The ABCs of Solar Panels for your Home

Using Solar panels for your home is one of the best solutions to save both on electric bills and the environment.  Although it is still an investment, it has a lot of long term benefits that could potentially increase even the value of the property. It could even give you a rebate to offset the initial financial investment.

How do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels work thanks to the “photovoltaic effect” discovered by a scientist named Alexandre-Edmound Becquerel. This phenomenon refers to the capability of a component to absorb sunlight in order to release electrons. The first ever miniscule solar panel was actually a photovoltaic cell. The cell made use of a selenium and gold connection in between the actual body and its hub.

Large solar panels for your home is actually made up of arrays of smaller photovoltaic cells. When sunlight hits each cell, they emit electrons to be used for energy. Solo cells can be arranged either in a chain circuit or a parallel fashion. Those circuits will then be joined together in an array so that it can produce larger amounts of power. Since solar panels are only able to produce direct current (mostly used in battery operated devices), an inverter  is needed to convert electricity from alternating current to direct current if it is to be used in appliances in the home.

Roof Considerations

There are a few things to consider when utilizing your roof for solar panels. The ideal location for the panels is on an unobstructed space facing south. If you have no south-facing roof space available, any area with good sun exposure will do the trick as long as there are no obstructions. You also have to make sure that the area does not get blocked or shaded at any time of the day.

Parts of your Solar Panel System

Aside from the actual solar panels for your home, the system includes items like a solar charge controller which is able to regulate power voltage if a battery is used in the setup. A solar charge battery is needed in order to store electricity during the day and be able to disperse it to appliances as needed even throughout the night. An inverter is essential in order to convert DC into AC electricity to supply power to the grid in your home. A true sine wave inverter can be use for grid-based power systems.