Solar energy is considered to be the most popular alternative energy source. In recent years, the cost of installing a solar panel system to run the power in your home or business has reduced up to 70%. With the introduction of the federal tax credit, installing solar panels is even more of a desire for homes and businesses alike. However, how does solar energy work exactly?

Solar Panel Composition

A solar system is made up or many solar panels. The number of individual panels in one system depends on a number of factors such as the amount of space you have, the amount of electricity you want the system to produce and how much money you want to spend. Each panel in the system is made up of silicon sheets that are protected by two pieces of anti-reflective glass, metal framing and insulation. The anti-reflective glass allows the silicon panels inside to collect the most energy from the sun and the insulation helps to regulate the temperature of the panel and keep out condensation. without the insulation the panels inside would heat up and this can have a negative impact on the amount of energy each panel produces. Inside the panel, there are two silicon sheets, one positive and one negative. The silicon sheets are made up of single silicon cells that are either mono-crystalline or polycrystalline. Mono-crystalline cells are generally more expensive, but they are also more effective producing solar energy. These cells are also known as photovoltaic cells. The cells within each panel collect photons from the sun and convert these photons into direct current, or DC, energy.

DC to AC

Nearly all homes running off the normal power grid supplied by the local energy company are supplied power via AC, or alternating current. Therefore, there are two options for conversion. The first option is to install one central inverter on the back of one panel in your system. Although this is the cheaper option, this can have a detrimental effect on the performance of your overall system. Although the more costly alternative, the smarter decision is to install a small inverter on the back of each silicon panel. Regardless of the choice made, these inverters then convert the power collected from DC to AC. A wiring system then collects the energy of each panel in the system and sends it into your home to provide power through your existing energy meter.

Weather and Net Metering

You may find yourself asking, "What happens if the sun isn't shining?" This is a legitimate concern in winter months, on cloudy days, and at night when the sun is just not as abundant. The answer for this concern is the process of net metering. When your solar panel system is installed it will be wired to the old electrical meter on your home. The meter will read how much energy is being produced by your system and how much energy your home needs to use for power. The excess energy your panels are producing feeds into the normal electrical grid shared by everyone. For every amount of energy your system produces you get a credit with the electric company. These credits can then be used to power your home when your system isn't getting all it needs from the sun. Depending on the weather over the course of the year, you may either end up with a credit or a bill at the end of the company's fiscal year.

Leaps and bounds have been made in the cost and availability of solar power. This makes is the leading contender for people that want to have less of an impact on the environment in addition to saving money. Take the time to fully understand how it all works and research the cost before make this big decision.