Solar Power: What is it?

 

Over the past few years you may have noticed more and more talk about solar power. If you’re anything like me  (or many of the nerdy people I associate with), one of your first thoughts was probably including a superhero who harnesses the power of the sun. (Don’t go running to Marvel with your big idea yet- DC already did it, and his name is Superman.)

Solar power at its finest

Anyway. Despite sounding a little fantastical, solar power is actually becoming more and more commonplace now, and not just in big shiny new corporate buildings, either! If you are a homeowner whose house has a relatively new roof with about 100 square feet of available space, you could have solar panels installed on your roof and be on your way to not only saving massive amounts of money on your electrical bill each month, but if you generate more electricity than you use, the power company could end up paying you! Sounds pretty nice.

How Solar Power Works:

A solar panel, most commonly made of silicon, provides the ideal location for the photoelectric effect to take place. When sunlight hits the solar panel, the energy generated from photons hitting the panel knocks electrons loose, which are then routed through an external circuit and voila, electricity. (Perhaps that’s a bit simplified, but you get the general idea.)

An inverter must be used to switch the resulting electrical current from DC (direct current) to AC (alternating current) so that it is compatible with the electrical system. (And so that it rocks.)

Could you Benefit from Solar Power?

There are many factors that have to be considered when deciding if solar power would be a good idea for your home. First of all, you must have a stable and considerably new roof to support the panels. One side of your roof should be facing as close to True South as possible, and should not be shaded by trees. Even a few degrees off from true south will result in less effective energy production, but it can still work if your roof is facing West.

Like plants, solar panels must face sunlight

Depending on your location, you could benefit highly from having solar panels installed on your home- not only because of the reduced energy bill, but because you could qualify for energy rebate programs if your area participates in them!

Your ticket to riches.

If you are considering the possibility of having solar panels installed on your home, contact our partners at Imagine Energy for a consultation to determine whether your home is a good fit- it could really pay off!

More reading about Solar Power:

• How Stuff Works
• Wikipedia
  
• NASA