How Solar works

An exampleYou've probably seen calculators with solar cells -- devices that never need batteries and, in some cases, don't even have an off button. As long as there's enough light, they seem to work forever. You may also have seen larger solar panels, perhaps on emergency road signs, call boxes, buoys, and even in parking lots to power the lights. That is Photovoltaic energy at work.

Photovoltaic energy

Photovoltaic energy is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current results that can be used as electricity.

Cells to Panels to an Array

A number of solar cells electrically connected to each other and mounted in a support structure or frame is called a photovoltaic module. Panels are designed to supply electricity at a certain voltage, such as a common 12 volts system. The current produced is directly dependent on how much light strikes the panel. Multiple panels can be wired together to form an array. In general, the larger the area of a panel or array, the more electricity that will be produced.

Solar Panels

So you saw the way a panel, or an array, is "pieced" together. Solar cells convert sunlight into electricity through a process where light energy in the form of a photon strikes the solar cell, creating a small amount of electricity, as you already know. However to collect energy from the sun, solar panels need a few materials under the glass to harness the sun. Here are a few of different types of thin film coatings: Amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), Copper-Indium Selenide (CuInSe2), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Multi-junction Cells, Dye-Sensitized Thin Film Solar Cells(DSSC), and Organic/Polymer Thin Film Solar Cells.   All these coatings are used to absorb sunlight and form into energy. Which can be used to power your home, however there are a couple more steps before your running your toaster off solar.

The Inverter

This energy generated by the panel, in the form of direct current (DC), is transmitted to the inverter. The job of the inverter is to convert the DC power the solar panel has generated to alternating current (AC) that is transmitted on the grid. The inverter converts DC to AC by using two switches which convert the positive only DC power to an alternating positive to negative AC power. The inverter will then step up the voltage from 12 volts to 120 volts, which is the voltage used throughout the US electrical grid. This conversion of voltage is what allows a 12 volt DC solar polar to be tied into a 120 volt AC grid.

The Utility Meter

The meter takes the amount of 120 volt AC energy your cells have created and measures it in the form of kilowatts (kW), with each kilowatt being equal to 1,000 watts of energy. To understand how much energy is within a kilowatt, to generate one kilowatt, a 200 watt solar system would have to operate at peak efficiency for five hours.As the electricity is transferred from the inverter to the grid, the utility meter measures the amount and at the end of the month the power company compares the amount of electricity you use against the amount you added to the electrical grid.

Grid-tied Solar

Grid tied solar means that your solar array is directly connected to your utilities grid. Your array acts like a generator and produces energy that is first used by you and any extra is sold to your electric utility. If you're generating enough electricity to support yourself then your electric bill is considerably lower. However if you use more energy then your solar array generates, your utility will bill you for the difference (net).

Off the grid solar

Off the grid solar is when you install a system and are no longer "attached" to an electrical company. They don't meter you and if you can't generate enough solar to support your home, you either have a generator or you're living in the dark till the sun comes out and can recharge your system.  The energy you receive from your solar array, feeds a charge controller, the charge controller monitors the attached battery bank to maintain fully charged healthy batteries. The inverter draws DC power from the battery bank  and creates 120 volt AC to feed the electrical loads from your home.

Global Green Energy Corp.

Global Green Energy Corp. designs, manufactures, markets, and installsinnovative renewable energy solutions for the residential and commercial USmarkets.We accomplish this mission by:1. Using sustainable business practices,2. Providing local employment,3. Creating local and regional alliances with the public and private sectors,and,4. Building a local manufacturing and installation model that can be replicatedon a national scale.Our core environmental and socially responsible values include three basic principles:• Educate ourselves and empower others.• Use less, create more.• Invest locally. For more information visit www.ggec.co or ask one of our representatives.

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