5 minute lesson on solar home systems
It’s no secret that solar radiation, as defined in textbooks, is actually a form of green, renewable energy for homeowners with the help of home-scale installations. Homeowners who are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint, lower their utility bills, or even replace old appliances that aren’t energy efficient can benefit from solar home systems.
These systems are mainly suitable for houses in somewhat sunny regions. Although these systems work on cloudy or overcast days, they are not as efficient. Solar systems are most commonly placed on the roof, which is really a great alternative to use space that would otherwise go unused. Solar panels receive solar radiation and work most efficiently on flat or sloped roofs with greater exposure to the south. If the roof is shaded or not suitable for solar installations, ground mounted systems are available. Due to the fact that geographic location and season play a role in energy conversion efficiency, the use of a web-based solar calculator can help homeowners accurately assess the relative costs and benefits of solar energy. a solar power installation for your region.
Solar home systems can be divided into two main categories: passive and active:
Passive solar system takes full advantage of the sun’s natural heating energy known as insulation. Orienting the solar receiving structure to both the arc of the sun and the demands of the site is of paramount importance for both efficiency and beauty when considering the location of your home. Some examples of common passive solar implementation include the use of thermal mass (including bricks, stone, earth mass) within its insulated envelope to store radiated heat from the sun. This is easily and beautifully incorporated within interior floors and walls.
Active solar system is comparable to passive solar system, however, despite its complicated process, such system generates more heat than passive systems. This type of system relies heavily on three essential components: a solar collector to absorb solar energy, a solar storage system, and a heat transfer system to disperse heat to the right places in your home. They can be divided into two key categories of their own: solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar thermal systems.
Solar photovoltaic systems, which convert the sun’s energy directly into electricity, are probably the most prevalent type of solar home system. They can be isolated from your main electrical grid using a battery pack to store power for use overnight, or they can be connected to the grid. Grid-connected systems are the most common, primarily because they allow homeowners to use traditional power sources when the sun is not shining and offset this energy use during periods when solar electricity generation is possible. Some power companies even allow homeowners with a home solar power system to sell excess electricity generated by grid-connected PV back to the power company and get rebates. Silicon panels are the most prevalent type of solar PV system in use right now, but thin-film PV is also gaining acceptance. Although much less efficient than silicon panels, thin-film photovoltaics are smaller and more flexible. These properties allow them to be easily integrated into the design of a building. For example, a common application for thin-film photovoltaics is solar shingles, which are made to look like ordinary roof tiles.
Solar thermal systems use solar radiation to heat water, heat and cool the interior of the home, or both. They are less expensive than solar photovoltaics and can also generate significant savings for homeowners, since heating, cooling and water heating are considered the most energy-consuming processes in the residence. Other types of solar thermal systems include solar hot water systems, solar pool heaters, and solar thermal space heaters.
Solar hot water systems absorb solar radiation and use it to heat the home’s water supply. For homeowners with swimming pools, solar pool heaters are another type of solar home system that saves energy and uses solar radiation to heat the water.
Solar thermal heaters work on a principle comparable to (and are often combined with) solar hot water systems. However, solar thermal cooling systems, which are absorption or desiccant systems, are much more complex in design.
Regardless of the type of solar system, whether passive or active, generating green power for the home, such as the solar home system mentioned above, is a great way to save money and protect the environment.