Tampa Solar

Solar Power is currently the most earth-friendly, viable type of renewable energy which, when converted, can be used to power your house. For example, many yards are now lit with solar lights and some even use solar power to power their water features. Technological advances have become more compact and efficient than when the technology was first introduced. In fact, the author lived down the street from the very first solar powered house in California!
 
How do photovoltaic tiles work?
 
Put simply, photovoltaic tiles and other forms renewable energy work by converting natural energy into electricity which is used to provide electricity to power our lives. In the case of Solar Energy, photovoltaic cells consist of a positive and a negative slice of silicon placed under a thin slice of glass. As the protons of the sunlight beat down onto the PV cell they knock the neutrons off the silicon. The negatively charged free neutrons are attracted to the silicon but are trapped by the magnetic field that is formed from the opposing fields. Small wires on the silicon catch these neutrons and when connected in a circuit an electric current is formed.
 
This reaction gives Direct Current (DC) electricity which must then be passed through an inverter to be converted into an Alternating Current (AC). The AC is what is used to power our home appliances. Unfortunately, 100% of the power is not captured, there is a loss of about 5% during the conversion process but this is much more efficient than when this technology was first introduced.
Photovoltaic cells require little to no maintenance as there aren’t any moving parts, what this means is that photovoltaic cells can last as long as 40 years. That’s the good news; however, it is important to clean the cells annually to make sure they are capturing sunlight with maximum efficiency.
 
How can the average home use photovoltaic technology to power their homes?
 
There are multiple ways to use solar power around the house; it need not only be used to power your appliances. For example, it can be used to heat water, heat a swimming pool or even provide central heating. If you have plenty of roof space, and a reasonable amount of daily sun, you can get a grid tie system; a grid tie system means that not only can you power your entire house, but during those times when you create an excess amount of electricity, you can sell it back to the grid. An efficiently solar powered home will be able to reasonably create between 75 and 100% of their own power. What this means for you is that may never have to pay for electricity ever again!