Solar Overview
Do you ever think about where the electricity that powers your home comes from? The truth is that nearly 50% comes from dirty coal-fired power plants, while renewable sources (including solar and wind) account for a mere 2.5%.
With the advent of efficient and affordable solar photovoltaic technology, homeowners now have the power to decide where they get their energy. Not only will your decision to go solar bring you energy independence it will:
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Reduce your electric bill
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Increase the resale value of your home
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Deliver better and more secure returns that the stock market
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Contribute to a cleaner environment.
The concept behind solar energy is that of harnessing sunlight and turning it into usable electricity. As long as the sun keeps shining for the next 4.5 billion years, as is predicted, we have an renewable and endless supply of sunlight to work with, which makes solar power an attractive source of clean, renewable energy.
One of the more popular ways to harness sunlight is via Photovoltaic (PV) cells either placed on a roof or free-standing over a parking lot or even a field. Here's a quick "Solar 101" on how it works:
1. Sunlight hits the PV cells and creates DC (direct current) power.
2. The DC power is then sent to an inverter (generally located on the side of a house) which converts it into AC (alternating current) power, which is what household appliances use.
3. The AC power goes from the inverter to the house's energy meter (also generally on the side of the house). When the sun is shining, power from the panels is used to power appliances, and any excess power generated from the panels is sent back to the grid. When that happens the power meter actually turns backwards. However, at night, when the sun is down and the panels are not producing energy, the house draws energy from the grid (local power company) and the energy meter then spins forwards.
