Nick Kelly has rightly said about solar power, “The whole idea of the solar project is to do something useful and replace dirty energy with clean energy.”
Unless you are fully off the grid and your solar energy system includes battery storage, you will still receive an electricity bill. However, the amount can be significantly reduced with a solar panel system that matches your energy requirement.
How many solar panels do you need to power your house? Depending on location and roof size, the typical homeowner will need 28 – 34 solar panels to provide 100% of their energy usage.
Solar-powered electricity is measured in Kilowatts hours (kWh). Do you know that most solar panels have approximately 225-watt capacities, with the ability to generate 15-20-watts per square foot?
Ted Turner has rightly said, "Even if we didn't have greenhouse gases, we're going to have to move away from fossil fuels, as we're going to run out. They're finite, whereas solar and wind are infinite."
One of the best things about solar panels is that once installed, they don’t need much maintenance. You will only need to make sure they’re clean and not shaded by anything.
According to the International Energy Agency, solar energy will meet the demand for power supply of almost one-third of the world’s population by 2060.
“I have no doubt that we will be successful in harnessing the sun's energy. ... If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago.” - George Porter
Crystalline silicon cells launched by Bell Labs in 1954 were the first successful photovoltaic (PV) technology. In fact, they remain the most common PV cells in use even today.
What is the purpose of solar batteries? Solar batteries allow your solar panels to offer power during night time and shady weather as well. These batteries can use either lead-acid or lithium-ion technologies.
The Ivanpah solar electric generating system, the largest concentrating solar power facility in the United States, uses about 3,50,000 mirrors that focus the sun's rays on three 459-foot-tall, heat-collecting "power towers." The system can generate up to 377 megawatts of electricity.
How long do solar batteries last? Residential solar battery units can last anywhere between 5 to 15 years. Some of the factors that affect solar battery life are type, usage, temperature, and maintenance.
Solar systems can last for up to 35 years, and it can be costly to remove and reinstall if you need to replace your roof. Hence, if your roof needs maintenance, complete it before getting your solar system installed.
A solar-powered home can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 100 tons within 30 years. It can reduce approximately 5 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 8 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and more than 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each month.
South-facing roofs with little to no shade and enough space to accommodate a solar panel system are ideal for installing a solar system. However, even if your home doesn’t have the ideal solar roof, there are workarounds in many cases.
According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2014, California became the first state to generate more than 5% of its annual utility-scale electricity from solar power.
In the U.S. and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, all solar panels face south because the sun will always be along the southern part of the sky. Because of this positioning, solar panels are able to absorb more energy.
While it’s true that solar panels are not as efficient on a cloudy day, it doesn’t mean they don’t work at all. In reality, solar panels are still 40% efficient in an overcast environment.
An inverter is essential for a rooftop PV system to work. It is needed to convert the direct current produced by the solar panels to the alternating current required by most household appliances.
Do you know that pollution affects as many people as HIV or malaria and has serious effects on older adults, children, and all living plants and animals? Since solar power produces no pollution, it is good for your health.
In the last decade, the cost to install solar power has fallen by more than 89% and it is expected to continue dropping in the coming years as well. In fact, the cost is anticipated to decrease until 2050!
Did you know photovoltaic solar energy is the only type of electricity generation that doesn’t require moving parts? They require very little water to keep surfaces clean.
