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Residential Solar Power - Siphon Energy From The Sun And Save On Electricity Bills!

By John Greenspan

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 04Feb2010 Word count: 448 Viewed: 253 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Residential solar power can be created by converting solar radiation into other forms of energy that can serve your household needs. Similar to other types of renewable energy, solar energy is clean and environmentally friendly. On top of this, solar energy is found in abundance and will not run out for the next few million years.

Solar radiation can either be converted into electricity or it can be used to heat up air and water. Heat that's absorbed into air can be used to warm your room. Water heated by solar radiation can be used for a hot shower or to fill up your pool. When solar energy is converted to electricity using solar panels, there is no limit to what you can do with it. This is the most common way of tapping solar power for residential use.

A solar (photovoltaic) panel typically consists of sections of inter-connected semi-conductor cells. A cluster of such panels, called an array, adds up the individual power production to form higher energy.

Photovoltaic panels must be placed in a location exposed to direct sunlight. Very often, your roof is the ideal place for solar panels to rest on. There, panels are kept out of sight. They are also not sheltered by vegetation.

The light collected by photovoltaic panels is transformed into electrical energy with the help of PV cells. Direct current (DC) is generated, which are then converted into AC current with the help of an inverter. When sufficient electricity is generated from the sun, they are fed into the mains to form a grid-tied system.

Homeowners with property in remote locations may often want their solar power generators to be off-grid. As such, they will need a storage bank to store electricity they can tap on during the night.

In recent years, more and more homeowners have turned to solar energy to bring down their ever-increasing electricity bills. The major obstacle that prevents more homeowners to use solar power is the cost. While it's true that photovoltaic panels now cost only a tenth of what is used to, a full setup still sets you back by at least twenty to thirty thousand dollars.

Your dependence on fossil fuel can be reduced if cheaper home solar panels are available. Fortunately, manufacturers also make photovoltaic modules for sale to the public. You can put these together to build your own residential solar power panels at low cost and generate electricity for free! However, there are many potholes on the road to success. Having an expert to guide you along reduce your learning curve and saves you from costly mistakes. Alternatively, books written by experts help you avoid many frustrations too.

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