What Are Solar Panels?

Have you ever wondered, “What are solar energy panels?” and “How do they work?” Well here is your answer.

Solar power panels are devices designed to capture the sun’s energy and turn it into useable electricity. They are made of silicon, and are usually rectangular and dark colored. Now, in order to understand how they work we need to discuss a little chemistry. But I promise its not too complicated, I’ll make it simple.

Solar panels use silicon because it has four electrons orbiting it when in its natural state, though it has room for 8.

One silicon atom can combine with another silicon atom to create a bond, sharing each others four electrons. But that doesn’t create electricity because the two silicon atoms exactly fill each others capacity of 8 (4 electrons each); there is no positive or negative charge. In order to create electricity, you need to have a positive or negative charge.

So, to create electricity you need to create a flow of electricity from negative to positive, meaning you need to combine silicon with another element. If you take silicon and combine it chemically with phosphorus (which can give 5 electrons), you will end up with one extra electron the silicon/phosphorus molecule doesn’t need. This creates a negative charge. But in order to get electricity, you need a positive charge to attract this electron. The flow of this electron from negative molecule to a positive molecule creates electricity.

To create a positive charge, silicon can be combined with an element with three electrons to offer, like boron. This means that’s there’s one open spot for an electron (Silicon has 4, boron as 3, leaving one spot open). When that one extra electron around the silicon/phosphorus molecule moves into the open spot around the silicon/boron molecule, electricity is created. But, that electron won’t go there willingly; it needs the sun’s help.

Sunlight has many different particles of energy, one of which is the photon. These photons hit the silicon/phosphorus atom and knocks that extra electron right to where the positive silicon/boron atom can suck it in.

As this continues to happen to atom after atom, electricity is generated.

So what happens to that extra electron that got thrown out of one “negative” home and thrown into the “positive” home? Well, child services comes along and takes him back to his original home, so that the process can start all over again.

And that is how solar energy panels work.


Introduction To Solar Power Lights

Solar power lights are a great option for your home. They help take the burden off your electric bill and help you harness the power of the sun. There are many solar power light options, some of them quite intricate in design. Here I want to discuss 2 simple lighting options for your home: Solar power LED’s and compact fluorescent bulbs. Now, you might be wondering why I’m including fluorescent bulbs in a discussion about solar lights, since they aren’t solar powered, but I’ve found that the effect fluorescent bulbs can have on your energy demands is so great that I felt the need to include them here.

Solar LED Lights

Solar LED lights, which stands for Light Emitting Diodes, can turn themselves on when it gets dark and turn themselves off at first light, and they do not require a timer. They’re great because they can take their power from the sun during the day and offer light at night. These types of lights are often used for lighting up a garden, walkways, and other places you would like to add nighttime ambiance to your landscape.

It’s important to realize that an LED light is not the same as a light bulb. Rather, an LED is a light-emitting chip surrounded by crystal clear solid resin. LEDs give off the whole spectrum of light, which means they contain all the light frequencies that daylight does. This is vital because humans were created to depend on these “complete” light sources. In those times our intake of proper lighting is not sufficient, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) syndrome often develops. This is very common in areas where daylight hours are just a few hours for some of the year, or for those in other parts of the world who are prone to live much of their day under partial-spectrum lights.

Advantages of using solar lights in your home

Here are a few reasons solar energy lights should be considered by everyone:

  • The use minimal energy
  • They are highly efficient with the energy they do use
  • They have a high level of luminosity
  • As explained above, you can expect a long operating lifetime

You can expect high quality lighting with a reasonable investment. Furthermore, they are suitable for any application.

Compact Fluorescent Lights

Compact fluorescent lights can save you a lot of money, while helping the environment. Combining compact fluorescent lights with solar energy system can a powerful combination, even if the bulbs cost more than standard bulbs. Over the long run, compact fluorescent bulbs require much less energy and last much longer. This makes them a better investment than standard bulbs.

Many people don’t like compact fluorescent bulbs because of the light they put off. For a long time these light bulbs gave off a harsh white light that wasn’t pleasant to the eyes, especially compared to the warm light of the incandescent bulbs everyone was used to. So, many people stopped using these bulbs and went back to incandescent lights. Which is unfortunate, because incandescent bulbs are extremely inefficient. But fortunately today that’s changed. They have fluorescent bulbs that give off a much warmer light that is virtually identical to incandescent bulbs, which is great because they use a lot less energy! So you can get great light and energy savings all at the same time.

For the most part, you will find they will give you between 10 and 15 times longer service than standard light bulbs and use only 25% of the energy. That means that 4 fluorescent bulbs use the same power as one incandescent bulb.

The average homeowner would conserve more electricity than they realize, with only four compact fluorescent lights in their home. According to one calculation, four bulbs would prevent 1072 lbs of carbon dioxide from being dumped into the atmosphere.

As you can see, solar power lights and compact fluorescent lights can have a dramatic impact on your energy consumption. These little options can go a long way in lowering your electric costs and helping to keep the environment green.


An Overview Of Solar Power Costs

A lot of people have heard about solar power and all it’s advantages, but they’ve also heard that solar power costs a lot of money and doesn’t make a whole of since from a financial stand point. Well, that’s not true anymore and in this article I want to dispel some long-standing rumors about solar power while establishing the truth.

The truth is that solar technology has decreased in price dramatically over the past 30 years. It is now an affordable option for many people. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, solar panels were very expensive and the only reason people bought them was because of federal incentive programs. Once those programs ran out, solar panels became too expensive for most people.

But that’s changed today. Solar panels are still not cheap, but they are cheaper, and there are a new round of federal and state incentives to go solar, making this the best time ever to invest in a solar power system. Lets take a look at some numbers.

Today, full-scale system can cost you anywhere from $8,000 all the way up to $50,000, depending on how much electricity you want to generate. Now, you might be saying: “That’s a lot of money, I thought you said solar power wasn’t super expensive anymore?” Well, that’s just the upfront costs. Most systems have a 25 year warranty and will generally pay themselves off within 10-15 years, meaning you’ll get 10-15 additional years of free electricity. And depending on how much energy prices change, a system could pay for itself even faster. Not only that, but if you generate more electricity than you use, you can sell it to your power company for a profit.

Also, there are lot of incentive programs out there that can slash thousands of dollars off your system’s price, making it even cheaper. Some programs, such as those in California, will reduce your costs by up to 40%, cutting your costs nearly in half. Furthermore, when you add a system to your house, generally it will pay itself off immediately in home equity.

Anyway you look at it, its a great time to go solar. You may have to put down a sizable investment upfront, but it will certainly pay for itself, with return. Look at it this way, many people are willing to spend upwards of $30,000 for a hybrid car, which the EPA estimates would take 9-10 years to pay off in gas savings. And cars only account for 11% of the greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere, while homes account for 40%. If you’re going to spend thousands dollars on an option that will save you money, and help the environment, which is the better investment? I think the choice is clear.

Solar power is the wave of the future, so why not jump on board now and start making a better tomorrow? I hope this article help you better understand cost of solar power and how solar power can really help you save money and help the environment at the same time.


Solar Power Benefits

There are a lot of solar energy benefits for your home. Solar power has been increasing in popularity for years and many people think it will be a major source of power in the years to come. The larger truth sometimes escapes people in that there are a lot of solar energy advantages not evident on the surface.

The price of many traditional energy increases every year, so solar power can be harnessed in almost any location, and is also environment friendly.

It’s sad that so often, homeowners overlook solar power, thinking it will cost too much or require too much expertise to operate. The reality is much different. It is not as difficult to install a solar power system in the average home as some people think. Not only that, but the systems will reduce your dependence on the power company, which will save you money. Finally, you will sleep better at night knowing you have helped to save the planet.

Harnessing the power of the sun is the one of the best options for anyone looking to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. The majority of the Earth’s inhabitants have a great deal of sunlight available.

A full-scale solar power system is one of the best ways to take advantage of solar power. Here are some of the benefits:

  • You can breathe easier, knowing your power consumption doesn’t pollute the earth. In fact, solar power is clearly at the top of the “Earth-friendly” energy generating methods that exist. It’s a green option.
  • This is a power source that will never run out. The sun rises everyday without fail, which means you have an endless supply of energy for your entire life. This is in contrast to fossil fuels we currently depend on. At some point in the future, though no one knows exactly when, we will deplete our supply of oil and other fossil fuels, but we will never deplete the sun.
  • The cost of upkeep for solar power systems is quite low. Once the system is installed, there’s really nothing to do except enjoy your new solar powered home. Also, they generally run problem free for 20-25 years, and many of them have a 25-year warranty on them. So if anything does go wrong, it can be easily fixed.
  • Solar energy can save you money. Once the system is paid off, you’ll be enjoying absolutely free electricity, meaning you’ll no longer have to pay the power company for electricity.
  • You are free to generate as much energy as you want. As a bonus, if you generate more electricity than you use, you can sell it back to the power company. So, not only do you get free electricity, you can actually get paid for what you generate.
  • You have the choice of buying pre-made solar panels, or you may decide to construct them yourself. You can control the cost depending on the actual methods used and the materials you employ.
  • Installing residential solar power systems is generally not complicated. Though not the easiest thing in the world, many kits come with very good installation guides that make the process as easy as possible. Also, there are a growing number of local businesses that can install them for you. Even though it can cost you more money, the work is then generally guaranteed.
  • Over the course of several years, you will likely find that watt-for-watt, solar-generated power is cheaper than that your purchase from your power company. It is a good investment.

There are a lot of solar energy benefits and advantages today. If you’re looking into lowering your electrical bill and helping the environment, then I would seriously urge you to look into solar power for your home. I hope you’ve found this article helpful in your hunt for new home energy options.