Solar PV Energy

What Is Solar PV?

Photovoltaic (PV) solar modules absorb direct sunlight and an inverter converts it to be an electrical provider for your home or building.

The amount of electricity provided is measured in kilowatt-hours, or kWh. The number of kWh generated is determined by the power rating of the system and the amount of sunlight that the system receives. The geographic location of the system, orientation, and shading may affect the kWh production of the system, so proper design and installation is important for optimal performance.

PV modules contain no moving parts, generally last thirty years or more, and require minimal maintenance.

How Solar Works

Solar Panels

Sunlight hits the surface of the panels and is converted to electrical energy. The PV solar cells located on the panels collect photons from the sun’s rays. These photons are pushed through and release electrons to create an electrical current known as direct current (DC).

Inverter

The DC electricity created from the solar panels is then converted from DC to AC (alternating currents) electricity that is used to power appliances in homes or buildings.

Electrical Box

The AC electricity is then sent to the breaker panel. There, the usable energy powers the house or building while the excess energy is sent back to the utility grid. The utility meter will record this credit transfer and run backwards giving you ultimate utility savings.

Electricity to Home

Solar energy is used to power every day appliances in your home or building, such as your lights, refrigerator, and charging your cell phone.

Net Metering

Any excess energy produced by the solar panels qualifies for net metering. Your utility provider will record the amount of energy that the home or building consumes and how much excess energy is sent back to the grid each month. During some sunny summer months, you may produce more energy than needed, so the excess will then be credited back to your account depending on your agreement with your utility provider.

Grid Interconnection

Through the process of net metering, the energy that you do not use will be sent back through the electric grid (power lines).

Electricity Generation and Savings

A solar array's output peaks mid-day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, which can offset the most expensive electricity when daily demand is greatest. This will help reduce or possibly eliminate monthly electricity and utility bills while providing a pollution-free electricity solution. Basically, you are getting free electricity!

Depending on your electric utility provider, net metering can be an option for customers. Net metering allows residential and commercial customers who generate their own electricity from solar power to feed electricity they don't use back to the grid to be used at a later time. This is like using the utility provider as a battery. For example, if the solar array generates more electricity than the house or building consumes during daylight hours, your utility company's electric meter will run backward to provide a credit against what electricity is consumed at night or other periods where the building's electricity demand exceeds the solar array's output. Any electricity pushed back into the utility grid is subtracted from the grid electricity used by the home. Customers are only billed on the “net” energy use. Check with your utility provider to see what their net metering program looks like.