Solar Energy at Home - Saving Money and Energy Using the Sun

Rising utility costs and growing environmental concerns have made household energy efficiency more important than ever. You've replaced all your incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs, sealed every last gap and crack around your doors and windows, and replaced all your outdated appliances with modern, energy efficient models. But what else can be done to decrease your home's energy usage? One increasingly practical option is to harness the power of the sun.

 Home solar power has seen a surge in popularity in recent years with good reason; a properly sized and installed system can substantially decrease or even eliminate your electric bill, saving money in the long run and decreasing your home's carbon footprint. There are two main types of solar energy systems for home use: photovoltaic (PV) systems, which use silicon semiconductor cells to generate electricity from sunlight, and solar hot water systems, which concentrate sunlight in order to heat water for use in your home.

Photovoltaic systems are centered around an array of panels, typically installed on a rooftop and angled toward the south to maximize sun exposure. They work by capturing photons from the sun and generating an electrical potential through the photovoltaic effect. 

These systems produce DC, or direct current, so they require an inverter to produce AC power to be used within the home. Modern PV systems require no bulky and inefficient batteries, and can be connected directly to the grid using a special meter which will be installed by a qualified professional. These systems produce lots of energy during the daytime, often outpacing the home's electricity usage. 

In this event, the meter runs backward, subtracting kWh off your bill. In this way, a PV system can be beneficial even if most of your energy usage is at off-peak hours. Due to their complexity, they must be professionally installed.



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