What Is Solar Energy How Do Solar Panels Work?

Are you curious about the technicalities behind the terms "SOLAR ENERGY" & "SOLAR PANELS"? Not an issue, if you are not a technical bird then this blog is for you, my friend.! Are you searching for "What is solar energy?" and "How do solar panels work?" Then, let me assist you in the green world of solar energy. 

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What is Solar Energy?

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Do you know that the Sun is the most plentiful source of energy that we have? It's about 4.6 billion years old, with another 5 billion years of Hydrogen fuel to burn in its lifetime. Yes, you heard it right.! Having such a plentiful source of energy is truly a renewable source that won't run out in a lifetime. Solar energy works by capturing the Sun's energy and heat (sun rays), converting it into electricity. This conversion takes place without releasing any harmful by-products or greenhouse effects. We can use this electricity for our home. Some residential uses of solar energy include lighting, water heating, charging, hot water, cooling, and many more, saving a lot of electricity bills. Okay, clear about what is solar energy & saving electricity bills? Let's move on to understand "How do solar panels work?" and "How solar rooftop energy works? I hold the answer to your question.

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How Solar Panels Work?

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There are a few steps to understand:

Step-1: Sun's energy is collected. Just as a human, you need the energy to work and so you collect energy into your body by consuming healthy foods. Similarly, solar panels firstly receive sunlight. The solar panel contains Photovoltaic cells/solar cells. Here, you might be wondering how visible light turns into electricity? This conversion is done by Photovoltaic cells/solar cells. A photovoltaic cell is a specialized semiconductor diode that converts visible light into direct current (DC).

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Step-2: Transforming DC to usable electricity. But wait.!! Can a DC power your electricity? No, it can't, so what the next amazing thing that converts solar energy to usable electricity is? Converting Dc into usable electricity is done by Inverters. Inverters convert DC electricity that is generated by solar panels, into AC (alternating current)efficiently. That's a great principle that powers your residences. But what's next? Let's have a glimpse at the next step.

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‍Step-3: Electricity flows through your home with a solar meter. Electricity flows from an inverter to your residence through a solar meter. With the installation of solar panels, a solar meter will also be installed. This Solar meter ensures and grabs any unwanted issues, measures the production, accesses the produced power, and for sure controls your power production. But what if it's not a sunny day? What if it's a rainy day? How will the solar panel catch the sunlight & will render power to our home? Indeed, we have the answer to this.

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‍Step-4: The electrical grid connections to the home. As we all know, solar panels can capture the sunlight, convert and power it during the daytime. We use electricity for the entire day.!! So, you might be questioning, "How does our residence get electricity at night?" or "What if it's a cloudy or a rainy day?

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That's what we call a grid connection. Solar meters are connected to the grid. When solar power is overproduced or when it is a sunny summer day, it's pretty apparent that solar energy produces more power than you use.

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What to do then?

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The unwanted solar energy is sent to the grid connection of whatever company you use. The grid connection helps us to use electricity even at night when we're not producing electricity. Also, we can use the stored solar energy at other times when we're in need. Examining the most common issues that people hold about solar adoption, offering a solution to this is a game-changer nowadays. Solar meters and a grid connection help you fix your obstacles.

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Where To Harness Solar Energy? And What are the Types of Solar Systems?

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Got an idea of what solar energy is and how solar panels work? Now, you might be wondering where to harness the solar system in any residence? Let me answer you. There are millions of homes and commercial buildings that have rooftops and receive abundant sunlight every day. But, still, they are paying electricity bills, wasting their money and the space on their roof. Rooftops are ideal for harnessing a solar energy system for your home or a commercial building. Utilize the space & the sunlight at this moment.

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What are the types of Solar Systems?

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There are three types of solar systems:

On-Grid

Off-Grid

Hybrid System

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On-Grid System: In an On-Grid solar system, the access power generated by the solar panel is fed to the utility grid-connected to the panel, which helps you to use the electricity at night or in any undesired circumstance and also helps you to divide the power amongst people in your area. However, these systems are cost-effective and do not require additional expense.

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Off-Grid: While in the Off-Grid solar system, batteries are used to store the access power. These systems render power for critical load in rural and remote areas and the areas with frequent electricity cut-offs. However, these practices require functional pieces of machinery, which are not cost-effective at all.

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Hybrid System: Whereas, in Hybrid solar systems which is a combination of On-Grid and Off-Grid solar systems where off-grid owns a utility backup power and on-grid holds battery bank. But these systems are more costly and also limit the usage of devices depending on the capacity of hybrid inverters. Because of the analyses and complexities of different solar systems, when it comes to installing a rooftop solar system, an On-grid solar system is forever acknowledged to be the best one with high utility backup and cost-effectiveness.

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Why Choose Solar Energy?

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• Advantages of Environmental Benefits: Greenhouse gas and fossil fuel emissions decrease.
• Cost Savings: Reducing electricity bank bills, also offering long-term savings.
• Energy Independence: Less reliant on the utility grid.
• Scalability: Can be used in applications, from residential rooftops to large solar farms.

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Conclusion:

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It is not just another way of generating power- it's essential for a sustainable future. Solar Panels are integral to capturing this energy, providing a clean, efficient and renewable method to fuel our world. With the continuous growth of technology, solar systems are progressively affordable and effective, and they are a viable answer for every person.