Home > Learning Center > Solar panels
Solar panels
The use of solar panels is not a new concept, but those who began using these items early in their development may not be able to recognize these things based on how they now work.
The sharp increase in energy bills over the last couple of years has forced many people to scramble to figure out how to keep their bills under budget. In some places, electricity bills have increased more than 50 percent since 2005.
Because of this, many people have come back around to re-try solar energy. Others are trying it for the first time. Whereas the first kinds of solar panels were large and very noticeable, today’s panels are small enough that many people don’t know that they are looking at one unless it is pointed out to them.
The solar panels that were used on the roofs of homes 15-20 years ago were typically several feet wide and several feet long. The ones that are used on roofs today almost appear to be larger versions of shingles. A typical panel could be about 3-4 feet long and about a foot or two wide.
The only thing that gives these panels away as being something other than normal roofing is the shine that the sun reflects onto it. That, and of course, the tiny energy bill that the home has thanks to it.
Experts say that a house can expect to reduce more than 60 percent of energy costs if the owners have decided to use solar energy. And, not only can these items save you money, they could also – in principle – make you money.
In many areas, the electricity companies are required to offer credit back to the consumer who uses solar energy, depending on how much energy that home creates. Therefore, what can happen is the meter can actually move backwards, thanks to the credit the homeowner is receiving. This process is called net metering.
Basically, what happens with net metering is the extra energy that is produced is placed back into the main utility grid and the electricity company essentially “pays” people for it by offering the aforementioned credits. It is actually possible for meters to go negative of zero if people conserve enough energy. This is how people can actually “make” money.
However, this is the exception and not the rule. Typically a person would have to be very careful with conservation to actually see a profit and in most instances, what most think of as being a profit isn’t even possible.
That is because even though the energy company essentially is buying the energy from the consumer, the way that it typically works is they just continue to offer you more credits. These credits can build up over time and be used over a long time as well, if there is enough energy “bought.”
And, thanks to these newer designs and capabilities, solar energy just might be much more reliable in places outside of the sunny states like Florida or Arizona. Actually, many who deal with these panels believe that very soon they will be available for use in the states that have short days and lots of wet weather.
They say the main reason for this is simply because these newer solar panels are more efficient than the ones that were used several years ago.
Because energy is at such a premium right now, there is always the risk of a blackout, particularly during the summer months when many are using air conditioners. Those who hope to avoid such a situation may choose to utilize a solar power system with a battery back-up.
This would keep a home’s electricity running, even if all of the homes around it were dark and hot without electricity. Time will tell if the experts are correct in predicting the rise of solar panels, but there are many fed up homeowners with large electricity bills out there who are hoping the experts are right.
One current and pressing event that is pushing people toward setting up solar power systems in their own homes is climate change. To learn more about fossil fuels and their effects on climate change, check out:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange
Solar fountains | Alternative energy | Learning Center | Site Map | Links | Contact | Home
©