What are solar panels made of?
Typically, photovoltaic panels. They use silicon to generate energy. Silicon, a semiconductor material, is responsible for about 10% of the overall cost of a solar system.
How do homes get the power?
The combination of the sun’s rays and the photovoltaic effect create direct current (DC). Your inverter turns that DC power into alternating current (AC) – which is usable energy for your home.
Your solar system is “grid-tied”. This means that it is connected to your home’s traditional utility system. Your solar power becomes an extension of your existing supply.
Being hooked into the grid allows for net metering – if your solar panels are producing more electrical power than you’re using:
- That solar-generated energy will be sent back into the grid, earning you money.
- The utility company gives you credits for that extra energy: your electric meter will spin backwards, and your monthly electricity bill will be lowered (We’ll talk about this a bit more when we cover net metering below).
But, when you need more electricity than is being generated by your solar system (say at night time):
- Electricity will be drawn from the utility grid for you to use, just as it was before you had solar.
- Your electricity meter runs forward.
Net metering means that you receive the full value of the electricity produced by your system. It measures the net difference between the electricity you take from the utility grid and the electricity you feed to it.
