Rooftop Solar Power offers an Electricity Saving Solution during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, social media was enlivened with expressions of public complaints about rising electricity bills, even doubling in June 2020. According to PT PLN (Persero), there was no increase in electricity tariffs during the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the causes of the swelling of electricity bills was in line with the increase in electricity consumption during the home activity policy and the implementation of Large Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB). Social distance policy to reduce the spread of the corona virus has an impact on people's lifestyles. Workers or office employees who previously worked at the office, must now move their workplaces to their homes. Likewise, teaching and learning activities are also carried out from their respective homes. Only working from home or known as Work from Home (WfH) makes spending more increased, including electricity bills.

 So that the electricity bill does not swell we must be smart to save electricity. Some solutions have been submitted to reduce electricity bills when the Covid-19 pandemic is to use electricity wisely, use energy saving lamps and turn off lights when not needed, remove the plug / socket when not in use, use energy efficient electrical equipment. Besides that, to reduce electricity bills can be done by utilizing renewable energy. One of the renewable energy sources that can be utilized is solar energy with solar cell devices. In the process of generating energy, solar cells do not need fuel, so they do not require additional costs and do not produce emissions. A solar cell is a device or component that can convert sunlight energy into electrical energy using the principle of the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic effect is a phenomenon in which the emergence of an electric voltage is due to the connection or contact of two electrodes that are connected to a solid or liquid system when getting light energy. Solar cells  are often referred to as photovoltaic cells (PV). This photovoltaic effect was discovered by Henri Becquerel in 1839. Solar cells are individual semiconductor components in PV modules that convert light energy from the sun into DC electricity through the photovoltaic effect. The cells are connected electrically, assembled in a frame, and sealed from the environment with a protective glass or laminate to produce a module. A PV panel is an electrically-connected assembly of one or more PV modules. Until now there are several types of solar cells that have been successfully developed by researchers to obtain solar cells that have high efficiency or to get solar cells that are cheap and easy to manufacture. The first generation of single crystal silicon wafer  type solar cells and polycrystalline type silicon. Second generation solar cells are thin film type solar cells. In the third generation, a type of photovoltaic solar cell has been developed, a type of dye synthesis solar cell consisting of a layer of nanoparticles (usually titanium dioxide) dipped in a dye. This type was first introduced by Professor Graetzel in 1991 so this type of solar cell is often also called the Graetzel cell or Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC). Until now, the most widely circulated solar cells in the market are single crystal silicon types and polycrystalline silicon types with efficiencies ranging from 16-20%.

Generally, pyramid-shaped roofs that are only used as a shelter and shelter for building houses. However, this function can be maximized better by utilizing the area to produce electrical energy. Installation of solar cells on the roof, homeowners will be able to provide electricity needs independently. Installation of a rooftop solar cell installation is not difficult and in general the rooftop solar cell installation system is divided into three types namely Off-Grid, On-Grid and Hybrid. Off Grid or also called stand alone PV system or a power generation system that only relies on solar energy as the only main energy source. Off Grid not connected to to the PLN grid, uses batteries as storage media or energy banks. The On Grid system, also called Grid Tie / Grid Interactive, uses solar cells to generate electricity and is connected to the PLN grid. Hybrid system is a solar cell power plant that is combined with several other sources of power that are used together such as PLN, generator set or other types of power plants and is able to become a backup power when PLN electricity outed. The provisions on the installation of rooftop solar cells  have been regulated in ESDM Minister Regulation No. 49 of 2018.

Sunlight is not always stable in one day. The sun experiences peaks or is called Peak Sun Hours (PSH) around 4-6 hours depending on location. This time is the ideal time for solar panels to produce the best power. If we use a rooftop solar cell with a capacity of 1 kWp assuming a peak time of 4.5 hours and a system efficiency of 70%, the electrical energy produced is around 3,150 Wh per day. This means that electricity consumption from PLN is reduced by 3.15 kWh per day or 94.5 kWh per month. So a rooftop solar cell can save an electricity bill of around Rp 138 thousand per month assuming a PLN electricity tariff of Rp 1,467 per kWh.

Every PLN consumer imports electrical energy from the PLN network to meet the electrical energy needs. The rooftop solar cell system can be used as an option to meet the electricity needs of its users. Thus, electricity imported from PLN can be reduced. However, there may be times when the production of rooftop solar cell electricity is actually greater than electricity consumption. This excess electricity will be sent to the PLN grid and will be recorded on the exim kWh meter as export electrical energy. What is regulated in the regulation is that this electrical energy will be worth 65% of the export energy recorded on the exim meter. On the EBTKE website it is explained that the power generated from rooftop solar cells will automatically cut the user's electricity bill to a maximum of 65% of the total power produced by rooftop solar cells. This means that 1 Watt of electricity generated from rooftop solar cells will directly reduce the price of PLN electricity by a maximum of 0.65 watts for the following month. So the user only pays the balance plus the cost of using electricity from PLN. Thus the electricity bill will be cheaper.