Solar Power is a renewable energy source that helps to protect the environment and can reduce your electricity bill. It may also generate income for homeowners by selling excess electricity to the grid.
Solar value studies should include all benefits to society, including avoided greenhouse gas emission and pollutants that contribute smog or soot pollution. SETO has a number of research initiatives that focus on soft costs.
Solar cells
Solar cells are essential to turning sunlight into electricity. Solar cells are made up of two pieces silicon that have been ‘doped with’ various elements to give one side (known as N’ side) a higher number of electrons. These two sides are joined at the junction point to create an electric field that releases electrons from one layer and attracts holes from another.
The cell generates electricity by moving electrons and holes past metal contacts on both ends. This is similar to the photosynthesis of plants where light energy is transformed into chemical energy.
Solar panels are made by assembling solar cells in series into modules. These are then assembled to create power sources that can be used for home and business. Their efficiency is affected by factors such as their size, purity of silicon and orientation to sunlight.
Photovoltaics
Solar cells convert sunlight into electricity. Solar cells are limited in their power output. Multiple cells need to be linked together to create larger modules and arrays. For longer periods of time without sunlight, a battery or storage device can be added.
The photovoltaic cell is made up of two layers (in this case, silicon) that are joined together at a p n junction. When sunlight strikes this junction impurities in the silicon cause electrons to bounce and create electricity. They travel through channels of impurities in silicon’s structure to return to it and then onto the p n junction.
NREL produces electricity that can be used to power devices or fed back into the grid. Researchers at NREL focus on developing more cost-efficient solar cell while also investigating new materials such as organic and quantum dots that may offer lower manufacturing costs and easier processes.
Net metering
Solar panel owners can offset their electricity bills by using net metering to bank the energy they send into the grid or to the utility grid. In order to do this, you will need an additional meter that tracks energy flow towards and away from the utility grid.
In net metering, credits from solar energy are applied to future bills instead of buying more expensive kilowatt hours. This helps reduce the strain on power distribution systems and minimizes long-distance losses. Net metering is viewed by some utilities as a revenue loss, but numerous cost-benefit analyses show how vital solar adoption for our society remains.
Solar energy systems do not produce electricity at night or on overcast days. You will need to use the grid during these times. However, your credits can offset these higher costs over time and save you tens of thousand!
Installation
The solar company you choose should handle the majority of steps in installing a system. This includes obtaining permits and meeting any local requirements. You should also be informed about the available financing options, such as power purchase agreements or loans.
The cost of solar energy systems is affected by many factors, but the size of your array is a major factor. The cost of larger systems is higher due to the additional equipment and labor, but they can also yield more savings. To achieve cost-efficiency, it is important to carefully consider the quality/price ratio when selecting equipment.
Your solar panels convert sunlight into direct current (DC). Inverters are used to convert this electricity into alternating current. These can be configured as central inverters, microinverters, or both. The converted electricity powers your appliances.