Mastering Solar Power Basics: How Does Solar Power Work?

Submitted by: Christopher Lollini

So you're asking yourself how does solar power work? Well, the concept of turning the power of the sun into useful electricity was conceived over a hundred years ago and has been steadily improved ever since. Even though there are several ways to achieve this conversion of sunlight to electricity in a commercial setting, it was the invention and subsequent improvements to photovoltaic technology that has made it feasible for residential installations. These modern solar power systems consist of a small collection of components that work together to harvest the sun and supply it to your home. By apply a few simple solar power basics and using this free solar power, you can lower or even eliminate your monthly power bill. Many of these systems can pay for themselves in a few years and will continue to deliver this free solar power for decades to come. If you are asking yourself the question "how does solar power work?", you only need to do a little research to understand what's involved.

How Solar Panels Work

The first component to consider when trying to understand solar power basics is the solar panel itself. These panels are typically mounted to the roof of a home, but could also be located on a pole or ground frame nearby. They need to have adequate sunlight exposure throughout the day and should be facing south for the best possible production of solar power for your home. So how solar panels work is that inside each of the panels is a collection of solar cells that are able to produce a small electrical current when exposed to sunlight through a process known as the photovoltaic effect. Even though this current is small for each individual solar cell, when they are connected together in a group their output can be quite substantial when generating solar power for the home. Most homes have a group of these solar energy panels in the system that can generate all the power their home requires.

Solar Power Inverter

These solar panels generate a DC current as part of their conversion process that needs to be converted to AC current before this electricity can be used by your home appliances. This is accomplished through the use of a device called a solar power inverter. The inverter is connected to your home's electrical system and converts this DC current to AC current and supplies it to your home when your home solar power system is active. If your home solar power system is generating more power than you are using, the inverter will send the excess power back up the power lines to the local utility and generate an energy credit for you. This credit can be applied to the power you'll need to buy back energy from the local utility company in the evenings when your system is inactive. If you size your system correctly this back and forth trading of power should cancel each other out and you'll be left without a power bill each month. The solar power inverter is also the part of the system that switches your home between solar power that you are producing during the day and utility supplied power you are purchasing in the evenings.

Solar Power Battery

The last component that some solar power for homes systems include is a set of batteries. These are completely optional in your system, but if installed they can store the excess power your system produces during the day for later use at night. Some homeowners use this power first in the evenings before switching to utility supplied power to lower their energy bills even further. Other homes keep this reserve of power separate for use in the event of a power outage in their area. This way their home can still be powered by the energy stored in their batteries until the local power is restored after the blackout. I hope that answered your question about "how does solar power work?"

About the Author: Hope this information helped answer your questions. Have another question you need answered? Want to get more great content and information about topics like how does solar power work and get a FREE informative 5-day eCourse to learn more about solar power for homes, then check out my website. Hope to see you soon, thanks!

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Solar Power For Homes – What is Solar Power Rebate and How Can I Avail?

Submitted by: Sandra Ruper

Many Australians are currently interested in solar power for home usage for different requirements. Still, a popular grounds to stay eco-friendly is to offset soaring electric bills and not live more green. Further pressing this shift is the different solar power rebates that you will receive in Australia that makes it possible to spend much less once you integrate them into your way of living. You'll enjoy rebates for a number of renewable power choices like on grid set up and off grid solar panels, solar hot water or solar pump sets. When you meet the criteria for one of these green energy rebates, you then will save a lot of cash on your power expenditure. Following are a few.

Solar power rebate for household will help you save thousands over a system if you find you meet the criteria. You'll even have the option to create money from a rooftop PV panel. The main rebate at present accessible is the countrywide Solar Credits Program. It allows a considerable amount in savings relying on the capacity and place of the installation, and is available on fresh installations of small-scale sustainable energy generators eligible in the plan. Solar credits can be applicable on just the initial 1.5 kilowatts (kW) of capacity set up at a place. Renewable Energy Certificates are provided with solar panel equipment purchases and are often traded for cash.

Rebates for off grid solar power is offered to Australians living in a non-urban place. The moment you switch to renewable power you might receive the Solar Credits multiplier for your initial 20kW of a solar panels system and really save plenty on your power fees. In line with legislation, households and enterprises installing units on properties at least a kilometer from the main grid or those presenting proof that it may cost more than $30,000 to plug in to mains power might be allowed to have the Solar Credits multiplier for the first 20kW of the system installed.

Solar power rebates scheme for company is devised for eco-friendly Australian companies. Typical commercial rebates entail huge tax respite, RECs, feed in tariffs and huge rebates for the solar credits scheme. The solar panel credits scheme provides considerable savings for industries on grid linked solar power equipment. Small and big enterprises may easily get a tax deduction over a commercial solar panel equipment fixed on their factory. Business owners could even lower expenses by getting a solar warm water unit or solar energy water pump. This might assist you to not just decrease the electricity expenditures nonetheless the business greenhouse gas pollutants too.

The grant for solar power for schools give single institution schools in Australia $50,000 rebate and a maximum of $100,000 for twin premises to fit grid attached solar energy, which is an excellent means to cut down the carbon footprint and lower expenses, with the National Solar School Scheme. What's more there's extra grants provided in some areas under state schemes, hence it is wise to shop around for grants. Government solar hot water incentive permits rebate of as much as $1000 to fix solar hot water systems. You might even secure rebates of up to $600 for heat pumps installed to change from electrically powered storage hot water units in present private apartments. Go eco-friendly instantly!

About the Author: Sandra is an expert in the field. For more information on Solar Power For Homes, and Solar Power Adelaide Please visit: http://www.solarquotes.com.au

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Solar Panel Kits Make Solar Power Easy, A Easy to Follow DIY Solar Plans

Submitted by: JohnPP Paul

Many homeowners are turning to solar power systems to help them generate their own power from the sun for their homes. These solar panel systems allow them to install a series of solar panels on their home that can generate enough free power to lower, or even eliminate their monthly electricity bill. In recent years these solar panels have become much more efficient and less expensive due to improvements in technology. This makes it easier for the average homeowner to take advantage of this solar alternative.

In addition to the price of the solar panels being reduced, there have also been an assortment of solar panel kits released recently that will help you build the solar panels you need for your home from scratch. Some of these solar panel kits include the parts you’ll need for the panels construction and others are simply a builder’s guide with a list of sources for the parts. Both of these solar panel kits will end with a fully functional solar panel, the choice is between easier assembly or lower price.

If you choose one of the solar panel kits that includes the parts, you can be assured that you will have a working solar panel when you’re finished since all of the included parts are chosen specifically to work together well. This is a little more expensive than building the panel from scratch, but is a simpler assembly for the novice builder. The other advantage to these complete solar panel kits is that you know exactly how much power they will generate when finished.

Using one of the solar panel kits that doesn’t include the parts can be a little more work for you, but can help you save a lot of money as well. Many of the parts you’ll need can be found around the house or from online suppliers at a discount. By locating all the parts you need for your solar panels yourself can take a little longer, but can save you quite a bit of money over buying one of the solar panel kits that include them.

The good news is that no matter which of the solar panel kits you decide to use, you will soon be able to enjoy the free power the sun provides. As soon as you have your solar panel completed you simply have to expose your panel to a good amount of sunlight and enjoy the savings.

Solar power is fast becoming the perfect alternative energy choice for many homes. It provides a great combination of free power from the sun with an easy installation. Most homeowners are choosing to install their own systems and some of them are even learning to build solar panels themselves to help lower the cost of their systems even further.

Please help make your home free from external power sources and create your won Power with DIY power systems. So many people are now realizing the freedom of having your own home power system and not paying monthly power bills. Start living off the gird.

About the Author: bestgreenhomediyenergy.com John Paul has spent year reseaching various DIY home power systems and continually reviews the latest developments in DIY home solar, DIY home wind power systems and DIY home Magnetic power systems. solar panel kits DIY solar Kits

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The Lower Cost of Solar Panels Helps to Make Solar Power a Reality.

Submitted by: Christopher Lollini

The most important/expensive part of most modern home solar power systems is the solar panel itself; thus the solar panels price drives the cost of the system. This single component handles the conversion of sunlight to power and choosing the right model for your home can have a huge impact on your systems efficiency. These panels have become less expensive and more efficient in recent years and offer a much better value over the long term than ever before. Understanding the differences between panels can help you also understand the reason for a particular solar panels price. Even though most models of panels for homes are less expensive than ever before, trying to balance the cost of solar panels with their efficiency will help you make the right decision.

Standard Sizes, Varying Output Voltages

Modern panels are available in a standard physical size and are typically offered at several different output voltages. Normally the higher voltage panels allow you to harvest more of the power they produce because they suffer less losses in the conversion process. This is a good thing to keep in mind when shopping for a home solar power system since it can allow you to generate more power for your home from a given panel.

Output Power's Importance

The other factor you need to consider is the output power a given panel can produce. Because these modern solar panels are much more efficient in their conversion of sunlight to power, they can typically produce far more power than older models from a given amount of sunlight. In some cases this can be several times more power than panels sold even a few years ago were able to provide. This is important because even though the cost of solar panels that are more efficient may be higher, you will need less of them to produce the power your home requires and the overall system price will be less as a result. The smaller the number of panels means less roof space is required for mounting as well as a simpler installation overall. All of this leads to reductions in cost for your home solar power system. Bear in mind that when comparing the various choices for solar panels for your home since your first thought might be to choose the least expensive panel available; in the long run choosing a more efficient solar panel would be a better decision, even if it costs a little more initially.

Check the Warranty

Another consideration that affects the cost of solar panels is their warranty. Most modern solar modules are guaranteed for 10 years or more against defects and failure. Even though this may seem like a good warranty, most panels don't fail completely. Failure in a solar panel typically happens gradually over time and will slowly lower the output power that the panels produce for the home. This slow decay in their output power means that they haven't actually failed, they're just producing less power. Some of the newer solar panels for homes provide a basic warranty that covers any failures to the panel itself as well as an additional warranty to ensure it continues to produce a given amount of power over its useful life. This type of double warranty is important since it will typically ensure the replacement of a panel that falls below a certain percentage of output power over time. Even though solar panels that offer this type of warranty may be more expensive than others without the warranty, this peace of mind can easily justify the solar panels price.

About the Author: Hope this information helped answer your questions. Have another question you need answered? Want to get more great content and information about topics like solar panels price and get a FREE informative 5-day eCourse to learn more about solar power for homes, then check out my website. Hope to see you soon, thanks!

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Understanding How The Different Types Of Solar Radiation Affect A Solar Power System

Submitted by: Christopher Lollini

The sun is a virtually unlimited source of energy and showers the earth each day with enough power for all of our energy needs if we were able to harvest it. The energy the sun provides to us covers a wide range of wavelengths and each of them is affected in a slightly different way as the sun's energy reaches our planet. Initially when the radiation of energy from the sun reaches our outer atmosphere, it is considered to be constant. The reason for this is that the distance between earth and the sun is a vacuum and has little impact on the solar radiation traveling through it. Once this sunlight enters our planets atmosphere however, things change pretty rapidly.

Solar Reflection and Diffuse Radiation

The first thing that happens to this solar radiation is that it is reflected by the various particles of dust, water vapor and other small debris in our atmosphere. This reflection sends some of the solar radiation that hits earth's atmosphere back out into space and it never reaches our planet's surface. Of the solar radiation that does get through, some of this is further reflected and scattered as it travels to the surface of the planet. The portion of this scattered radiation that eventually reaches the earth's surface is known as diffuse radiation. This is a somewhat weaker form of solar radiation, but can still be harvested for conversion to electricity and heat.

Direct Solar Radiation

There is a portion of the solar radiation that reached the surface of the earth without being scattered or reflected and this type is referred to as direct solar radiation. This tends to be the strongest form of solar radiation and can produce the most energy from conversion to electricity or heat.

Radiation Intensity Varies Throughout the Day

Home solar panels can use all of these forms of solar radiation and convert them to energy for your home. The output of this solar power for homes will vary during a typical day depending on what type of solar radiation it has to convert. The highest output from these home solar panels will occur when the sun is directly overhead as this is when the most direct solar radiation strikes the panels and is converted to electricity.

Solar Energy Is Weakest in the Morning and Evening

In the early morning and late afternoon hours the sun is at a more dramatic angle to the surface of the planet and has to traverse more of the atmosphere before striking these home solar panels. As a result there is less direct solar radiation occurring and more diffuse sunlight as a result of the scattering in the atmosphere. These times of the day are more of a challenge for these home solar panels since they are converting a weaker sunlight and their output is much lower as a result.

Solar Technology Efficiency Improvements Have Come a Long Way

The good news is that most modern solar panels are more efficient than ever and can do a better job of converting this weaker diffuse solar radiation to electricity than older panels could. In fact many of the older home solar panels could only convert a very small portion of the diffuse solar radiation that struck them to electricity, which meant they were inactive for large portions of an average day. Because these new panels can convert this diffuse solar radiation better, they produce a far higher output of power on average than ever before.

About the Author: Hope this information helped answer your questions. Have another question you need answered? Want to get more great content and information about topics like solar radiation and get a FREE informative 5-day eCourse to learn more about solar power for homes, then check out my website. Hope to see you soon, thanks!

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Solar Power For Homes, What Are the Advantages of Solar Energy?

Submitted by: Mick Legg

Did you know that solar power for homes is one of the most reliable of the renewable energy sources (green energy) that is available? And it is well within the budgets of most people. For this reason solar power for homes is also the most popular of the alternative forms of energy. No wonder then that some of the biggest searches on Google and other search engines are from people looking for information on how to build a solar panel, or for how to Do-It-Yourself solar power.

So what are the main advantages of solar energy?

Solar panels for home use are exactly the same as the huge industrial size solar panels, only smaller of course. They are powered by natural light so you do not have to live somewhere were the sun is blazing down all day long, as solar panels for home will still work in less sunny places. You can also start off as small as you like with just enough solar panels to run your lighting and then add to them as and when you wish.

Other advantages of solar energy are that they can be installed in any house old or new. For new houses they can be designed to fit snugly on the roof where they can directly catch heat and sunlight. With existing properties solar panels for home can be mounted on brackets and positioned in the most suitable place. This makes solar power for homes available for anyone to install by themselves without the heavy cost of professional installations.

There are many guides and instruction manuals available on the internet that can show you how to build a solar panel. With these guides and a little bit of DIY knowledge you can easily and cheaply have your own solar energy supply up and running in days. So another of the advantages of solar energy is that it can be installed by the homeowner in the form of DIY solar panels.

As I mentioned before you can start off with a few solar panels, just enough to power your lights or maybe enough to power a workshop or hobby shop. Once you see how efficient solar power for homes is you can add to it whenever you want so that you can provide enough solar energy to power your whole home. There are even solar cookers available that use absolutely no fuel other than solar power. The only limitation to these solar cookers is that they may take a little longer to cook things, but when you think that it is doing it for free this is just a minor inconvenience.

Of course one of the best of the advantages of solar energy is the fact that it is totally green with no pollution or wasteful by-products such as harmful gases, this means that you are not contributing to global warming, in fact you are actually lowering your carbon footprint. And do not forget the biggest of the advantages of solar energy, ITS TOTALLY FREE ENERGY and the cost of the power you produce with your solar power for homes will not rise in the future.

About the Author: Discover HOW TO BUILD A SOLAR PANEL for your home with detailed guides that show you exactly how. http://homeenergysecrets.com/reviews.html

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Solar Power NSW – Benefits Associated With Solar Power

Submitted by: Christina Moreno

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. PV converts light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.

Concentrated solar power

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. The concentrated heat is then used as a heat source for a conventional power plant. A wide range of concentrating technologies exists; the most developed are the parabolic trough, the concentrating linear fresnel reflector, the Stirling dish and the solar power tower. Various techniques are used to track the Sun and focus light. In all of these systems a working fluid is heated by the concentrated sunlight, and is then used for power generation or energy storage.

Photovoltaics

A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell (PV), is a device that converts light into electric current using thephotoelectric effect. The photons which make up light bombard the solar PV panel and dislodge electrons from their resting places. These electrons randomly flow around inside the silicon leaving holes in their place. Due to the laws of physics, the electrons then recombine. During all of this activity, energy is released and is what we capture and is called the photovoltaic effect.

What are its benefits in Australia?

Australian government has introduced subsidy for homeowners, businesses and community groups by the name of "Solar Credits" to bring down the cost involved in installing solar panels. It was passed into law on 20th August 2009, but the policies keep changing the details of the rebate (usually reducing it with very small notice period!).

Of course the cost will vary by a few thousand either way depending on various brand of panels and inverters each supplier uses, and their overheads, but if you feel that the current prices are beyond your expectations, then solar may not be for you right now. But if you add the system cost to your mortgage it can be surprisingly affordable. Also if you take rising electricity costs into account you can be assured of one thing that in a long term, you will be refunded with all your initial cost. There is a solar payback calculator here for you to make your own mind up. Usually, typical cost of an installed 1.5kW solar system can be around $6,500 which can prove costly, but you get government Rebate of $3,000 making your actual cost to you for 1.5KW of solar power to Approx $3,500.

In Australia, the most important factor when choosing an installer is to ensure that they are “Clean Energy Council Accredited”. This is a qualification that they need in order for the government to pay out its rebates. Even more important than that is you can be confident that they have been trained in the safe installation of Solar Power Systems. You can sign up for free solar quotes at various websites and compare the prices offered by them to install the solar panels.

Just to let you know that being a part of the world responsible for clean environment makes you feel proud. I am sure you will also like to be one of them.

About the Author: Christina is an expert in the field. For more information on Solar Power NSW, and Solar Power Rebate Please visit: http://www.solarquotes.com.au

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