By Theresa Ficazzola
It’s September. Time to hit the books. Time for students to return to school, to reconnect with friends and classmates and learn about things they didn’t know before.
There are many things about solar power that most people don’t know. For example:
- In one short minute, the sun produces enough heat to supply the world’s energy needs for an entire year!
- Experiments related to tapping the sun’s rays to provide power began in 1767 when Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure created the world’s first solar collector.
- In the 1950’s, Bell Labs created the first solar cells and the first solar water heated office building was built.
- The very first stand-alone solar powered home was completed in the Hudson River Valley of New York in 1983 and Pacific Gas & Electric rolled out the first grid-supported PV system in Kerman, California in 1993.
- Today, over 3% of U.S. electricity comes from solar energy; that’s 36 times its share just a decade ago.
- The best time to inquire about solar energy for your home is right now. While the actual installation process only takes a few short days, the entire process can take several months. So, the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll start saving money.
- The price of solar has come down considerably over the past few years. If you compare the cost of a system to the amount of money you’ll save over the lifetime of the system, it makes sense to add solar panels to your home.
- While many different factors impact your direct savings from solar, a typical homeowner may be able to save between 60-100% of his or her current electric bill.
- Today’s solar systems last for approximately 25-30 years. In fact, many systems are still operating at about 80% of their peak efficiency in their 25th year.
- Solar panels still generate electricity on cloudy/rainy days or in foggy weather—just not as much. On cloudy days, solar panels typically produce about 10% to 30% of their capacity.
More solar facts:
- Going solar is not hard at all. A reliable solar company, like SI Solar, does all the work for you, including most of the paperwork and obtaining all the permits.
- Solar panels convert sunlight into DC electricity, which is then converted into AC electricity by an inverter that is installed somewhere outside or inside your home (typically the garage or basement). AC is the form of electricity used in your home. The inverter then sends the AC electricity directly your electric service panel and any excess energy is sent to your utility company. You receive credit for any excess energy you produce.
- Once your solar panels are installed, very little or no maintenance is required. Your panels get cleaned naturally by the rain.
- Solar panels are more reliant on the amount of sunlight that hits the panels, not the actual temperature. A cooler, sunny day with an abundant amount of sunlight is better for production than a hot summer day.
- Solar panels can increase your home’s value because they lower the amount of money you pay for your monthly electric bills.
- If you sell your home, you can transfer the rights to your system to the new homeowner, just as you would any other accessory that comes with your house, such as a swimming pool.
- Unfortunately, you cannot access power from your solar panels during a blackout, unless you have battery backup. Solar inverters have safety devices that turn off solar power to homes if a particular area loses power from the power grid.
- Solar energy has reduced carbon emissions by 110 million metric tons annually.
- Whether you’re interested in saving money on your electric bill, helping the planet, or both, solar power is a clean, safe, reliable, less expensive way to power your home.
To find out how solar power can help you, let the professionals at SI Solar complete a free, no cost assessment of your home. Just give us a call at 844-747-6527.
