What is Solar?
If you think about the most abundant resource in our world? Hint: it is not fossil fuels. If you guessed the sun, you are correct. The sun’s energy in a year timespan is double the amount of energy produced by all energy sources combined. Not harnessing this massive supply is a missed opportunity for mankind. Additionally, the harmful effects of irrigating, mining, and artificially producing energy sources are entirely mitigated with this approach. However, the methods to capture it have iterated over time to improve efficiency.
Let’s start on the fundamental level, just like plant matter and human life, solar energy is captured through cells. Most of these cells are created on silicon compounds.The basics of this process include energy from the sun exciting the cells in the solar panel, and following a pathway created by junctions within the cell-network. Once the circuit fires, the continual movement from the electrons produces a constant voltage. This particular movement is known as DC, or direct current energy.
Have you heard the phrase someone “lives off the grid”? This means that they supply their own energy and do not need to rely on public supplies of electricity. Solar can be both on the grid or off – which makes it unique. If you plan on tapping into community electrical systems while also using your own supply, you have the best of both worlds. During the day if you begin producing more electricity than you can use, it actually gets sold back to the electricity company! If you are fully off the grid, you don’t have any connection to the external power supply. If you remember from our previous paragraph, DC energy cannot be used immediately as a power source. A converter must be present to convert DC into AC energy, which is then utilized by the building’s circuit.
Solar’s History
While the advent of solar power has been around almost as long as the history of mankind, the solar we know today has only been readily available for the past few decades. Even still, it has been refined and harnessed in ways that are easier and extremely low emission. From simple solar batteries placed on roofs in the 19th century, to high complex structures that can power city blocks. Prices for solar panels have dropped substantially over the past few decades, leading to a surge in consumer demand that has produced more than one million U.S. installations as of early 2016. In 1956, solar panels cost roughly $300 per watt. By 1975, that figure had dropped to just over $100 a watt. Today, a solar panel can cost as little as $0.50 a watt. Consider this: since the year 1980, solar panel prices have dropped by at least 10 percent every single year.
Benefits of Solar
Ostensibly, solar is extremely cost effective and even better for the environment. As mentioned previously, leveraging solar as part of your power system for your home can have monetary benefits and reduce your carbon footprint. Let’s dive further into how this benefits your life and the planet.
- Reducing your bills
Everyone wants lower bills. Heck, we want bills gone altogether! The good news with solar is that it can reduce the number of bills hitting your bank account. By implementing a solar energy system in your home, you can reduce the dependency on traditional power sources that cost money. As mentioned earlier, you can even sell power back to your area’s power company when your meter runs backwards during times of high energy-production or with battery backup you can store the energy for black outs and night time use. Typical solar panel systems end up paying themselves off in 5-10 years; and incredible investment for your pocketbook and the environment.
- Earn tax rebates
Tax season is about to be more fun when you take advantage of the wonderful tax benefits being a solar owner brings. The most common form is a tax credit, which is put towards your refund or your tax bill every year. This ranges between 20-30% (this year it is 26%) of the cost of the system.
- Help the environment
Arguably the most important part of being a solar owner is knowing that you are single-handedly making a great difference for the environment. This includes preventing toxic greenhouse gasses from entering our atmosphere, preventing water sources from being contaminated, and eliminates possible disasters like oil spills from ever occurring again.
Want to make solar work for you? EV Nation is at the forefront of bringing accessible solar power to homes across the region. Let us help you make the switch, you won’t look back!