| ou Know? You can create energy efficient solar | | | | high temperatures, in order to generate residential |
| powered home even if you don't know much about | | | | solar energy. |
| an alternative energy. Find out how. | | | | The basic items of all photovoltaic cells are the solar |
| In the present day world, most countries agree that | | | | panels. However, these cells also need a flexible, |
| concentration of greenhouse gases in the | | | | mounting structure because this helps ensure that |
| earth’s atmosphere has reached dangerous | | | | the panels receive as much sunlight as possible. The |
| proportions. Hence, the need to reduce these gases | | | | sunrays are effectively trapped, and DC current is |
| is recognized by one and all. Since the traditional fossil | | | | obtained as output. An inverter is kept in tow that |
| fuel based power sources release vast amounts of | | | | converts the DC output to usable 120 volt AC |
| these gases which contribute to global warming, | | | | electrical power, quickly and automatically. Any surplus |
| countries have opined that only solar energy must be | | | | amounts of electricity should be kept in reserve, so |
| used to generate electricity. In the US considerable | | | | that they can be used at night. This is done by the |
| efforts are being made to introduce residential solar | | | | storage appliances of the system. A charge |
| power in homes. For example, the “Million | | | | controller, that can be easily used, is also provided, so |
| Solar Roofs program by 2017”, attempts to | | | | that the battery performance can be maintained at |
| convince every home to opt for solar power by the | | | | the optimum level. |
| year 2017. | | | | Those who use photovoltaic cell solar panels find |
| How can residential solar energy be made available to | | | | grid-tied panels to be much more advantageous. |
| homes? Two alternative ways spring to attention at | | | | Indeed, being connected to the utility network has a |
| once. The first is the traditional way of placing solar | | | | couple of clear cut benefits. Firstly, and very |
| panels at such points so that they receive maximum | | | | importantly too, all unused and surplus amounts of |
| sunlight for most parts of the day. These solar panels | | | | electricity produced by the cells can be resold to the |
| are generally made up of photovoltaic cells. | | | | utility (or, the grid). As a result, savings on electrical |
| Residential power can also be made available by | | | | expenses receive a great boost. Indeed, it is not |
| changing the basic pattern of the construction of a | | | | uncommon to find the entire charges on electricity |
| house, in which the solar panels are present in the | | | | being offset by the money earned by selling the |
| edifice. In case the traditional method of setting up | | | | surplus electric current generated by the solar panels. |
| solar panels is preferred, we need to look at the | | | | Secondly, these cells ensure that enough power is |
| different varieties of their constituent photovoltaic | | | | available even when the sky is cloudy (solar power |
| cells. | | | | generation is low) and during nights (when there is no |
| The Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell panel comes with a | | | | solar power generation). |
| plate glass surface that is transparent, a back layering | | | | Off-grid domestic solar power also finds considerable |
| of Tedlar, and uses, as encapsulate, ethyl vinyl | | | | usage, chiefly in homes at faraway lands, log cabins in |
| acetate (EVA). These components are arranged | | | | forests as well as in tents set up in wildernesses. |
| properly by the exterior aluminum frame. Now, as | | | | Usage of propane, diesel or gasoline can be made to |
| soon as sunlight hits these solar panels, the organized | | | | power these engines as a last resort, when other |
| structure of the atoms results in the sunlight being | | | | options do not succeed. Considerable battery |
| transformed to DC power. This DC output is then | | | | backups are required by these hybrid off-grid |
| converted to usable 120 volts of AC electricity, by | | | | residential solar energy generators. This ensures that |
| using inverters. The battery banks present in these | | | | adequate power can be drawn upon, during the |
| panels help to store away any surplus electricity that | | | | nights, as well as during a cloudy day. |
| might remain. This unutilized electric current can then | | | | Governments, both at the federal and the state |
| be sold off to nearby utilities, provided the panel is | | | | levels, are considerably encouraging the usage of |
| grid-tied. | | | | residential solar energy in all homes. Solar power uses |
| The Thin Film Solar panel, on the other hand, is a | | | | a freely abundant raw material (i.e., sunlight). Nor are |
| cheaper solar panel. Its lower price is mainly due to | | | | there any running costs of using solar energy. In view |
| the lower amounts of semiconductor materials used | | | | of all these benefits, more and more people are |
| in manufacturing them. The three basic working | | | | gradually starting to use solar power for domestic |
| models of these solar panels (viz, the amorphous | | | | purposes. |
| Silicon (a-Si), the cadmium telluride (CdTe) and the | | | | It is good to find a reference manual on residential |
| copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) ) all can | | | | solar power because this comes in as very handy. |
| function at high efficiency levels. These panels can be | | | | Such a manual will include details regarding how to |
| put up directly on the roofing shingles of houses, and | | | | install a residential solar energy system, the ideal part |
| this gives the modular design of the house a decided | | | | of the home to do so, and the ways to get hold of |
| boost. | | | | free batteries and relatively cheaper accessories that |
| In order to obtain a two-fold yield (when compared | | | | are required in the system. The manual would also |
| to the traditional solar cells), a combination of the thin | | | | explain the wiring mechanism and provide adequate |
| film technique and the crystalline silicon cells, termed | | | | safety advice too. Armed with all this information, |
| the ‘String-ribbon’ is used. This solar | | | | you are sure to find it very easy to set up your |
| panel makes use of a molten process, conducted at | | | | residential solar power system and use it too. |