The sun transmits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. When this radiation is absorbed by the solar cells, a chemical reaction occurs, causing rapid electron movement. Because of the way the cells are manufactured with layers of material with differing atomic structures, the electrons are forced to move in one direction, creating direct current, or DC. It then flows into an inverter which converts the DC into alternating current, or AC, to be usable in your home or business.

And the best part is that sunlight is abundant and infinite, unlike fossil fuels which are definitely limited, not to mention are subject to rate changes.

It depends on how much electricity you use. Two homes the exact same size will use different amounts of electricity and therefore require different size systems. Major electrical loads within a home are air conditioners, electric heaters, pools, and other heating elements or motors.

That being said, an average 2,500 sq. ft. single-family home uses about 5,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. A 3 kilowatt (AC) system will generate nearly all the electricity required for such a home on an annual basis. Sometimes a PV system can be installed that is slightly over-sized to allow for the possibility of a growing family or other factors that may play a part. When a system overproduces electricity, the unused portion is fed back into the grid and will actually be credited back to your utility account in a program called net-metering.

The actual amount of electricity produced is dependent on how much solar energy reaches your site. An optimally located array would face south and have nothing obstructing the sun’s rays from reaching the solar panels, such as trees or other structures that produce shading.

Think too about your energy goals: are you interested in completely eliminating your monthly electric bill (minus standard utility connection fees) or just make a dent in the bill?  System size will then vary on how much electricity you intend to produce.

Businesses are also very unique in their energy needs so everything must be factored in to calculate the size of system needed.

Actual system production can easily be calculated by a Solar Consultant with a free site analysis, or we’d be happy to provide you with a free quote over the phone: 868 740 – 6488

Today, solar costs less than traditional electricity in many markets, whether you choose to pay as you go or purchase the system. We offer a range of financing options, which makes going solar simple and affordable

Solar panels generally require very little maintenance since there are no moving parts. A few times a year, the panels should be inspected for any dirt or debris that may collect on them. Always make sure you are safety conscious when inspecting panels and don’t take any needless risks! If your panels are too high up on the roof to see very well from the ground, use caution with ladders.

For a general cleaning, simply use a standard garden hose to wash the face of the panels during either the early morning or in the evening. Avoid spraying cold water onto hot panels or you could risk cracking them!

There are also automated cleaners that work similar to sprinklers, such as the Heliotex system, which can be programmed to clean your panels as needed – a good choice if you are in an especially dusty area.

The Solar Company offers solar panel cleaning services – please contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our professional cleaners. This is a better choice for panels that are too high to reach well with a garden hose or if you want a more thorough cleaning.

Standard solar panel maintenance is the best way to make sure they are always producing efficiently.

During the day, the sun shines brightly and solar panels get busy absorbing rays and generating electricity. But what happens when the sun goes down? Can solar panels work at night?

Even though solar panels are not actively producing much at night (maybe just a little bit if the moon is bright enough), appliances are still getting power in your home. How?

Your home is connected to a main utility grid. Think of the grid like a giant bank that you can draw power from or even deposit power to from your solar power system. During the day, extra power that your system produces but doesn’t use gets sent back into the electric grid that everyone shares. Your utility company will pay you a set amount for energy that you “sell” back to them. And during the nighttime when your system is not producing enough to power your appliances, you can draw power back from the grid. This process is called net-metering.

For some areas that do not have an efficient electrical grid to rely on (such as rural  areas), a battery back-up is also a good choice. Power is generated during the day and then banked in the batteries to be used when needed. This is a great option for agricultural systems.

Solar power technology is ever-expanding and who knows if maybe someday we’ll have panels that can generate 24/7. But for now, we’ll stick with net-metering!

A common question we get asked is:

What happens to my solar power production when it’s cloudy?

Well, obviously light equals power, so the more direct light the panels receive, the more power will be produced. Which means less direct light will produce less amounts of power. Bright, sunny days will contribute to your system working at peak capacity. But on a day with thick cloud cover, power production will be much lower than average.

Besides direct light, solar panels will also absorb diffused light and albedo, or reflective, light. As an example of diffused light: a cloud may briefly cover the sun, but we still receive light from the whole sky. That light, though not directed in a beam towards the panels, will still be absorbed. Power production will be reduced by about half, but will not come to a complete standstill. Panels can also absorb reflective light from shiny or light-colored surfaces, such as we see with bodies of water or snow.

An unusual phenomenon also exists when there are patches of cumulus clouds drifting through the sun’s beams. Called the edge of cloud effect, as the sun peeks out of the spaces in between the clouds, the direct light combined with the reflective light will briefly boost your panels’ power production. The increase is relatively small and short-lived but interesting to note. Most inverters allow for this brief surge of power so there is little danger to your solar panel system.

As a case study, one of our customers discusses his experience with his solar power system production during cloudy/rainy conditions.

Solar Panel System Components

The Solar Company’s solar power systems consist of an array of solar panels (or modules), a mounting system, and an inverter with a computerized solid-state controller. The solar panels generate DC electricity directly from sunlight. The inverter converts the DC electricity produced by the solar panels into AC electricity to be usable in the home. The computerized controller also regulates the solar power system and ensures peak performance. A standard system is designed to stop working the moment there is a power interruption. In applications that are not connected to the grid or require back-up power, batteries are also required.

Solar Panel Installation

For most customers, residential or commercial, the roof is the best location for solar panel installation. It usually already has the structural specifications that the solar panels require. All that is needed is mounting hardware and appropriate flashings. If the roof is not applicable or desired, various other mounting options are available, including shade awnings or ground-mount options (i.e., standard ground-mount, ground pole, or trackers).

Most utilities in California currently offer net metering, which effectively allows you to bank your energy until you need it, virtually eliminating your electric bill.

Net metering lasts for a whole year, so you can build credit in the summer for those darker winter days. It measures the difference between the electricity you buy from the utility and the electricity you generate with your solar panel system.

When you are making more electricity than you are using, such as on summer days, your extra electricity automatically gets metered back (sold) to the utility grid. You receive credit for this power at the same rate that the utility sells it to you.

Net metering allows you to use the electric utility grid like a bank account. You can put electricity into it that you don’t use immediately and you can withdraw the same amount later (such as at night) at no net cost to you.

Switching to Solar Is Easy!

The Solar Company is a turn-key solution. That means we take care of everything and it’s all done in-house, so we can guarantee your satisfaction. If you have any questions about switching to solar, contact us. Our highly-trained consultants are available to speak with you and discuss the best solution for your home.

In a word: fabulous. Our modern, low-profile design and premium front trim integrate elegantly into your roof. It’s a look that never goes out of style.

Our panels capture the sun’s energy, channel it through discreetly placed wires to an inverter, where it’s converted to electricity to power your home. When your solar power system produces more power than you need, it feeds the power back into the electricity grid.

It’s big: the average SolarCity solar power system will offset 178 tons of CO2 over 30 years. That’s like avoiding 390,300 miles driven, planting 10 football fields full of trees or eliminating 174,907 pounds of burned coal.

The amount of electricity a solar panel produces is not only proportional to the sun’s intensity, but also depends on three factors: solar cell efficiency, solar panel size and the amount of sunlight directly hitting the panel. Your SolarCity energy consultant will work with you to decide how much energy you are using and map the solar installation to meet those needs.

Each solar panel should have a number listed on the back identifying how much power will be made during peak conditions, also known as a max power rating. All solar panels are rated by the DC power produced in standard test conditions. A typical solar panel produces about 200 watts of electricity based on the efficiency and size of what’s installed. For example, if you have 25 panels installed, you may have an output of about 5 kilowatts (kW).

Solar panels installed on your roof work best during daylight hours. When the sun is shining directly onto them, sunlight can be converted into electricity. Your solar panel efficiency drops at night because there is no sunlight to convert to electricity and solar panels can’t generate power in darkness. However, SolarCity has designed a solution to power your home in an affordable and environmentally friendly way, even at night. Your solar panels generate so much power during a sunny day that any excess power you don’t use immediately is conserved and put into the utility grid. The surplus power generated by your solar panels offsets the energy you use at night.

At night, you are using power from the utility grid, just as you normally would have before you installed solar panels. It’s possible that you won’t have to pay out of pocket for it. Utility companies appreciate excess solar energy, therefore most states have approved homeowners with solar panel systems to sell or receive a credit for the surplus power they produce.

A solar panel typically lasts approximately 30 years. During that time, most systems require little to no maintenance beyond removing leaves or snow and hosing off debris. In general, the life of solar panels depends on the quality of the solar panel technology used, including the photovoltaics (PV), and the quality of the overall installation.

Annually, solar panels lose close to half a percent in overall performance. After 25 years of operation, high-quality solar panels will still be operating at almost 90 percent efficiency. The modules we install on homes and businesses are efficient, lightweight and aesthetically pleasing. More importantly, they’re cost effective and extremely efficient. With wiring, mounted panels are flushed to the roof.

Solar power inverters are a part of solar electrical systems that help convert the sun’s energy into usable power. The solar panels on homes and businesses are made up of small groups of semiconductors that react to sunlight by freeing electrons. But while those free electrons can travel through an electrical circuit, they can’t be used to power most appliances until they have passed through solar inverters. The photovoltaic (PV) cells in solar electrical systems convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. An inverter converts that DC voltage into the alternating current (AC) electricity that people can use to meet some or all of their energy needs.

The reason solar inverters are necessary is because DC and AC power work differently. In DC power systems, an electrical current only flows in one direction. In AC power systems, the current moves in both directions. While some things that require electricity can use either AC or DC power, the power grid in the US uses AC power. Therefore, almost everything we use every day runs on AC power, directly or through a converter.