HOW SOLAR WORKS
What is Solar Energy?
Solar energy is power derived from the sun's radiation. This energy can be converted into electricity and used directly in the home for heating/cooling and lighting.
How Does Solar Energy Work?
Solar panels, made up of photovoltaic cells, capture sunlight and convert it into DC electricity. When sunlight hits the panels, the photons in the sunlight knock electrons free from atoms in the semiconductor material, generating an electric current.
Solar panels produce Direct Current, or DC, electricity. Most homes can’t use DC electricity, so it needs to be converted into alternating current, or AC electricity. That’s where solar inverters come in - the DC electricity produced by the solar panels connects to the solar inverter where it is converted into AC electricity.
The AC electricity can then be used by your home appliances such as your refrigerator, lights, and TV and more!
What is Solar Plus Storage
Solar-plus-storage systems, sometimes referred to as hybrid systems, are solar panel systems that are connected to both the grid and an on-site solar storage system. During the day, your solar panels power your home. When your system produces more solar power than your home needs, that energy is sent to your battery instead of back to the grid. You can then use that stored energy when your panels aren’t producing enough electricity to meet your energy needs, reducing the amount of electricity you take from your utility.
The Solar Process
Electricity comes to the home from the Utility lines.
Solar panels are installed on the home, other permitted structure or ground mount.
An inverter is installed that converts the DC Current to AC Current.
The electricity created from the solar system is connected to the Main Service Panel and Battery and the electricity is used in the home.
Any electricity your home doesn't use is sent back to the grid. The utility company gives you a credit and those credits can be used at night or at times when your system doesn’t produce as much power. If you have a battery your excess power is stored in the battery so it can be used for backup power or self consumption.
The utility company installs a NET Meter so they can track the production of the solar system. Any electricity you use over and above what your solar system produces will be purchased from the utility company.
Summary
Solar energy, harnessed from the sun's radiation, is transformed into electricity by solar panels containing photovoltaic cells. These cells capture sunlight, generating DC electricity converted to AC electricity via solar inverters for household use. Solar-plus-storage systems allow excess energy storage on-site, reducing grid reliance. Installation involves panel setup, inverter connection, and linking to the main service panel and battery. Surplus electricity, if not used or stored, is credited back to the utility provider. Importantly, one of the most significant benefits of solar installation is the potential for substantial cost savings over time.
