All you need to know about Solar Power

Despite being a pioneering renewable energy technology, solar panel installation remains shrouded in mystery. How much does solar energy cost? Do you require a battery? How does solar energy work? I have broken down the fundamentals of solar power to answer your questions and provide better knowledge of this growing energy source.

Solar power history

Solar energy has been around for far longer than you would realize. In 1839, the first solar cell was created in France! Four decades later, in 1883, the first solar panel was built with selenium wafers and installed on a New York City rooftop with a 1% energy conversion rate.

Following this, a few patents for solar cells and solar panels were issued in the United States, with Nikola Tesla holding the solar panel patent. Albert Einstein received a Nobel Prize for his article detailing the theory behind the “photoelectric effect” in 1905.

The silicon solar cell that we use today was created in the magnificent state of New Jersey in 1954. This altered the game in solar power since silicon solar cells converted energy significantly more effectively than selenium solar cells used previously.

Since then, the solar power sector has evolved into what we know today. The United States already has over 2 million solar panel installations and is on target to treble that figure now in 2023.

How does solar energy function?

Solar power can power anything that fossil-fuel electricity can but without the guilt and nasty pollutants.

How do solar panels produce electricity?

The photovoltaic effect is what causes solar power to be generated. If you’ve ever looked at a solar panel, you’ll see that it’s made up of many little squares. Solar cells, photovoltaic cells, or PV cells are the names given to these squares.

Silicon solar cells are used in almost all of the solar panels you see. Each cell contains a negative layer containing additional electrons and a positive layer containing space for those electrons to traverse. When sunlight strikes the negative layer, electrons are liberated and begin to flow to the positive layer. Solar power is the movement of electrons!

How is solar energy used?

Solar power is generated via the photovoltaic effect, but how can we use solar energy in our homes?

Solar panels provide power known as direct current or DC. Because most dwellings cannot use direct current (DC), it must be converted to alternating current (AC). That’s where solar inverters come in: the DC power generated by the solar panels is sent to the inverter, where it is transformed into AC electricity.

The alternating current power may then be used by your household appliances such as your refrigerator, lights, and television!

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Solar power system types

Solar energy may be used in a variety of ways. There are solar thermal energy sources that absorb heat from the sun for usage, such as concentrated solar power systems, solar cooking systems, and solar hot water systems.

When you think of solar electricity, you typically think of solar panels, which are photovoltaic solar systems.

The majority of household solar power systems are photovoltaic and fall into one of three categories:

• Grid-connected systems
• Solar+storage systems (sometimes known as hybrid systems)
• Off-grid power systems

1. Grid-connected solar power systems

The majority of solar panel systems on the market today are grid-tied systems, which link the solar panel system to the utility grid. The solar energy generated by your panels will be used to power your home. If your panels generate more power than your home requires, the excess will be delivered to the grid.

2. Solar+storage systems

Solar-plus-storage systems, also known as hybrid systems, are solar panel systems that are linked to the grid as well as an on-site solar storage device, often a solar battery. During the day, your solar panels power your home in the same way as a grid-tied system would.

When you generate more solar electricity than your home requires, the excess energy is routed to your battery rather than back to the grid. You may then use that stored energy when your panels aren’t producing enough power to satisfy your demands, minimizing your reliance on your utility.

3. Solar power systems that operate independently of the grid

Off-grid solar power systems are exactly what they sound like solar power systems that are completely disconnected from the electrical grid. Going off-grid just doesn’t make sense if you have simple access to the grid in your location.

For starters, off-grid solar power systems are costly. To cover all of your energy demands, you’ll need more solar panels and a huge amount of battery storage, which won’t be inexpensive. Furthermore, you may need to make some significant lifestyle adjustments to ensure that you are not using excessive amounts of power.

In conclusion, when you go solar, you not only save money on your power bill, but you also minimize your carbon impact. When solar panels create power, they do not emit any of the harmful carbon emissions or other air pollutants that fossil fuels do.

The solar business is more powerful than it has ever been. Solar energy technology continues to advance, and solar prices continue to fall, making solar more accessible to everyone than ever before.