On-grid.
Off-grid. Hybrid.
Whichever way your customer's site is configured, the modules come from the same factory floor — and so does the support behind them. Here is what each configuration actually does, and what it costs you in complexity.
On-grid
Runs the load in daylight and exports the surplus to the utility under net metering. No batteries, lowest cost per watt, fastest payback.
- Homes, offices, factory sheds
- Net-metering and subsidy schemes
- Lowest system cost
An on-grid system stops when the grid stops. If the site needs power through an outage, it needs a hybrid system instead.
What goes in
- InnovaMAX modules, string-configured to the inverter
- Grid-tied inverter
- Mounting structure, DC and AC cabling, protection
- Net meter and utility approval — handled on turnkey projects
Off-grid
Battery-backed and fully independent of the utility. For sites with no grid, or a grid that cannot be relied on.
- Farms, remote and border sites
- Telecom, surveillance, pumping
- Sized around daily load and autonomy
Off-grid sizing starts from the load and the number of days of autonomy required, never from the roof area. Get that wrong and the battery dies early.
What goes in
- InnovaEDGE or InnovaMAX modules, matched to the bank voltage
- Charge controller, PWM or MPPT
- Battery bank sized for daily load and autonomy
- Off-grid inverter where AC loads are involved
Hybrid
On-grid and off-grid in one system. The array offsets the bill, the battery carries essential loads through a cut, and surplus can still be exported to the grid.
- Exports excess power under net metering
- Homes and clinics in outage-prone areas
- Replaces the diesel generator
What goes in
- InnovaMAX modules
- Hybrid inverter with battery and grid ports
- Battery bank sized for essential loads, not the whole house
- Changeover and protection for backed-up circuits
Three questions
settle it.
Is there a grid at the site?
No grid means off-grid. There is no other option, and the sizing conversation starts from the daily load.
Does the load have to survive an outage?
If yes, the system needs a battery, which means hybrid. If no, on-grid does the same bill reduction for less money.
Is net metering available?
Where it is, exporting surplus improves the economics of both on-grid and hybrid systems. Where it is not, the array is sized closer to the daytime load.
Rooftop solar FAQs
What is the difference between on-grid, off-grid and hybrid solar?
On-grid runs the load in daylight and exports surplus to the utility under net metering, with no batteries. Off-grid is battery-backed and fully independent of the utility. Hybrid is both: the array offsets the bill, a battery carries essential loads through an outage, and surplus can still be exported where the utility permits it.
Which configuration is cheapest?
On-grid has the lowest system cost per watt because there is no battery in it, and batteries are the shortest-lived and most expensive part of a solar system. Off-grid costs the most for the same array size. Hybrid sits in between.
Do I need a battery?
Only if you need power when the grid is down, or there is no grid to connect to. If the site has a reliable supply and you are only trying to cut the bill, an on-grid system does that job for less money.
Does Innovative install rooftop systems or only supply modules?
Both. You can take supply only — modules or the complete balance of system — or hand the project over as turnkey EPC, with design, supply, installation and commissioning handled end to end by ISS.
Can you help my team size a system?
Yes. Array, battery and controller sizing is worked out with our dealers on live enquiries so they can quote the same day.
Discuss your project.
Send the site and the load. You will get a configuration, a bill of materials and a price — not a brochure.