In the most simple terms, solar energy works by harnessing the sun’s energy and converting it into electricity for any building. For homeowners and business owners, it’s a blessing for utility costs and also provides sustainable, free energy. As the sun is a natural form of nuclear output, it releases photons, which are tiny packets of energy. These travel over 92 million miles from the sun to our planet in order to light up our world. In fact, every hour there are enough photos to provide global energy needs for an entire year.
The energy used to power solar energy panels is called photovoltaic power, rather than nuclear power. While it is currently only accounting for a small percentage of the energy used in the United States right now, it will soon consume a much larger percentage as states move towards requirements for new homes to have solar installation.
Solar technology has also improved in the past years. The price for installation has decreased, and there are newer methods to install solar energy that are less costly and more time efficient. Many homeowners are also seeing the advantages of saving on electrical costs and utilities just by switching over to solar.
But how do solar panels work on your home? Here is a brief overview.
How Solar Panels Supply Energy
When a photon is captured by a solar cell in one of the panels, it knocks electrons loose from the other atoms. When conductors are present on the negative and positive sides of the cell, it creates an electrical circuit. As electrons flow through the circuit, it generates electrical power from solar power. Multiple cells combine in one solar panel. As multiple solar modules are wired together to form a solar array, more energy can be created for consumption.
How are Solar Energy Panels Made?
With photovoltaic solar panels, you can generate direct current electrical power. With this type of electrical energy, electrons move in one direction around the circuit as a whole. As the electrons jump from the negative side of the battery through a fixture like a lamp, they return to the positive side of the battery.
This is different from AC power where electrons are pushed and pulled, often reversing into one direction, much like with a cylinder in a vehicle’s engine. Generators muster up AC electrical power when a coil of wire moves around a magnet. There are many different energy sources that can move the handle of this type of generator, like diesel fuel, gas, nuclear, or solar energy.
AC electricity is the main choice for the US electrical power grids because it was considered less expensive to transmit over long distances. However, solar energy panels create DC electricity. In order to transfer DC power to AC grids, an inverter is used.
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How Do Solar Inverters Work?
With solar companies like NRG Upgrade, you will get a solar inverter installed with your panels that helps you turn solar energy into AC power that can be used on the US local power grids. A solar inverter moves the DC solar power from the solar array and transfer it to AC electrical power.
With an inverter, your grid is smarter and capable of achieving much more than just your typical power grid. It also provides system stats, voltage, current states, and ground fault protection. Recently, there has been a shift from regular central inverters to micro inverters, which can be optimized for individual solar energy. You may want to a solar energy contractor Los Angeles to see if there is a way to use this inverter in your new home.
How Do Solar Energy Panel Systems Work to Generate Power?
Not all solar energy panel installations are the same. However, this is the way you can expect NRG Update – solar panels contractor to install a solar panel in your home. These solar power systems are installed on the rooftop.
As the sunlight hits the solar energy panel, energy is converted into DC currents. The current flows into the inverter, which converts it into AC energy. This can then be used to power up your home, generating powerful clean energy.
How Much Power is Generated with Solar?
Solar panel installation will vary, and some systems may not be as strong as others. You can work with a solar panels contractor Los Angeles in order to maximize the output of your solar energy. A typical PV solar system that is tied to the grid can generate enough energy to sustain a household during peak daylight hours. It also might produce more energy than the house needs.
This energy is then fed back into the grid for community or collective energy use. The customer also gets a solar credit for supplying excess energy to the grid. You can save hundreds of dollars on your energy bills just by having a solar energy system installed in your home.