Electricity from solar power systems work best for most items with the exception of large appliances that make use of electric heating elements, such as clothes and hair dryer, electric stove, water heater and home heating systems. Remember that these large heating devices are not cost effective for solar power systems.

Solar power works by using “photovoltaic” elements to produce electricity. The solar panel, which is the most important part of the system, is made of silicon that becomes electrically charged when exposed to sunlight.

However, since the sun’s level of radiation changes within each hour, year or during certain weather conditions, the most important part of planning a solar power system is to calculate the average amount of sun available per day within a year.

Four Major Parts Of A Solar Power System

When you opt to use solar power, four devices are used to provide your household or building with 120 volts of AC power daily. These include a solar panel, a charge controller, the battery and an inverter. Solar power systems will be ineffective when one device is not present because each component provides an important role in producing electricity.

The solar panel charges the battery while the charge controller verifies that the battery is properly charged. Once the battery transfers DC voltage to the inverter, the inverter will convert this voltage into standard AC voltage. Since other areas require 240 AC volts, you will need a transformer or an extra inverter to produce the necessary 240 volts.

Each component in a solar power system involves proper computation of volts, watts, amperage, kilowatt-hours and amp-hours to ensure solar electricity works effectively. Be aware that some systems may lose voltage as electricity passes through wires, inverters and batteries that may cause ineffective solar power electricity. For this reason, it is best to search and hire people who have experience in planning, designing and implementing solar power systems into a household or building. This can guarantee that your system can be properly configured for your specific needs.

In 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter held a news conference on the roof of the White House to show off a new solar panel that was to provide all the hot water to the White House. He also stated a plan to have 20 percent of the electricity used in America be from solar power.

Two types of energy are being harnessed from the sun: thermal and photovoltaic, with thermal solar power efficiency being slightly better. Gathering the sun’s heat through the use of parabolic antennas, and focusing it on a container filled with a heavy liquid, the liquid is heated to a boiling temperature, which in turn can heat water to produce steam to operate an electrical generator.

Typically, photovoltaic cells that convert solar energy into electrical energy are running at about a 16 percent efficiency rating, making them cost more than the electricity they produce would cost by traditional means. New technologies in the manufacturing of these silicon cells are improving the solar power efficiency to near 22 percent, but that is still too small a rating for large-scale usage of solar power.

Solar Power Efficiency For Small Scale Use

With the push for alternative fuels, the solar power efficiency for panels that can be used for residential purposes has grown considerably in recent years. The amount of power generated by solar panels is typically enough to efficiently operate electric lights, most small electric motors and many appliances. Typically, those items that require 120 volts to operate, as the batteries can recharge at least as fast as usage discharges them.

Solar power efficiency to operate heating coils or larger electrically demanding devices such as an electric clothes dryer, electric stove and electric heating element has not reached a point of rapid return on the investment. This inefficiency, coupled with the low cost of producing electricity through the current use of fossil fuels, has kept the research for more solar power efficiency methods at a minimum.

However, as prices for coal and oil continue to rise and the push continues to reduce atmospheric emissions, alternative fuel choices for producing power through solar and wind energy will continue to improve solar power efficiency research.

Harnessing passive solar power has been a quest for many years and there are a few instances of success, but many require the use of other types of power as well. For example, using passive solar power for heating water for a swimming pool has been available for several years, as water is removed from the pool, heated in a rubber bladder or plastic pipe and then returned to the pool. However, moving the water generally requires the use of a pump.

Operating the pump by hand may not be an attractive alternative, but using active solar power to charge batteries, and the battery power used to operate an electric pump to move the water from the pool to the bladder or through the pipes, can be an efficient means of using passive solar power, coupled with solar energy to save on your electric bill.

Slower Results From Passive Systems

If you want to experiment with passive solar power, take two equal size tubs of water and place them in the direct sunlight. Cover one tub with bubble wrap, usually used to protect items during shipping. The other tub should remain uncovered. Wait about two hours and then test the temperature of the water and you will see the tub covered with bubble wrap is considerably warmer than the one left open.

Pool heating covers work much the same as the bubble wrap in focusing the suns electrical generating capabilities into the tub, while water left open will lose heat almost as fast as it absorbs the heat. Using passive solar power to heat the water works the same as heating and circulating air.

It is a well-known fact that hot air rises and when passive solar power is used to heat air in an enclosed space, the warmer air will rise, causing the cooler air to flow to the bottom of the area. This will cause the air within the closed area to circulate allowing the space to heat from the benefit of the passive solar power.

This check that you pay, or electronic submission if that’s how you pay your bills, is your charge for using electricity to power your alarm clock for waking up in the morning, the electricity to power your stove for cooking your breakfast and the electricity to power your water heater so that you can have a warm shower to wake up to. And let’s not forget about the coffee maker.

This, folks, just covers the morning. Think about all the electricity you use throughout the day. Your lights, your computer, or computers, your television and entertainment peripherals, and other electronic items, take up a lot of juice and much of your paycheck goes to a company who provides it.

What if you could stop paying the electric company once and for all? That’s right, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars every month by switching to solar power. But many ask, how does solar power work? Who cares, as long as it does.

How Does Solar Power Work?

When you ask how solar power works, that’s like asking, “How does the electric company provide electric power to my house or apartment?” Who cares, as long as it does.

As long as you are able to get up in the morning and have to worry about starting fires to warm up coffee in the morning, you would just rather have the electricity and continue to be ignorant about it.

You gladly pay that check every month because you don’t want to find yourself in the dark. Anyone who has ever had their power shut off, for whatever reason, knows it’s not fun.

Who cares how solar power works, just have it installed in your home and stop paying that monthly bill to the electric company. You don’t ask how your television or computer works, do you? If you do, then you have a lot of free time on your hands.

Just enjoy the fact that solar power uses the power of the sun, our natural form of energy and light, and it powers your home for nothing. Stop paying that money and save it for something you want.

Electricity, and all that you do with it, is a given right to every living being and you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Don’t ask how solar power works, just get some solar cells and tell your electricity company that you no longer need their services. They have taken enough money from you.

Solar power systems gather their power from the sun which will be around as long as the world lasts. These systems provide energy for many of the needs of ordinary people. Solar power systems are very cost effective over the long run for the energy supplies that these provide. The systems do not take the place of all energy supplies, but solar power systems can run many items efficiently and effectively. Solar power systems collect energy in panels that become charged by the light from the sun.

Solar Power Systems Will Be Used More in the Future

The technology in solar power systems gets better all the time so these systems are more efficient all the time. As the technology improves, the sales increase as well. The prices improve along with the popularity of these systems. There are also incentives for using solar power with tax rebates and savings on energy costs. Solar power systems depend on panels which are positioned for collection of the energy from the sun. Solar power can provide electricity in even remote locations. This is great news for those who live or work in places far removed from normal sources of energy.

Solar power systems are now available in portable units that can be very useful for the military, businesses and universities. These portable units provide great flexibility for groups that need to provide for large numbers of people doing a variety of activities. The portable systems not only help these groups with diverse activities, but these systems can save money for these groups. The increased use of solar power should help the environmentalists who want to improve the quality of life for all people. Solar energy is a renewable source of energy that will do little damage to the environment.