We all know that solar energy is good for the environment, but how exactly is this form of energy utilised to help your home and reduce your bills?
Powering your home with a renewable energy source, instead of relying on burning fossil fuels, is an environmentally conscious and responsible decision for a sustainable future. It can also reduce your quarterly electricity bills drastically, leading you closer to a financially free future. So, if you want to find out, step-by-step, how we collect solar energy and produce power for your home, this is the blog for you.
1. Capturing the Sun
Understanding how we harness the sun is all about the Photovoltaic Cells. Photovoltaics are best known as a method for generating electric power by using solar cells to convert energy from the sun into a flow of electrons by the photovoltaic effect. These cells are in your solar panels and they work hard to absorb the energy from the light of the sun, turning that light into Direct Current (DC) electricity. This converted energy is the start of your solar journey, so we understand how important it is to have high-quality panels for your install. This is why we only work with and recommend Sunpower panels and Enphsase Micro-Inverters. They are at the forefront of all solar energy exploration.
2. Invert the energy
The DC electricity might be great for charging your batteries, but your average home is wired to accept only Alternating Current (AC) electricity off the grid. That’s why your new solar system comes prepared with Enphase Micro-Inverters under each panel, that will convert your DC collected electricity into AC electricity, ready to be used in your home.
3. Using solar in your home
Once your solar energy has been converted, it is now ready to make its way to your switchboard, to be used throughout your home. The energy that runs through the meter and switchboard that will be used and distributed throughout your home first, will come directly from your solar panels. This is known as ‘self consumption’, which is the best method to maximise your savings. This allows your solar energy to be used first, before pulling from the grid.
4. How to use your solar at night
The sun is a great renewable energy source, but it’s not always in the sky. Having a storage battery, like the Tesla Powerwall 2, connected to your solar system, will allow you to store the energy that you collect during the day. With this additional feature, you can be using solar energy long after the sun is out of the sky, reducing your electricity bill even further.
5. Do you have excess energy?
Not only can you store your excess energy into a battery, but you also have the option to feed it back into the grid. This is referred to as a ‘feed in tariff’. Feeding your solar energy back into the grid is a great way to contribute your solar-generated power to others, while also gaining a credit towards your electricity bill for supplying this extra energy. The feed-in tariff is the dollar amount your electricity company will pay you for your excess solar energy, saving you even more from your bill.
Whether you have battery storage or not, all excess solar energy that is produced and not used within the home, will be fed back to the grid. This is how you can counteract any energy used at night, while your solar panels aren’t producing.
We are passionate about solar energy, that’s why we believe every step of the process should contain quality products. At Penrith Solar Centre, we have curated a range of trusted brands that delivery high quality solar products, including Sunpower, Enphase & Tesla.
With our dedicated in-house team of installers, you can be sure we will be with you every step of the way through your solar journey. Are you ready to Produce, Store and Consume? Contact the PSC team today.
