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When was the last time you thought about the sun? The sun is one of the most powerful forces in our everyday lives. Yet we rarely think about it. Our sense of day and night is from the sun. The natural cycles of spring, summer, winter, and fall every year are created by the sun. The sun makes every plant grow and forms the basis of all life on this planet. Without the sun, we would not be here.
An incredible amount of energy from the sun engulfs the Earth everyday. Why waste all that free solar energy arriving at your home each day? How would you like to harness some of this free energy? What if you could collect some of it and pay down your electric bill? Would that be valuable?
This energy could be used for heating pools or hot water, but have you ever considered generating your own electricity? To some people, solar electricity may bring images of hippies living in harmony with nature in a commune, but it has become very mainstream, especially in today’s world of rising energy prices and insecure sources of energy. Even the “big, bad” utility companies generate solar electricity nowadays and buy solar electricity from homeowners like you.
The basic idea for a home solar electric system is this: You put solar panels on your roof; they collect the sun’s energy and produce electricity that is pumped back into the electric company’s power grid. The electric company buys this excess electricity during the day from you. At night when the sun is down, you buy electricity from the utility company. In a way, it’s kind of like banking electricity with the utility company during the day that you can use at a later time when the sun is not out or when you need more electricity than your solar power system is producing. You generally pump power out to the electric company’s grid during day and get it back at night. It’s kind of like storing water in a reservoir that you can use later.
In the end, you just pay for the “net” amount of electricity that you use over the course of a year. “Net” just means the amount of electricity you use minus the amount that your solar panels generate.
Solar power is just the “right” thing to do. It is clean energy and reduces carbon emissions for a cleaner environment. It provides a path to less reliance on foreign countries for energy; less reliance on fossil fuels like oil, coal, natural gas; and less reliance on nuclear energy.
Maybe the family cat is smarter than anyone ever gave it credit for? Cats know the value of the sun; have you ever seen where a cat lies on a cool winter day? Of course, it’s next to a window basking in the sun.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
 A grid-intertie is simply a connection from your solar electric system to the electric company’s power distribution “grid”. But what does this mean? What are the implications?
One of the main advantages of a grid inter-tie is that you have electricity available whether the sun is up or not; and without a battery backup system. While the sun is up your excess solar electricity is “sold” back to the utility company at the full retail rate. However, when the sun is down you have access to the utility company’s electricity. If you did not have a grid intertie then when the sun is down you would be without power or would have to install and maintain a battery backup system.
The key is: You have electricity available any time of day or night for your home or business without the extra cost, space, and maintenance of a battery backup system. Batteries significantly increase the cost, space, and maintenance required.
In remote locations without power or with an unreliable power supply, a “standalone” PV system with a battery storage bank would need to be installed for continuously available electricity.
Remember, a grid inter-tie has to be approved and inspected by the local building permit authority and the utility company.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
I’m sure lot’s of people are wondering: “Is Solar Right for Me?”
It’s an easy question to ask, but a little more complicated to answer. It depends on a few factors, but here are some general rules of thumb to get you started.
The higher your monthly electric bill is, the more likely you can save money with Solar Electricity (Photovoltaics). A larger electric bill comes from two components: The price you pay for electricity and how much electricity you use. If you have a high rate and use a lot of electricity then you are likely to benefit from a Solar Power system. You may ask? What’s a large electric bill? In the San Diego area,electric bills under $100 are typically difficult to justify by just dollars & cents, while bills over $200 are often good candidatesfor solar electricity. In between, it’s probably best to go case-by-case.
Typically, people with large homes, air conditioning, pools, spas, and children consume more electricity and so are good candidates for Solar.
The next thing to consider is; do you have space to install solar electric panels? Even if you have limited space, you may be able to save on your electric bill with a small solar panel array. Remember, the panels can be mounted on rooftops, carports, patio covers, or ground mounted racks/poles (basically anywhere there’s sunlight).
The next question to ask is: Does the location that you plan to install your panels have good sunlight throughout the year and will the panels generally point towards the sun. Remember the Sun is much lower in the sky during the Winter. Do you have trees or structures that will shade your planned location(s)? The amount of sunlight hitting your panels will ultimately determine how much electricity you produce.
If you have a high electric bill, have space for panels, can point the panels towards the Sun, and have good sunlight then Solar is a great option to look into. It can save you money, reduce carbon emissions, and lower dependence on foreign oil and nuclear energy.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
The utility company provides electricity to homes and businesses through its power distribution “grid“. The grid is all of the interconnections that distribute power to customers. This includes the distribution system of high voltage lines and lower voltage lines, transformers, switches, in-the-ground wires, and everything that brings electricity to your home and business.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
The mounting system holds panels in place and provides some physical protection for the panels and electrical connections. It also puts them at correct orientation for absorbing the Sun’s energy. These must be designed and installed correctly for wind loads, the weight of the system, rain, temperature variations, etc.
These may be installed on a rooftop, on the ground, or on top of a pole, depending on what is available and required at the installation site.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
The inverter takes the electricity produced by the solar panels (direct current or DC) and converts it (actually “inverts” it) to electricity that can be used by home lights and appliances or exported back to the utility company’s power grid (alternating current or AC that is synchronized with the utility grid).
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
The solar panels are made up of groups of Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Cells. These PV cells are semiconductor devices that are commonly made out of very pure silicon (Si) that when exposed to the sun they convert the Sun’s energy to direct current electricity. They are often simply called “solar cells”.
Semiconductors are materials that have unusual properties. They are not conductors like metals and are not insulators like many minerals or plastics. They have very unusual electrical properties that are not like either of these and this allows them to convert energy from the sun to electricity (captured photons release electrons that flow as electricity).
“Solar Panels” are simply groups of solar cells that have been packaged into a more practical arrangement. The solar panel construction protects the solar PV cells from the elements, like rain. It makes them physically more durable because they are protected on the top and bottom by other materials (glass, metal, plastics) and usually on the edges by metal frames. They also provide a solid method to secure them to their mountings.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
Here is a “quick and dirty” list of what is needed for a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Electricity Generating System:
In future articles I will go into more detail on some of these items.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
When was the last time you thought about the sun? The sun is one of the most powerful forces in our everyday lives. Yet we rarely think about it. Our sense of day and night is from the sun. The natural cycles of spring, summer, winter, and fall every year are created by the sun. The sun makes every plant grow and forms the basis of all life on this planet. Without the sun, we would not be here.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
The basic idea for a home solar electric system is this: You put solar panels on your roof; they collect the sun’s energy and produce electricity that is pumped back into the electric company’s power grid (after conversion by an “inverter“). The electric company buys this excess electricity during the day from you. At night when the sun is down, you buy electricity from the utility company. In a way, it’s kind of like banking electricity with the utility company during the day that you can use at a later time when the sun is not out or when you need more electricity than your solar power system is producing. You generally pump power out to the electric company’s grid during day and get it back at night. It’s kind of like storing water in a reservoir that you can use later.
In the end, you just pay for the “Net” amount of electricity that you use over the course of a year. “Net” just means the amount of electricity you use minus the amount that your solar panels generate. This is a quick definition of Net Metering.
Robert Morse
BSEE, MSEE, NABCEP Certified PV Solar Installer
CA State Licensed Electrical Contractor (C10) & Solar Contractor (C46)
SunCal Solar, Incorporated
Have a Question? Contact Us at: blog@SunCalSolar.com
It’s free for anyone to subscribe by clicking on the “Posts” or “By Email” (RSS Feed or Email) subscribe buttons at the upper right corner of this website.
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