Solar Panels For Homes? – What Are They And Why Are They So Popular?

The popularity of solar panels for homes has increased so rapidly in recent times that the producers of solar panels are struggling to keep up with demand. So, what are they, and why are they so popular?

Solar Panels For Homes – Two Types To Choose From

Solar panels for homes come in two types. ‘Solar thermal collector’ solar panels focus their resultant solar energy directly into a liquid medium which is normally water. This heats the liquid thereby storing the energy in the liquid to be used later.

Photovoltaic solar panels are the more common type of solar panels for homes. By converting the sun’s energy directly into electricity, this energy can be stored within a battery to be used later or distributed directly through an electrical appliance.

Of course, solar panels for homes are not new. They have been around for decades. We’ve seen them in calculators and on watches. Solar panels have been heating swimming pools for years. Increasingly larger, more efficient solar panels are being used more and more in homes and offices.

Solar panels produce a clean, alternative energy source to the traditional fossil-fuel generated electricity. Little wonder then that solar panels are becoming so popular. Indeed, even the National Grid use solar power from solar panels these days.

Solar Panels For Homes – How They Work

Solar panels for homes harness the power of the sun and convert it into electricity.

Each solar panel consists of a group of semi-conductive cells that absorb the sun’s light extremely efficiently. Most often made of crystalline silicon, solar panels tends to be made as a set of layers with a clear protective layer at the top, a few layers of silicon cells and a lower layer that tends to be a kind of polymer backing.

In order to convert sunlight into electric energy, the top layer is set up to be electrically negative while the lower level is made electrically positive. Thereby electrons in the silicon cells that are separated by the sun’s rays will pass from the top to the bottom layer. Passing over the electrical contacts in the top layer and routed through a circuit, in that way electrical power is produced.

Why Solar Panels For Homes?

There are many very good reasons for installing solar panels in your home. Top of the list is the huge savings you will make on your utility bills. These savings will come over time. In the short term there will be in initial outlay. The amount depends on how much of your electricity needs you want to channel through the solar energy route.

These days most local government bodies provide tax breaks, rebates and other financial incentives to install solar panels for homes. Don’t be put off by the paperwork. The savings can amount to 50% of your total costs and sometimes even more depending on where you live.

Also, don’t expect the installation of solar panels for homes to solve all your energy problems on their own. By installing Energy Star appliances and energy efficient cooling and heating systems you can make your home not only efficient, but eco-friendly as well.

Solar panels can play a huge part as they are a great way to conserve energy and resources. Many people feel good that they are reducing their carbon footprint. Solar panels give out next to no carbon dioxide. They reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 1.2 million tonnes per annum.

Also you get to know yourself as being a family that is free from the National Grid. By installing solar panels to power your home throughout, things that previously seemed out of your control like unexpectedly increased electricity bills and sudden power cuts all become a distant memory.

Also, with the extreme costs of piping energy out to remote areas, solar panels are perfect for those houses situated in remote areas. Some utility companies charge as much as $80,000 per mile to extend a power line. In this situation, the case for solar panels for homes becomes is undeniable.

So that’s it for now. I hope I’ve explained the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of solar panels for homes. Hopefully it will encourage you to look closely at making that investment. Why not get on the phone to your local dealer and make that initial investment right away? Yes, even you can go solar power for homes today!

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

–

The Trackback, /solar-power-for-homes/solar-panels-for-homes-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-so-popular
by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Be Sociable, Share!