How Does Solar Power Work?

As the electricity flows into your solar power electrical system, it is either used in your building or “sold” back to your electric utility service for later use. Your electric meter literally runs backwards when you are producing net energy and forward when you use it.

Your solar system produces more energy in the summer, when energy rates are highest, and you can bank excess energy credits to use when you need them within a one-year cycle. You only pay for your yearly net power usage.

CONVERTING SUN LIGHT TO ELECTRICAL POWER

Solar power cells convert sunlight into electricity, using the energy of speeding photons to create an electrical current within a solar panel.

Photons are created in the center of the sun by the fusion of atoms. It takes a photon about a million years to work its way to the surface of the sun, but once free it is hurled through space so fast that it reaches earth in just eight minutes - after traveling 93 million miles.

This tremendous energy from the sun is abundant, and has been powering the earth for billions of years - feeding plants, redistributing and refreshing water supplies and ultimately creating other forms of energy (such as fossil fuels) that largely power our civilization today.

Over the past several decades, scientists have been learning to harness this ancient energy source with more efficiency to do the work of non-renewable fuels - without pollution, noise or radiation, and not subject to economic whims that drive costs higher each year.

An interesting side note: Photons are also called quanta. They are literally "packets" of sunlight" . Albert Einstein got his Nobel Prize for his study of quantum mechanics.

Advantages  of Solar Panels

As solar energy becomes increasingly accepted as many people start to take note of the rapidly increasing global warming problems, it is important to weigh both the advantages and disadvantages of this renewable energy source. The main aspect of solar energy that differentiates it from other sources of energy is that it is free. The only cost is usually linked to purchasing the solar panels that are then used to capture solar energy. Discussed below are several benefits and demerits of solar panels.

Decentralizes energy production

Another vital benefit that solar panels provide is that it helps to decentralize production of energy, which leads to a more self reliant society. Gas, oil and coal used to generate traditional electricity is usually transported internationally or cross-country. This transportation is associated with lots of other additional costs, such as air pollution and monetary expenses. All these costs are easily avoided with the use of solar energy.

Benefit is appreciated by people living in remote locations of the world with limited access to the main power lines. On grid normally means that a home stays connected to state power grid lines. However, off grid does not require a connection to state power grid lines, so the home or business being powered will be solely relying on solar power. This will benefit those in remote regions since power costs, particularly installation, are usually very high.

Disadvantages of solar panels

Inefficiency in production
A common criticism of solar energy is that it is comparatively inefficient. Solar efficiency refers to the amount of radiation that solar panels can convert to electrical energy, which is roughly 20%. Hence, you require a large surface area so as to produce lots of electricity. Nevertheless, solar efficiency continues to improve steadily and it is expected to rise over the coming years.

Inadequate storage
Storage of solar energy is yet to reach its full potential. Even though there are numerous solar batteries available on the market, these are bulky and costly. Furthermore, these batteries are more suitable for small scale solar panels and not huge solar farms.

High installation cost

Capital costs associated with solar energy installation are very high. Particularly unhelpful is the high upfront costs of buying solar panels. Imagine paying upfront for roughly 25 years of power. That is an exceedingly disadvantageous aspect of solar power, especially during this period of recession where people are struggling to meet their daily needs.

Solar power and other green technologies help to get people thinking with a view to be more environmentally friendly. Many governments continue to encourage solar use by providing rebates, subsidies and tariffs. A good example is INDIA, which is a success story of how these measures can really work to benefit the society as a whole.

SOURCE COPIED FROM SOLAR TECH.COM