage because of the inverter's anti-islanding protection.
- It requires a connection process with the grid operator and a bidirectional meter.
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Frequently asked questions about On-grid system
Does an on-grid system leave me with no electricity bill?
Not entirely. Even though the energy is offset, the bill retains fixed charges and items associated with the service, and surplus offsetting is applied under the rules in force. The realistic way to put it is a significant reduction in the consumption component, not a zero bill.
Can I install on-grid without telling my grid operator?
It is neither correct nor advisable. Without the connection process the bidirectional meter is not installed, so surplus is exported to the grid with no offsetting, and the installation sits outside the regulatory framework, with the risk that implies both with the operator and with your own insurance policy.
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