Solar panels are growing in popularity. As people realize how convenient and efficient solar power can be, they invest more in solar panels. Understanding how solar panels work and how they generate electricity can help you decide if this is the right choice for your home. Let’s take a look at a solar panel, how it works, and some options for you to add this type of electricity to your home.
Why Is Solar Energy So Popular
The idea of generating your own electricity and being able to release yourself of electric bills is a goal for many homeowners. With the high price of solar panels, this has been a pipe dream for many homeowners. However, in the last few years, the pricing on solar energy systems has dropped.
As the pricing has come down, these systems are making more sense for the average homeowners to install. They are also great for home security solar lights as you can quickly place them around your home. Let’s take a look at how solar panels generate electricity and some ways you can add solar systems to your home.
How Solar Panels Generate Electricity
Here are a few steps involved in the process of getting electricity from the sun.
Step One: Photovoltaic Cells
Solar panels have photovoltaic cells. A photovoltaic cell is able to turn light from the sun into electricity. The light or energy from the sun comes into the cell, and the cell can then convert that energy into DC electricity.
Step Two: Solar Inverter
Once the photovoltaic cells have converted this energy into DC electricity, it then needs to be converted into AC electricity. A solar inverter is what does the job to take the DC to the AC. Most appliances and electronics around your home are going to need this AC electricity.
Step Three: Power Electronic Devices
Once the solar inverter transfers the energy into useable electricity for your home, you can start powering your electronic devices. Depending on what type of inverter you have and the size of your solar system, this can be hardwired or something that you have to plug into.
What Is A Solar Panel Made Of?
Looking at a solar panel’s general makeup, it certainly doesn’t look like there is much to it. What you can’t see from the outside are the cells that are working to perform complex procedures inside the panel.
A solar panel has a frame, usually made of metal, a glass casing, and quite a few wires. The layer of silicon cells inside the solar panel will absorb and convert the sunlight into energy. This photovoltaic effect is what makes the energy from the sun usable in our homes.
How Do Solar Powered Generators Work
You will notice that some solar panel systems can be connected directly to your home. When the sun creates more energy than your home needs, it will therefore be transferred back to the grid. In other words, depending on where you live and how this works, the electric company could end up owing you money.
A solar-powered generator is a bit different than a whole home solar energy system. The solar-powered generators work as a source of backup power. The solar-powered generator will use the energy from the sun to charge up the battery.
Above all, the battery pack on the solar-powered generator works as the inverter, and it can give the energy back to your devices. Most solar-powered generators have outlets or USB ports for you to plug your appliances or devices in.
Some solar-powered generators are smaller, and they can charge a phone or turn on a backup light in a power outage. Others are much larger and may help you to run your refrigerator should you lose power. The smaller solar-powered generators are called portable solar generators.
Are Solar Panels Worth The Money
People are always trying to figure out if the investment into a solar energy system will pay off. Will the money invested in panels end up lowering your electric bill enough to make it worth it. Years ago, we could honestly tell you that it would take you a long time to recoup your investment.
Now that solar panels have lowered in price, the time to recover your investment is much shorter. If you believe in being less dependent on energy and creating your own, solar panels are worth it.
Summary
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of how solar panels generate electricity. Above all this process is not all that complicated, and when you add solar power to your home is much easier than you may think. Taking the time to understand how these solar systems work and starting to incorporate them into your home slowly is a decision you likely won’t regret.
There is something very gratifying about living in a home that can sustain itself using the sun’s energy.
