SOLAR PANELS

The declining health of our planet and the encouragement in using green energy has led to the wide spread usage of solar panels, in order to preserve the limited resources of fossil fuels. Solar panels, although pricey, is a well worth investment that will not only reduce your utility bills but also make sure that you have done your part in saving our planet.

This article is dedicated to answering all your questions, whether you are a newcomer or an old customer with heaps of knowledge looking to add on.

We will be answering questions like, “can solar panels power a whole house?” and “what is the process of installing solar panels on roof along with the complete solar power system?”.

 

INTRODUCTION

Solar panels are a collection of photo-voltaic cells that are placed together on an installation unit. The transfer of energy begins with the sun. The solar panel on roofsare used to convert light from the sun, which comprises of particles of energy called ‘photons’ into electrical energy that can be used to power electrical appliances, bulbs and larger units.

 

When the sun is not in view, the solar panel stores the energy, which can then be utilized at later times when the sunlight is not directly hitting the panels. Hence, the energy from solar panels can be used to power the entire house day and night.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Solar panels on roofs accumulate clean, renewable energy in the form of sunlight and convert that light into electricity which can then be used to power your house. When the photons hit the solar panel, they penetrate the photo-voltaic cell and knock electrons loose from their atoms. When electrons flow through the circuit, they go through the process of generating electrical energy. This process is called Photovoltaic Effect.

 

CAN SOLAR PANEL POWER A WHOLE HOUSE?

To answer this popular question, we need to give an overview on the energy that is generated by the solar panel and the energy that is required to power different electrical appliances in the house.

Most residential solar panels in today’s world are rated to produce between 250 and 400 watts each per hour.

Domestic solar panel systems usually have a capacity of between 1 kW and 4 kW.

 

How Many Solar Panels on roofs Are Needed to Power My Home?

The answer to this popular question is, the average home in the U.S. uses 10,400 kWh of electricity per year. If you desire to install the average 250-watt solar panel, you will require to purchase around 28-34 solar panels to generate enough energy to power your entire home.

 

INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS ON ROOFS

Here are basic steps that will give you an idea on how solar panels are installed on the roofs.

 

STEP 1: Finding the best location

You need to examine your property and make sure the best place for the installation of the panels is on the roof where it will interact with the maximum amount of sun energy.

 

STEP 2: Building the platform

You can either construct the platform using metal or aluminum rails, by yourself or you can get it ordered and made in the way you want by professionals.

Make sure that the design of the mounting system should be able to withstand extremes of weather.

 

STEP 3: Mounting the solar panels

The panels along with the complete solar power system are mounted using brackets, bolts or clamps. This ensures that the panels are firmly placed on the platform and you won’t have to worry about it dislodging in windy weather.

 

STEP 4: Setting up the wiring.

Because all the solar panels need to be connected together, you will need to use junction connectors or a fuse combiner box.

An important thing to keep in mind is the well insulation of the cables. It is vital to prevent power leakage and accidents.

Once this is complete, the exterior wiring needs to be connected with the interior control panels.

The connection allows the energy to flow from the disconnect to a charge controller and the battery bank for storage.

We would recommend that this stage be carried by a professional technician who has years of experience in the solar panel installation industry.

 

STEP 5: Grounding the panels and the mounting system

The process of earthing the solar panels is a crucial step. This is because it will:

·         Offer protection from electric shock which is otherwise fatal.

·         Offer protection against fire that can arise from the system malfunction

·         Preserve your solar panel equipment against lightning since it causes a massive power surge.

 

STEP 6: Connecting the electrical components

 

STEP 7: Running a test run

 

ROOF SOLAR PANELS COST 

Since majority of the households in the United States use around 11,000 kWh of energy per year, a home that is looking to supply at least 75% of their energy with solar panels would need a 5 kW solar panel system for a total cost of around $25,000 to $30,000.