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HOW DOES SOLAR ENERGY WORK

Find out about the clean and abundant source of solar energy.

Some may consider solar energy a mystery. If you’ve ever used a solar powered calculator, you’ve used solar power. There are many household items like calculators and outside lighting in use on a massive scale…and they all use solar energy.

With concerns about traditional fossil fuel sources of power, researchers have turned to alternative sources of power. Solar power is at the top of potential alternative power sources for the masses. While there is much discussion about implementing the use of solar power, many people still have the question, of how solar energy works.

Simply put solar energy works by converting sunlight into electricity. Solar systems use solar panels to collect the sun’s rays and convert that power to electricity. PV or photovoltaic solar energy works suing these solar panels.

There are many solar cells in a panel. When a photon of light strikes a molecule within the cell, an electron is knocked free. An electrical field causes the free electron to migrate to one side of the ceil. The accumulated effect of millions of the interaction generates electricity. Solar panels can be connected to provide desired levels of power.

Utility companies use photovoltaic systems to generate energy. The solar panels generate direct current electricity from the sun. An inverter then changes the direct current into alternating current (AC) which can be used by our in-house electrical systems.

Thermal solar works and provides heat for water or air. Thermal solar systems are used for residential and commercial use. Thermal collectors collect and store heat from the sun. In these collectors, the water, or air, whichever is being heated is circulated through a network of channels located in the collector. This air or water gets warm as it goes through these channels. Controllers monitor the temperature to stop circulation when the water or air is hot enough or there is no thermal energy available.

Many homeowners who have chosen to pursue solar energy are now using stand alone photovoltaic systems. A stand alone photovoltaic system consists of solar panels, batteries, and a charge controller. The solar panels generate DC (direct current electricity that charges the storage batteries. A charge controller keeps the batteries from being over charged. The batteries store the energy until it is needed. An inverter is added to convert the DC in to AC so our standard electrical system can use it.

No matter what type of solar energy system you are considering there are definite advantages to using solar power.

Do your homework and choose your system and your installer carefully. Then after your initial investment is recouped, you are using “free” energy from the sun. What could be better?

WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY? Solar energy (SE) is being used more and more to replace traditional forms of energy. The sun burns hydrogen at its core, thus releasing huge amounts of energy.	SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY Solar thermal panels have different classifications by the US Energy Information Agency; the three different classifications are low, medium and high temperature collectors.
SOLAR ENERGY HISTORY Today there is a renewed focus on solar energy. More people are recognizing the need and the advantage of solar power.	HOW IS SOLAR ENERGY USED? In the last decade, many new technologies have been adapted to help us take advantage of the massive power of the sun.
SOLAR ENERGY FOR HOMES STOPS HIGH POWER BILLS More and more people are realizing the benefits of solar energy for homes. Twenty years ago solar power cost seven times as much as it does today.	PASSIVE SOLAR ENERGY Passive solar energy to put simply uses sunlight for energy without mechanical systems.
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM Using solar energy systems for home use will reduce your energy bills for the life of the system.	SOLAR ELECTRICITY Everything from a pocket calculator, to a car, to your home can be powered by photovoltaics or solar electricity.
ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY There are many advantages of solar energy, though solar energy is a fairly new source of renewable energy, it is a very clean way to produce energy in our energy demanding world.	THE FUTURE OF THE SOLAR ENERGY With costs of other sources of energy consistently becoming more and more expensive, the choice of using the sun’s “free” energy is becoming more and more mainstream.
PASSIVE AND ACTIVE SOLAR ENERGY Incorporating passive and active solar energy systems into new homes and building will save thousands on energy costs.	WHAT IS THE COST OF SOLAR ENERGY? With energy costs continuing to rise, more and more homeowners are considering the use of solar energy.
LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT SOLAR ENERGY Solar energy facts prove it is the best source of inexhaustible power.	PORTABLE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM Solar energy is becoming much more accepted as an alternative energy source to our traditional fossil fuels.
SOLAR ENERGY ADVANTAGES The most important advantage is that solar energy is a renewable source of energy. The sun will always be there, being we require the sun for our own life, if it wasn’t here we wouldn’t be here either, right.	INTER TIE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM This kind of solar energy system is becoming more and more popular due to the government incentives increasing, as well as the rising prices of natural gas and fossil fuels.
RESIDENTIAL SOLAR ENERGY This is an active way of using solar energy. Passive on the other hand is using large windows, heat conducting tiles, fans, trees, and other such devices to heat a home.	OFF GRID PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS The batteries are for storing the energy not used during low periods of consumption. A system monitor will display battery charge, panel output, and system performance.
SOLAR ELECTRIC ENERGY Solar energy technologies such as heat and light from the sun, along with solar-based resources like wind and wave power, as well as hydroelectricity account for most of the available renewable sources of energy today.	GRID TIE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM A grid tied system can be configured two different ways. The first is to set up your system with solar panels with or without wind generators and connect them to a battery bank.
ON GRID SOLAR ENERGY Ongrid solar energy is by far the cheapest form when compared to off grid solar energy. By generating your own electricity you reduce your electrical bill and in some cases may generate money by running the meter backward.	SOLAR ENERGY ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Fossil fuels have an advantage in that they hold more readily released energy than a solar panel can collect. If you install a solar array on your house you most likely won’t bring it with you when you move.
LEARN ABOUT SEVEN MYTHS OF SOLAR ELECTRICITY As solar electricity gains in popularity and more people investigate its potential, there have come misunderstanding and myths. There are seven main myths about solar electricity that need to be dispelled.	HOW IS SOLAR ENERGY USED? The sun’s heat and light is one of the most powerful resources to touch the planet.
SOLAR ENERGY PANELS Solar energy panels are made of photovoltaic cells, can consist of tubes for heating water, or air heaters.