5 Things You Should Know About Solar Panels

Solar panels can help you save energy in your home. The solar panels will capture the light from the sun and turn it into usable energy. Solar panels are often installed on the roof of a home. When they are used on a large scale they can be installed in a field and provide power to nearby structures. There are 5 things that you do not know about these solar panels or how they work.

1. Calculations

When you are looking to install solar panels on your home you are going to have to do some calculations to find out how much energy you need and how much of your energy can be provided with solar panels. You will also need to know how much sunlight you can expect in your area on an average day. An average home uses 14,000-watt hours in a day. You will need an estimate of 354 square feet of solar panels in order to keep up with the household. This will allow you to lower the cost you are paying for electricity by as much as 90 percent.

2. Price

The solar panels themselves do not cost an insane amount of money. The panels will cost around $16,000 for the average home. The battery storage system and inverters are going to cost a lot of money. These items will cost around $32,000. In order to reduce your cost, you need to start by reducing the amount of energy that is used in the home.

3. Developments

Solar energy was first developed in 1876 when it was discovered that light was able to make electricity. In 1953 the silicon solar cell was created. This showed that solar energy could be harvested and it could be used. At this time the solar energy was so expensive that it was only discussed with the rich.in the 1990s solar energy became more popular and was used on remote homes where power lines were not available. Modern solar panels have been shown to be more efficient and can be used in households. Solar shingles can also be used on the home to provide energy.

4. Grid vs. Off Grid

The cells of the solar panels will collect sunlight and turn to be able to use heat energy to create electricity. The energy can be used immediately or it can be stored in the cells. If it is cloudy out this stored energy can be used since additional energy will not be produced. If there is net metering being this will allow the home to get energy. You may wonder what is net metering? Net metering is put into a grid that will be able to handle the energy needs of the household.

5. Mostly Maintenance Free

Once the solar panel has been installed on the home, it does not require a lot of maintenance. The equipment does not move and for the most part, it will be fine when left alone. The panels are durable and they can handle the weather conditions including snow and even hail. This probably leads you to wonder how long do solar panels last? Most panels have a warranty of 25 years. There are some parts that may need a little upkeep. If you have a solar generator on your home, that is where most of your upkeep will go. You will need to replace the battery at one time. It may take years for this to happen.

Conclusion

These are some things that you should know about solar panels. They can save you energy but you need to gather all the information on these panels before installing them on your home for the energy savings.