Equipment Required for Stand-Alone Systems
In addition to purchasing photovoltaic panels, a wind turbine, or a small hydropower system, you will need to invest in some additional equipment (called "balance-of-system") to condition and safely transmit the electricity to the load that will use it.
Diagram of a typical AC, battery-based system.
The amount of equipment you will need to buy depends on what you want your system to do. In the simplest systems, the current generated by, for example, your wind turbine is connected directly to the load. However, if you want to store power for use when your turbine isn't producing electricity, you will want to purchase batteries and a charge controller. Depending on your needs, balance-of-system equipment could account for half of your total system costs. Your system supplier will be able to tell you exactly what equipment you will need for your situation.
Learn about the major balance-of-system equipment for a stand-alone system: