Find Out How Solar Works

By: Inge Kesteren Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Solar cells, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells, allow us to use the sun’s energy to create electricity without noise, pollution, breakable constructions or fossil fuels. For that reason you will not have to fret about utility rate increases any longer and you will live green. Allow me to tell you first how solar works.

The battery
Solar PV systems come in two types: with battery and direct. On a day with high sun intensity the batteries of your PV system will be charged. Standard battery systems for country houses and off-grid systems produce somewhat less electricity (18 kilowatt hours) than the general household energy usage (20 to 30 kilowatt hours). Luckily, a battery installation is not only used in off-grid homes they can be found in a grid connected house as well, for when the sun doesn't shine..

If you want to know how solar works, you must bear in mind first that you can't just plug your solar system into your house wiring. The voltage of your solar panel varies widely because of the changing solar intensity. This would blow away your house equipment as it´s very vulnerable to energy changes. Batteries, inverters and transfer switches are pieces of a special equipment you can use too avoid this. To protect the inverter, batteries absorb the fluctuating energy output and work as a storage system as well.

You don't have to use a battery when you stay in an urban area and you can be connected to the grid. But I advise you to consider it though, because it might come in handy. There are a lot of things you can power with the electricity of the sun through the grid connection, like a dishwasher..

With home made solar panels you can't bring the unnecessary electricity back to the grid. Therefore you will want a battery-bank. This is just the way how solar works.

Although a PV panel generates energy while the sun is shining, there are other items, besides the batteries, wanted to conduct, control, convert and distribute the produced energy.
Which items you will use is completely up to you and depends on the system you use. You would however definitely need an inverter that changes our stored Direct Current (DC) power from our batteries to alternating current (AC) that your electrical devises at home use.

Inverters
A bank of batteries will usually offer you 12volts, 24volts, or 36volts, whilst grid power is usually at 240volts. The inverter multiplies the 12,24 and 36 volts into 240volts necessary to the home electric devices. A ‘true sine wave’ inverter send a harmonious flow of electricity to your devices, just like the flow which comes from the grid. This flow is required because it protect the sensitive objects which stand in your home and use a dimmer or speed controller. This is essential when you want to know how solar works.

If you decide to decrease your electricity bill and be sure that you won´t have to pay the ever increasing electricity rates, than you could go to local solar contractor or to install the panels by yourself.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Check our site for the latest Review of the Best Guides for Homemade Solar Panels if you decide to build the panels yourself. Also check out our #1 from this review: the Earth4Energy manual. Marly Kester (the author) is an expert in renewable energies and energy efficiency for ENERFY.