Solar Power Systems For Residential Homes

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Solar Power Systems For Residential Homes

Sunday, August 24th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are a a small number of methods whereby you can use the energy from the sun’ to produce home solar power systems. These can be pigeonholed as passive and direct systems. For thousands of years the passive systems have been around and the brainwave beyond this style of unit was almost certainly the reality that our ancestors felt the heat from the Sun. Their next step was to understand that the high temperature produced from the Sun has the ability to heat water, cook food, dry clay bricks and incalculable other purposes. Nowadays there are systems that can passively warm the living areas of a house and also the water that is used in the home.

Electricity is formed by utilizing sun light energy. The technology that does this is known as the photovoltaic (PV) cell. A cell is made from a silicon compound that throws an electron loose of the atom whenever sunlight of a certain frequency strikes the cell. When many cells are linked together in series, this forms an electric current.

Many PV cells connected together in series is referred to as a solar module. When many solar cells are connected together than are known as a solar panel.

Solar panels are the devices that you may have seen on the roofs of houses in your neighborhood. They can be placed elsewhere, but the roof is often the most sensible place as it is likely to get exposed to direct sunlight and the panels can’t be damaged or vandalized as easily or take up room in the yard.

Solar panels create direct current (DC) electricity. A power inverter is used to convert this DC to alternating current (AC). AC electricity is needed to power most of the appliances in the home.

AC is distributed to the various wall sockets, lights and other power points in your home by an electrical service panel. A utility meter will take account of the electricity that is consumed if you are connected to the utility grid.

An example of how this works is during midday. In theory this is the best time for your solar panels to create electricity. As you may be out or at work this will also be the time when you use little or no electricity. So the utility meter might go backwards indicating that you are generating electricity for the utility company.

A home solar power system can be either on or off the grid. On the grid is sometimes referred to as a net metering system or grid tied.Various states have laws that require utility companies to offer net metering programs to people using solar panels. This effectively means that they are fairly compensated for the electricity that they create rather than having to sell it at a wholesale rate.

A true off grid system means you are not connected to a reliable power supply so you have the responsibility of creating your own energy. The primary source can be solar panels but there should always be a back up system in case you use more energy than you expected or the Sun doesn’t shine as much.

Gasoline powered generators are often used as a back up system as they are fairly reliable, however some people that have the space may opt for another form of renewable resource, like a water or wind driven power system. Another responsibility of an off grid system is keeping a battery bank to store DC from the solar panels for use at night times.

The majority of individuals begin with a grid tied system as it is simpler to use and there is a smaller amount of accountability. As you increase in knowledge and experience you might like to consider leaving the grid. This type of home solar power system is the most cost effective, however, keep in mind that the manual work required to maintain and run this type of system is greatly increased.