Going Green: Residential Solar Power Systems
A lot of people are thinking of using solar energy, probably because environmental propagandas are increasing in popularity. But is residential solar power systems just a way to join the bandwagon? The rising cost of electric utilities makes this more of a required option rather than a passing trend.
Many of us are probably familiar with fields of gleaming solar panels or arrays from movies, books and magazines; arrays are basically solar panels arranged into neat rows and columns. These mirror-like solar arrays constitute the first step in generating electricity powered by the sunlight.
Generating electricity in solar energy systems may be from photovoltaics (PV) or by concentrating solar power (CSP). The first uses a PV cell, also called a solar cell, to convert light into what is called as a direct electric current (DC). This method is has more significant application in space missions, as a power source to man-made satellites, for example.
CSP, on the other hand, uses solar troughs made of huge lenses or mirrors to gather vast amounts of sunlight. Operators of these solar troughs also use a tracking system so that the lenses can follow the movement of the sun. During this process of "harvesting" sunlight, the troughs focus the solar power on a tall structure or a conventional power plant. The concentrated sunlight is used as heat to produce steam, which is then used to spin large turbines to generate electricity.
Although solar energy systems are indeed remarkable feats of engineering, they are subject to the availability of sunlight. There are already systems in operation which provide power to communities, but technological advances have already made solar power for single households a reality. For residential solar power systems, solar panels are placed on the roof and are also connected to the existing electric utility to compensate for the times when sunlight is not available. It is best to consult your electric company regarding this, and to know more about policies on net metering or selling excess solar energy.
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