Solar Electric-What it is

ELECTRICITY: WHAT IS IT?

Photovoltaic (PV) is a method in which solar energy, or sun light, is converted through solar cells (called modules) into electricity. This electricity can be used in many ways, most commonly used are building-integrated PVs, which are used for your home or business. Photovoltaic produce clean, cost effective power, silently, with no moving parts. Thanks to sophisticated designs and materials, sun radiation is converted into a flux of electrons that is then adapted to the electric standards of power lines.

The energy that your solar system produces (DC power) travels through an inverter where it is converted into electricity compatible with your home (AC power). From the inverter your energy passes into the electric grid, and the energy you generate is being purchased by the utility company at the same rate in which you are buying from them. Meanwhile your home is consuming energy at the regular level.

If you have established ‘net metering’ (mentioned below) with your utility provider and at the end of the month you have produced more energy than you consumed, you receive a credit. If you have used as much energy as you produced, you will receive no bill from the utility company. In the event you have used more energy than you produced, you will receive a charge for the additional energy used (the same invoice you’ve always received).

The advantages of solar electricity use are numerous. Firstly, the sheer amount of available sun energy (89 petawatts of sunlight per day) reaching the Earth’s surface makes it the most abundant renewable energy resource accessible. Secondly, the systems operate with no noise, minimal maintenance, low operating costs, and when compared with existing power technologies PV system costs are extremely low after the initial set up.

Also, financial incentives available to PV users are numerous. There are ‘Investment Subsidies’ in which authorities refund a part of your installation costs. California state alone offers a cash back program which instantly repays half of your expenses. However, this program is subject to change soon, so do not wait too long to do this “solar thing”.

There are also ‘Feed-in Tariffs’ and ‘Net Metering’ (mentioned above) where regional or national electricity utilities purchase renewable energy from the producer under a multiyear contract at rates established by the government.

Lastly there are ‘Renewable Energy Certificates’, such as Green Tags, Renewable Energy Credits, or Tradable Renewable Certificates. This is when a renewable energy producer sells their unused energy back into the electrical grid. This program may be more applicable for a business or a building which generated far more energy than consumed.

The difference you can make on the environment when you invest in solar is explained here.

For an informative database of available incentives in California we advise you to visit the following site : http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?state=CA

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/235/1/Grid-connect-solar-power.html

http://solarplugco.com/FAQs.html#

shows, in diagram, what happened when you produce a certain amount of energy and getting credits

http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/solar/en/faqs/resid_sys.htm#faq2

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