Sunday, November 20, 2011

Understand How Solar Power Works

The fact that plants can use sunlight to sustain themselves can seem nearly magical, but recently humankind has developed its own system to work with solar energy. We've progressed far beyond using the sun to simply heat things. Solar energy systems, also called photovoltaic systems, can generate electricity to allow people to run home appliances with solar panels. This is a great option for many individuals not only to save money, but to avoid releasing dangerous emissions in our environment. But how does solar energy work?

Breaking the word "photovoltaic" down, we have "photo" meaning light, and "voltaic" referencing volts, which are units of electrical force. When you look at the full meaning, then, you have light generated electricity. Solar panels use photovoltaic chips, which are what allow this process to take place. PV chips are commonly made of silicon, which is a semiconductor. This means silicon has a high capacity to release energy whenever sunlight hits its surface. Solar panels can then create energy to be used for a specific purpose within the scheme of a complete solar energy system.

Two layers of semiconductors are used to excite electrons in a photovoltaic system. A tension is created between the layers because one is positively charged and the other is negatively charged, so volts are generated due to this dynamic. Initially this seems like all that would be needed, but the type of electricity made when the sun hits a solar panel is DC (direct current) energy. To make this compatible with a normal 240V appliance, it needs to be changed into alternating (AC) energy using a converter.

AC energy tends to be more effective than DC energy. Electrons only flow in one direction with DC energy. With AC energy, electrons continually switch directions in the electrical current, which allows it to be safer (since different amounts of power can be transmitted), and travel longer distances without losing any energy. As described, solar energy systems can generate electricity with an inverter, but they can be supplemented by a city's electricity grid. If you are unable to meet your electrical requirements with solar energy alone, then the grid can provide you with additional electricity for you to seamlessly continue everyday living. Better yet, if you can provide all of your own electricity and still have some left over, it wll be fed into the grid and the city will compensate you with cash for the extra energy you've provided.

It's obvious to see that the advantages of a solar technology system are extensive, and the science behind them is simple and effective. In case you find the prospect of setting up a solar energy system alone to be challenging, many professionals are available to help with getting a solar energy system installed on your property. In the long term solar power technologies will only grow more sophisticated, and many more ways will be identified to enhance the usage and amount of electricity people are able to produce. By committing to solar energy and determining how it can support you, you will be moving toward lowering energy bills and creating a healthier future.

For those of you who are living in Australia and you're considering investing in solar power, visit this site to acquire three no-cost quotes on how you can get started with solar panels for your property's power needs.