Is your site a candidate for Solar?
Find out with a Free Site Evaluation
1-87-SOLAR-888 | EMAIL
Solar 101
Solar energy is light and heat energy provided by the sun.
The amount of energy the sun sends the earth is approximately 3850 zettajoules (ZJ) per year, while worldwide energy consumption was 0.471 ZJ in 2004, according to the US Department of Energy.
Solar energy is the source for solar power. Solar power is what you create when you convert the sun’s power, or solar energy, into electricity.
Solar power is the cleanest source of energy. It is also versatile, with a growing number of applications for home and business being developed. Some of current uses for solar power include heating water, lighting landscapes and gardens, providing green electricity for powering machines, appliances and lighting.
A powerful use of solar power is in the generation of electricity for use at the place where it is generated. Photovoltaic (PV) cells and panels are currently the most widely used method for turning sun into electricity.
Terms associated with a photovoltaic system:
Solar Panels
Sunlight hits the solar panels mounted on the home or business roof. The photovoltaic modules convert the light into DC electricity.
Inverter
Next the power flows to an inverter which converts the direct current (DC) current into alternating current (AC) electricity. This is the type of power you purchase from the utility company.
Monitoring
The monitoring system captures data about the generation of electricity from your solar panel system. It is made up of hardware and software resulting in a web portal which documents the system’s performance. It can be programmed to report system failure or disruption.
Electrical Panel
Finally the AC electricity flows through your electric meter and into the home or business. When your solar power system generates more electricity than you use, then your electric meter spins backwards. Not only are you generating your own green, clean electricity but you are saving money as well!
Electric Grid
Your home or business continues to be tied into the local utility grid. At night you use electricity from your utility. The extra electricity generated by your system which pours back into the energy grid can help you greatly reduce or completely eliminate your electric bill, depending on the size of your solar power system and your energy use.
For more information on solar power solutions for your home or business, contact us today!
The Sun is a huge, glowing ball at the center of our solar system or “gigantic energy machine”. The sun provides light, heat, and other energy to Earth.
Photo credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
