Enough Sunlight Hits The Earth In 8 Hours To Power It For An Entire Year
HOW SOLAR ENERGY WORKS TO POWER YOUR HOME
OWN YOUR OWN POWER THE CLEAN, RENEWABLE, SUSTAINABLE WAY.
1. SUNLIGHT & SOLAR PANELS
When photons from the sun hit the negatively charged top layer of solar panels, electrons get knocked loose. Those free electrons are drawn into an electric field between the negative top layer and the positively charged semi-conducting silicon of a photovoltaic cell, creating a flow of direct current (DC) electricity.
2. POWER INVERTERS
Since AC power is the standard for household appliances, the DC current from solar panels needs to be converted before being added to a home’s power supply. A power inverter is wired in to create a gateway between the solar array and the home’s main electrical panel.
3. ELECTRICAL PANELS
To add solar energy converted to AC current into a home’s power supply, the main electrical panel gets new wiring and circuit breakers. With the new solar power supply wired in, the electrical panel distributes the power to the other circuits throughout the home.
4. YOUR POWER METER
Rewiring the power meter attached to your home to track electricity flowing both to and from the house provides an easy solar energy storage resource. This tracking and billing arrangement, called "net metering," enables utility companies to monitor the power customers add to the grid and fairly credit them for the power they produce or accurately bill them for the power they withdraw.
5. THE POWER GRID
Solar panels produce the most electricity in the middle of the day when demand is low. For most homeowners, it makes sense to stay connected to the power grid so they can use it to store surplus solar power during the daytime and draw needed power at night when their solar panels are inactive.
6. MOBILE CONTROLS
Maximizing the convenience and cost savings of solar power depends on optimizing a home's energy efficiency. The power inverters we install come with a mobile app that provides an intuitive control panel, allowing customers to check energy production, monitor consumption, and adjust settings from anywhere.