Convert your Home to Solar Power
Modern society is very dependent on electricity for just about everything we do. So many of our modern devices plug into the wall and require electricity to operate. Every month we pay the utility bill not really thinking about where this energy actually comes from. The utility grid that feeds everyone their power gets its energy from various generation plants that often burn oil and coal to produce power. Nuclear power plants don't release greenhouse gas causing carbon dioxide like fossil fuel burning plants do, however they create deadly radioactive waste that pollutes for centuries to come.
Hydro power is the cleanest energy source but often it comes at the expense of various natural ecosystems. It turns out there is a source of power that gives us unlimited energy. It is the sun and sunlight can be converted into electricity through solar panels. Solar electricity has many advantages over conventional power plants, most notably it is a renewable resource that won't run out and doesn't destroy the earth in the process.
One other huge benefit to solar power is that the panels can be installed on site and electricity users do not have to rely on grid power for electricity. Not only does this save on infrastructure costs but once installed, it gives people essentially free electricity.
Before solar panels can be installed, an accurate assessment of a home's power usage needs to be made. This will determine the size of the solar array needed to provide enough electricity. Essentially, the total amount of power consumed in kilowatt hours is estimated and then an equal amount of wattage in solar panels multiplied by the amount of hours of full sun your site receives should be installed. Typically five hours of peak sun is common for most sites but cloudy areas could have much less, and sunny dessert highlands could have much more.
Solar energy can either be stored in batteries for nighttime use or pumped back into the same grid that previously sold you the power. The advantage of grid hybrid system is that you don't have to buy or maintain a battery system and extra power if you need it is available for purchase. If you make a hybrid system right and size your array large enough, you can actually sell back more power than you consume and make money from the utility. The drawback to these systems is that you have to be connected to the grid. For a truly off-the-grid solar solution, batteries store the power for nighttime use and an inverter converts the DC battery power in to AC that is used by most of our appliances.
As you can imagine, the more energy efficient your home is the less power you will require and therefore the smaller your solar array can be. This can add up to significant savings with just a little bit of energy conservation. Enough solar power falls on the earth to completely meet our electrical needs many times over. It is simply a matter of investing in the infrastructure to make this happen to save the earth and save money. Converting your home to clean renewable solar power is an excellent start.
Hydro power is the cleanest energy source but often it comes at the expense of various natural ecosystems. It turns out there is a source of power that gives us unlimited energy. It is the sun and sunlight can be converted into electricity through solar panels. Solar electricity has many advantages over conventional power plants, most notably it is a renewable resource that won't run out and doesn't destroy the earth in the process.
One other huge benefit to solar power is that the panels can be installed on site and electricity users do not have to rely on grid power for electricity. Not only does this save on infrastructure costs but once installed, it gives people essentially free electricity.
Before solar panels can be installed, an accurate assessment of a home's power usage needs to be made. This will determine the size of the solar array needed to provide enough electricity. Essentially, the total amount of power consumed in kilowatt hours is estimated and then an equal amount of wattage in solar panels multiplied by the amount of hours of full sun your site receives should be installed. Typically five hours of peak sun is common for most sites but cloudy areas could have much less, and sunny dessert highlands could have much more.
Solar energy can either be stored in batteries for nighttime use or pumped back into the same grid that previously sold you the power. The advantage of grid hybrid system is that you don't have to buy or maintain a battery system and extra power if you need it is available for purchase. If you make a hybrid system right and size your array large enough, you can actually sell back more power than you consume and make money from the utility. The drawback to these systems is that you have to be connected to the grid. For a truly off-the-grid solar solution, batteries store the power for nighttime use and an inverter converts the DC battery power in to AC that is used by most of our appliances.
As you can imagine, the more energy efficient your home is the less power you will require and therefore the smaller your solar array can be. This can add up to significant savings with just a little bit of energy conservation. Enough solar power falls on the earth to completely meet our electrical needs many times over. It is simply a matter of investing in the infrastructure to make this happen to save the earth and save money. Converting your home to clean renewable solar power is an excellent start.
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