Solar panels are designed to capture energy from the sun, channeling it to an inverter that converts it to electricity to power your home or business.
A solar panel system is made up of the following components:
- Solar Panels: With proper installation, solar panels directly convert the sun’s rays into direct current (DC) electricity. These panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells that are strategically placed on your home’s roof to capture direct sunlight
- Inverter: When the sunlight hits a solar cell, its photons convert into electrons of DC electricity that flow through an inverter where they are converted into an alternating current (AC) power. This is the electricity you use to power your home.
- Electrical Panel: Once sent from the inverter, the AC power is sent to an electrical panel (commonly known as a breaker box.)
- Net/Utility Meter: This meter helps consumers track how much solar power is produced throughout the day. When you accumulate more power than you can use, the meter works in reverse and sends that power to the utility grid, offsetting the energy you utilize at night.
- Utility Grid: Your home or business will still be connected to the utility grid because it will need to draw power from it at night. However, the cost of using the grid’s electricity is offset by the amount of energy you generate throughout the day.
So how does a solar system work?
- The photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight to electricity
- The inverter converts the direct current electricity (DC) into alternating current electricity (AC.)
- The electrical panels send power to your lights, appliances, essentially anything you use electricity for.
- The utility/net meter measures the energy you draw and feed it back to the grid.
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