The energy supplied to our homes, no matter how it is generated, is delivered through what's known as a grid system. Most homes around the country are part of a larger network of power being supplied and rely entirely on the power grid that they're tied to too supply their home with electricity, all day, every day. Usually, this isn't a problem, but as some city dwellers may know from firsthand experience, the grid system can also be a source of trouble from time to time. Blackouts, service interruptions and spotty service on a grid affects entire neighborhoods and even small cities when there's a problem with the grid, leaving many people helpless until the power company sorts out the issue.

One of the great innovations when it comes to renewable energy revolves around the concept of grid-supplied energy… or rather the lack of necessity for a grid at all. Technology such as wind turbines and photovoltaic panels make it possible for people to generate their own energy, independently from a grid. Instead of feeding into a collective grid, off-grid renewable energy is actually supplied directly to the source: your home or business.

There are some technicalities involved when understanding an off-grid system, however. Take photovoltaics, for example. Sunlight is collected by solar panels and the latent heat energy is translated into electricity for use in your home. However, when the energy that's being supplied by the sun isn't being used by your home, it needs to be stored. As we already know, unused energy is stored in a grid; the only difference between an on-grid system and an off-grid system is that energy in an off-grid system is tapped by only a single source. While both systems may involve a grid, the scale of the grid and the number of supplied sources is really what defines the grid type.

Off-grid systems are also called, standalone systems. This moniker is self-explanatory because standalone systems are not dependent on power companies or other components to work. A great example of a diverse standalone unit would be wind turbines. Turbines can be used residentially to help supplement a home's energy income, which would be the definition of an off-grid, standalone unit. Although, when used on a commercial scale with many other turbines in a wind farm, wind energy can actually double as an on-grid system.

The versatility to function independently from a grid, as well as cooperatively on one speaks to the high level of functionality that comes with renewable energy. In certain situations, green energy has actually proved to be effective when traditional energy has not. For example, when a power grid suffers a failure and an entire neighborhood is left without power for several hours, a standalone wind turbine will supply energy to a home that would normally have been left without a source of power.

Understanding the different grid types and the fluidity of renewable energy in conjunction with these applications has been crucial in promoting it as a supplement for traditional energy. More and more consumers, especially those prone to losing power, have taken up investing in a standalone, off-grid renewable energy source so that they're never without power.