Solar power involves the capture of radiant light and heat from the sun and then the conversion of that heat power into energy that can be used in powering homes, streetlights, businesses and machinery. The resource is completely renewable and it was first used in a commercial sense roughly a century ago.
Many people have adopted the use of solar panels today for their home power generation. With the number of residences installing solar power today, it’s estimated that it could be the world’s largest source of electricity by the year 2050.
Today we find solar panels on a variety of different structures including highway signs, schools, electrical appliances, and more. Various government incentives are in place to make sure that our world can embrace cost efficiency and the clean nature of solar power.
The three main types of solar power include:
Active solar energy systems: These are systems that involve solar panels built on top of the structure. Using solar panels on a roof and tapping them into a home’s energy system will activate the system and make sure that it can generate power throughout the home.
Solar thermal energy: solar thermal energy is a process of converting radiant energy from the sun into the hot water system to reduce heating bills.
Passive solar systems: these are newer solar systems that are built right into walls, shingles, windows, skylights and more. These systems are still in development but they could be an excellent way to maximize energy generation in products that we would install every day.
How they work:
At the core of a solar panel, they are photovoltaic cells responsible for capturing photons or sunlight particles. They use a semi conducting silicon to convert sunlight into a usable direct current energy. Inverters on board are connected to wires in the solar panels and responsible for converting the direct currents from the solar panels into alternating current for your electrical system throughout the home. Most solar systems today also include the option for grid tie to reduce costs by selling excess electricity back to the grid or a battery storage system to maximize the efficiency of the system.
This post was written by Wiley Fanning, owner and solar energy expert, at Efficient Home Services. EHS is the premier company for solar panels Tampa. EHS provides services across the spectrum to address every aspect of your home’s energy inefficiencies. They focus on making home energy efficient and then eliminating your energy bill with solar!