The Benefits of Home Solar Power

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The Benefits of Home Solar Power

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Posted: Oct 24, 2009 |Comments: 0

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The Benefits of Home Solar Power

By: Detlef Warner

About the Author

Detlef runs BudgetSolarStore.com where you can find out more about solar products and how solar power works

(ArticlesBase SC #1374928)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – The Benefits of Home Solar Power

Solar power systems have been around a long time but have really improved in recent times. The years of research and experimentation have given many distant communities an alternative and renewable source of electricity. Even homes connected to power grids are having solar power installed and benefiting from the continuous advancements of its applications.

Solar power provides an ideal source of electricity. It is clean, renewable and does not pollute the surroundings. In sense, it is virtually inexhaustible. However, producing electricity from solar energy is a complicated process. It makes use of solar thermal principles to effectively and safely generate and distribute sun-sourced electricity.

The common misconception with solar power is that most people think that it is cheap since its raw ingredients are free and renewable. The solar power systems that are typically installed for home use are also called photovoltaic systems or PVs. A PV system is in fact a wise investment although the initial installation costs can be quite high. Some do-it-yourself types can install their own systems fairly cheaply but others would be compelled to shell out around ,000 to install one system. Let’s take at look at what’s involved.

Typically, the system has four major parts; the solar panels, charge controller, battery pack, and inverter.

Solar panels are commonly seen as a flat plastic material that is comprised with wafers of silicone. It is what produces current out of the sunlight that strikes on its surface. A system makes use of a number of solar panels to form a module, which maximizes the current produced by the system. A house would need about 10 square meters of unshaded solar modules to be fully sustained with solar power. A good designer is needed in installing solar panels for he is skilled in creating the mounting frame which is typically angled in the manner that the panels can maximize their exposure to solar energy.

The battery pack is what stores or retains power within a solar power system. Usually, it can last for years with proper maintenance. Be careful of handling PV batteries for they can become very dangerous because of their acidic electrolytes.

Charge controllers regulate the voltage and current flow to the batteries to keep them charged. They can also keep the batteries from being damaged through overcharging or warn the operator in the event of undercharging. This way, it regulates the risks of damaging the system’s battery, which happens to be a major solar system operations safety concern.

The direct current that is generated by the solar panels and stored in batteries needs to be converted to standard 120/240 VAC electricity. The device that does this is the inverter. The inverter connects to the electrical panel, also know as the electrical service panel or breaker box. From here power is distributed throughout the home. Meters measure the power being consumed in KW, or kilowatt-hours.

Home solar power systems can be completely “off-grid” or “on-grid”. Off grid homes are not connected to the public utility grid at all. The are completely independent and may use a gas-powered generator as a backup. On grid systems are tied to the public utility grid and may use it some of the time. Such systems can also be used to sell excess solar power back to the energy company.

A solar power system can cost a considerable amount of money, but it will pay itself off over time. However, it needs careful planning as well as at clear site to operate successfully. More importantly, it needs to be installed, operated and maintained by the right team of people to work smoothly. There are a lot of factors to be considered with solar power. But one thing is sure; it remains the most promising alternative energy systems for the home

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(ArticlesBase SC #1374928)

Detlef Warner –
About the Author:

Detlef runs BudgetSolarStore.com where you can find out more about solar products and how solar power works

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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/the-benefits-of-home-solar-power-1374928.html

Article Tags:
home solar power, solar energy, batteries, inverter, controller, grid, alternative energy

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