Solar energy works by capturing the sun’s energy and turning it into electricity for your home. The sun is a natural nuclear reactor that releases tiny packets of energy called photons. Photons travel 93 million miles from the sun to the Earth in about 8.5 minutes. There are enough photons that impact our planet as they generate solar energy. They can theoretically satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar technology is always improving and the cost of going solar continues to drop. This allows us to more easily harness the sun’s abundance of energy. In 2017, the International Energy Agency concluded that solar has become the world’s fastest-growing source of power, putting solar energy above all other fuels.
How Do Solar Panels Work for Your Home?
Let’s go over the science of how solar panels work. When photons make contact with a solar cell, they knock electrons loose from their atoms. If conductors are attached to the positive and negative sides of a cell, it forms an electrical circuit. Electricity is generated when electrons flow through such a circuit. Multiple cells make up a solar panel, and multiple panels can be wired together to form a solar array. The more panels you can use, the more energy you can expect to generate.
How Are Solar Panels Made?
Solar panels are made up of many solar cells. Solar cells are made of silicon, like semiconductors that are constructed with a positive layer and a negative layer, that together create an electric field, just like a battery. Strips of negative silicon, which have an extra electron and positive silicon that is missing one electron, are sandwiched together. This combination forms a photovoltaic cell. When multiple photovoltaic cells are placed side by side under glass, they create common solar panels. Within each solar panel is a conductive metal plate that is connected to wires that lead to a fused array combiner. Energy from the array is sent through an inverter and transforms the initial direct electrical current into the alternating electrical current required to power your home-
Factors Affecting the Performance of Solar Panels
1. Shade. Solar panels that are in the shade will not produce the same amount of energy as those that are in direct sunlight. Solar panels may not be an option is you have trees that create shade and can’t be trimmed, or your roof is sun-deprived.
2. Seasonality. Solar energy production will vary just like the weather. For example, a cloudy, winter day will not produce energy like a sunny, summer one. You will have to take the whole year into account when you consider solar panel installation.
3. Tilt. Solar panels benefit from good tilting. The direction your home faces, its location, and the pitch of your roof can all impact energy production.
4. Azimuth. The solar azimuth is the compass direction from where the sunlight is coming. The wrong azimuth angle can impact energy output of solar panels by 35%. The best choice is an azimuth of zero, which is facing the equator.
Solar Panel Installation & More in Agoura Hills, Reseda, Tarzana, Valley Village, North Hollywood, Encino, Studio City, Beverly Hills, Van Nuys & Sherman Oaks & West Los Angeles, California
Solar energy is one of the most affordable, renewable energy sources available today. Contact Anytime Remodeling to help you determine if solar panel installation is an option for you!