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THE SCIENCE POWERING YOUR HOME
Want to know how solar power works? Knowing that solar technology is safe, convenient & cost efficient for your home is enough for most Energy Initiative customers.
Understanding the technology you invest into your home is important to understanding the true value of solar panels & battery storage from Energy Initiative.
The Energy Initiative nerds tell us they did their best to make understanding how solar power works to power your home easily understandable.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SUN
Over 93 Million miles away is a giant ball of gas burning at around 9,941° F that is the original source for all known energy found on Earth.
A 4.6 Billion year long urge to explode with energy only countered by it’s overwhelming mass & gravitational force pulling every attempted escape back to it’s center.
Escaping this never ending nuclear conflict is a mixture of tiny particles, most important of which to solar power generation are the photons.
How does a relatively tiny bit of plastic, millions of miles away on earth, generate electricity from these charged photon particles?
HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE SUN
Photovoltaics is just a nerdy way of saying “Solar Panels”. Light is to solar panels what wind is to a sailboat. A clean, renewable, safe & cost effective way of harnessing power.
The photon particles found in sunlight heat up the silicon in the solar panels, allowing the electrons inside to move more freely to generate a small electric current.
Line up enough electrons in this current & you generate electricity. If you generate more energy than you can use, we recommend you consider a Battery Storage device.
With the electricity converted into AC, it can now be used to power your home, business, or be fed back into the electrical grid. Here’s how it works:
Local Usage: Any electricity generated by your solar panels will first power your electrical needs. If you produce more electricity than you consume, the excess is sent to the grid.
Net Metering: When you produce excess electricity, it’s often credited to your account through a process known as net metering. This allows you to offset your electricity costs when your solar system generates more energy than you use.
Grid Connection: If your solar system is grid-tied, it remains connected to the grid. This ensures you have a stable power supply, even when your solar panels aren’t producing electricity (e.g., at night).
Energy Credits: Excess electricity sent to the grid can earn you energy credits or financial compensation, depending on local regulations and your energy provider.
To maximize the benefits of solar energy, many homeowners and businesses opt for energy storage solutions, such as batteries. These batteries store excess electricity generated during the day for use during the night or during periods of low sunlight. Energy storage enhances energy independence and ensures a consistent power supply.