Over the past two decades, solar energy has really caught on. The prices for home solar panels have dropped over 80% and anyone in the world can use them. It provides free energy by harnessing the power of the Sun. Even if the Sun isn’t shining; the solar panels collect and store its energy. You can have free energy everyday and really save a bundle on the high price of living. Solar panels are available the world over, you don’t have to live in sunny California or near a desert for them to work.

I found that I could live “green” and not only help the planet by doing my part to reduce global warming, but also save a ton of money by proving free and clean energy to my entire family. I’m a huge advocate of solar energy and believe that the Sun can provide energy to the entire world, for free, and most importantly, clean. The Sun powers our entire planet. It feeds plants with its powers and holds us in orbit. It’s the most powerful thing in our entire solar system. No wonder some of the ancient people worshipped this glowing giant; they knew exactly what it was, a life force.

Solar panels work to harness the Sun’s power by using photovoltaic cells to convert the energy into electricity. The photovoltaic (PV) are comprised of semi-conductors made of silicon. They soak up the lights power and convert into direct current (DV) and then that direct current is inverted into an AC current, the kind which our home appliances use. Though solar panels are pretty technical devices, you can install them yourself with some knowhow. Though, it is better to hire a professional contractor.

Once they’re hooked up correctly, you can begin using this green energy to power your entire home. The month before I decided to make a change, my electricity bill was over $300. I only have 4 people in my family; my wife and two sons. I couldn’t believe how expensive it was to provide power for everyday things like cooking, taking showers, washing clothes, watching TV, or even having the lights on. It was ridiculous.

To better grasp the different options of solar panels, you can equate them to a satellite dish that you draw your television signal from. There are two basic models, the grid-tie system and the off-grid system. The grid-tie is the ones you see on roofs, they’re directly connected, and usually smaller. The off-grid version is like that huge satellite dish in your neighbor’s yard; it’s still connected to the house through a cable. You can get better use from your solar panels by having them in direct sunlight. The off-grid models are capable of being setup as such. And the grid-tie comes available in sophisticated models which can follow the sun from rise to set.

You can use your solar panels for anything in your home: water heaters, stoves, TVs, everyday appliances, you name it; you can run it with solar panels. Solar panels are relatively expensive. For a medium to home, they usually cost around $20,000 - $40,000. I know this seems outrageous, but $300 a month for a year is $3,600. It will take time to make up your costs, but the cost of energy is only going to get higher. You can finance your solar panels and pay a quarter of what you pay for energy a month. In most states in the US, you can use your solar panels for a tax deduction. And you’re helping to save our planet.

Tags: photovoltaic cells, solar cells, solar energy, solar panels

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 13th, 2008 at 7:36 am and is filed under Saving Energy, solar cells, solar power. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.