Solar Energy Power

Wh­at do you need to power your house with solar energy? Although it's not as simple as just slapping some modules on your roof, it's not extremely difficult to do, either. Solar panels need to be inclined at an angle as close to a homes position or latitude as possible to absorb the maximum amount of sunlight energy year-round. You can find weather data that gives average monthly sunlight levels for different geographical areas on the internet and use that to determine where to put solar panels and how many you might need for a certain amount of energy. The electricity generated by a solar system is direct current, so you'll need an inverter to convert it into alternating current. All your household products and appliance use alternating current or AC and the inverter is a necessary part of the system. Solar cells have become widely used in many applications and as prices fall and energy prices surge the technology and materials needed will become more accessible to homeowners. Solar cells will be a required part of an integrated home hybrid system and will be a key part of home energy use.

Solar for the Home

There is much talk about different sources of energy these days and what we can do to reduce our "carbon footprint." One of the most talked about sources of power is the solar cell. They've been around for a long time but have been known to be expensive and complicated to integrate into a household system. Falling prices are starting to make home solar power more attractive but the initial outlay for such a system is still more than the average homeowner can afford. Solar cells produce power by using silicone to capture the photons put out by the sun's rays. The photons excite electrons in the silicone and in the process of electron movement we get voltage and current. Ever changing technology has given us little advancements in the efficiency of solar cells to date but the percentage keeps getting higher as time goes by. Solar is still the most expensive of alternative power systems. However it is being used throughout the world to produce power and will have a place in the coming home hybrid system.

How Much Power Do You Need?

After you have taken a look at your home's insulation, you should assess how much power you have been using. You can look at your power bills either hard copies or online and do a good comparison from years past on a monthly basis. When thinking of Hybrid Energy for the home a great question to keep in mind, how much power do I need? The typical bill will tell you the amount of power you have been consuming and what part of your household is using it. Most homes consume most of the power for A/C and heating. We tend to keep our homes at about the same temperature year round regardless of the outside weather and this is what costs us the most. Any type of heating usually will consume the most power since it takes amperage to produce heat, using more electricity than any other type of usage. Once you take a good look at your power usage over a period of a year you can get a good understanding of what you might need to do to reduce power consumption in certain areas and where you can possibly add passive or hybrid solutions to reduce your costs.