Did you know that in the last decade solar has had an average annual growth rate of 42%? If you are considering installing solar panels in your home but are wondering “how do solar panels work?” you are in the right place. We have put together this short guide as a reference about home solar panels and how they work.
Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of solar panel technology.
1. Panels Capture Sunlight
First, the solar panels that are installed on the roof capture the sunlight that hits them and produces direct current (DC) electricity. Every solar panel has photovoltaic (PV) cells and these cells have the ability to take light and convert it into electricity.
2. Converting Solar Energy
Once the DC electricity is produced it is time to convert that into useful electricity because DC power is not capable of powering your home all on its own. When a professional such as blueravensolar.com/colorado/ installs a solar panel system they will also install an inverter to convert that DC electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity.
Some systems will have a single inverter hooked up to their entire system and others will have a microinverter that is connected behind each solar panel.
3. Solar Electricity Is Used
Once the DC electricity is converted to AC electricity, solar electricity can be used in the home. The solar electricity runs through your net meter and is then able to power all of your appliances and your lights.
In the event, that your solar panels do not produce enough energy to cover all of your electricity needs, then power will automatically draw from the meter since you are still hooked up to the traditional power companies grid. Whenever this happens you will only have to pay for the electricity that you used.
4. Leftover Solar Electricity
Depending on how large your solar panel system is, it might produce too much power which becomes what is known as leftover electricity. Whenever there is extra electricity produced, it will go into the meter and it will be used at a later time (for example at night time when the sun is not out).
In certain states, if you produce more than you use for the month your power company might even pay you for that extra power. Or they might return the unused AC back to the grid as energy credits on your next power bill. We recommend looking into net metering for your specific area to see if you will get anything back for creating more power than you can use.
Now You Know How Do Solar Panels Work
We hope that now that we answered the question “how do solar panels work?” you are feeling more confident about going the solar route.
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