Solar panels that utilize the sun’s energy to power our homes are much more efficient, cost less, and are better for the environment than the continued use of fossil fuels. If your house is connected to the main power supply grid, you can use the residential solar power as primary power supply and use the grid’s power supply as a back up or as a supplement. Conversely you can use the main grid supply and have the residential solar power as a supplement or back up power.
Solar power panels for producing residential solar power are usually wall mounted or roof mounted. However, solar panels can also be installed on free-standing platforms or even on a tower that can rotate to follow the sun’s path. Lined with a semiconductor material that generates electricity when the sun’s rays pass through them, solar panels will work as long as they get enough sun.
Not all solar panels are like those great big square panels we have all seen at one time or another. You can now buy solar cells that are an integral part of the roofing material that offers the same protection as standard asphalt shingles while providing you with the means to generate residential solar power. That means you get a nearly invisible system which doesn’t detract from your home’s appearance.
How the electricity generated by the solar panel is distributed depends on your type of installation. If your home is not connected to the traditional power company grid this is called a stand-alone system. In a stand-alone system the electricity from the solar panel then passes through a regulator or controller, then into an inverter, which converts the power from being a direct current, into an alternating current that electrical equipment is built to operate on in the United States.
With some types of residential solar power installation, power from solar panels is routed to a power inverter, and then to a storage system, or else directly into your house’s electrical system, with any leftover power being sent to the power company. The electricity that is channeled to a storage system, usually one or several batteries can be accessed when needed. The current is routed through your home’s circuit breaker to provide the energy for your lighting fixtures and electrical appliances.
Numerous localities provide what is called “metering”, which transmits the excess power produced by the residential solar power system to the utility company’s grid. In effect, your power meter shifts into reverse so that they could in fact be the ones receiving an invoice from your household!
If you install residential solar power, there can be financial incentives at not only the state, but also the federal level. Some of these incentives include tax breaks, and low cost financing which can help offset most, if not all cost of equipment and installation. The best break might be that you will also see that your electricity bill has virtually disappeared.