How Solar Panels Work in the Home

Panel Installation

• Panels, which a professional solar manufacturer installs on the roof, absorb the sun's rays and through the use of photovoltaic cells, convert sun energy into electricity. You should mount panels on the roof to take advantage of the best light from the sun. Avoid installing them in areas that get shade from nearby trees or other buildings; even just a few cells shaded can cut the power production by as much as half.

Power Conversion

• Energy from the solar panels feeds into the circuitry of the house by way of an inverter. The panels on your roof collect photons from the sun and convert the photons into DC power. This power now flows into the inverter which converts the power into AC electrical power which will ultimately power your home appliances.

Producing Energy

• Sometimes a home actually produces more energy then it needs to power it. In this case, some homeowners sell the power back to the local gas and electric company by installing a Synchronous Solar Panel Inverter which connects their homes and solar energy to the city power grid. Now the energy is flowing back and forth between the home and the power grid -- if the homeowners have too much the meter will run backward selling it to the power company and on days of inclement weather, or if panels are damaged, they have the option of using the city power source..

Costs

• A reasonable amount of time for your solar panels to work is about 30 years. Newer panels have a higher output of energy than older designed panels and the placement of the panels and number of them will affect the amount of energy being converted into energy for your home. The cost of your home solar panels will vary depending on the amount of energy you are currently using, any incentive plans that you may have access to and if your panels are new or used.