Guest post from RamboMoe at preparedforthat.com
Solar energy is on the way in. In a world with ever-increasing oil and gas costs, and ever-decreasing costs of solar energy technology, the day will come (maybe even soon) where solar energy becomes competitive with more traditional forms of power.
Solar power offers some distinct advantages. It’s totally renewable, so you don’t need to worry about fluctuating commodity prices or the eventual depletion of a resource. It’s totally clean, so you’re not contributing to carbon emissions and general environmental degradation. And it has the potential for energy independence, allowing you to separate yourself from the modern electrical grid should you choose to do so.
This is a general introduction into solar energy- how solar power systems work, the parts involved, and a broad look at the costs. We’ll begin with your first choice to consider: on-grid vs off-grid systems.
ON-GRID SYSTEMS
In an on-grid system, solar panels collect energy during the day, supplying your household with the energy it needs. Any surplus energy produced is sold back to the city’s electrical grid, for which you are paid for (through what is known as a Feed-In Tariff). In the evenings/nights/overcast days, when your solar panels aren’t producing enough energy, your household takes energy off of the grid in the traditional manner. You, of course, pay for this. An on-grid system can save you money, or even turn a profit, depending on how much energy your system produces and how much of it you use.
OFF-GRID SYSTEMS
Off-grid systems are a little trickier. They’re designed to be independent of the electrical grid, and completely self-sufficient. This mean they alone must produce all of a household’s energy needs. Larger solar panels are needed, as is a battery system to store the excess power for evening/night use. A back-up generator is also a good idea for such a system, to help get through lean times.
Because of the increased needs and extra hardware, off-grid systems tend to cost significantly more than on-grid systems.
HOW A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM WORKS
A solar power system, when simplified, consist of 3 parts- the solar panels, the mounting system, and the inverter.
SOLAR PANELS
The solar panels are where the sunlight is converted to energy. Solar panels are usually made of silicon, which gives off electrons when it comes in contact with sunlight. These electrons are then harnessed and converted into the form of electricity used in the home.
There are few common forms of solar panels used today.
Single crystal modules are the oldest, most effective, and most efficient (running at 10-17% efficiency) form of solar panel. They have a dotted or octagon shaped appearance, the kind you see on satellites and the Mars rovers.
Poly/Multicrystalline modules are the next best, at 9-14% efficiency. They are the blue-colored panels you often see on residential and commercial buildings.
Cheaper and less efficient forms of solar modules are string ribbon (7-8%) and thin film (5-7%, the kind used on solar calculators).
MOUNTING SYSTEM
The mounting system controls the angle of your panels to maximize the sunlight they receive. This can be as simple as being a metal holding bracket that faces due south (in the Northern Hemisphere) and holds the panels at the most efficient angle (a stationary solar panel should lie at the same angle as your latitude, so a solar panel in New York City at 40 degrees latitude should be at a 40 degree angle). It can also be very complex, with a computer mechanically adjusting the angle of the solar panels every 15 minutes to truly maximize the energy received.
INVERTER
The current produced by solar panels is direct current (DC). To be used by household appliances, it must be converted to alternating current (AC). This is what the inverter does. Unfortunately, 5-10% of the energy is lost in this process. The cooler the inverter stays the more efficiently it operates, so a fan and heat sink are a wise idea.
THE COST OF SOLAR PANELS
It’s impossible to say exactly how much a system would cost you, as there are so many factors involved (climate, energy needs, country you live in, just to name a few). As a rough guideline, though, a solar power system for an American household would probably cost between $7500 and $25,000, with the average household spending just over $10,000. Installation would cost another 10-20% on top of this.
The US government offers a tax rebate program of up to 30% of the total cost of installing the solar power system. This program is in place until 2016.
SOME RANDOM NOTES:
Solar panels are rates by peak watts (STC), their peak wattage output. These are in ideal laboratory conditions, so expect actual output to be 80-90% of this.
While summer has longer days and therefore more hours of direct sunlight, solar power systems work best at lower temperatures, and snow reflects sunlight, making the output in summer and winter closer than one would expect.
Good luck and stay prepared!
Read more from RamboMoe at preparedforthat.com
Keep preparing! Angela
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If you want solar, better buy now from panels that are in stock. The Department of Commerce has already started slapping tariffs on any panels coming from China. See this story: http://preparednesspro.com/breaking-news-good-bye-affordable-solar-panels/ and http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/18/business/la-fi-china-solar-dumping-20120518.
Thank you for this post! I have recently been looking into cooking with solar energy, through solar ovens or cookers, and eventually I would love to incorporate solar energy into my home. I didn’t realize that if you are on the grid, you can actually sell some of your excess power to the electric company! That is very cool! Thanks for the good information!
Solar is various things. If you mean photo voltiac panels then you are incorrect. Generally speaking it takes more energy to create and deliver a PV solar panel then you will ever get from it. Where the appearance of PV costs coming down and electricity costs going up comes from is government interference. Our government subsidizes it and the Chinese government subsidizes it so much they sell the panels for less then it costs them to make them. And yet with all that subsidy you will never get enough electricity out of them to pay what they cost you. Coal is the cheapest way to generate electricity. Ironically, china has the largest PV manufacturing facility in the world and they power it with a dedicated coal power plant. If PV was actually practical they would power the factory with a huge array of PV panels. PV is one of the least efficient and least green ways to generate electricity but wind is a close second.