What's Involved In a Solar Power Installation Project?

As more and more people consider solar power for their homes, the need for information about what?s involved with a typical solar power installation becomes critical. Most of these homeowners are curious about the options available to them when designing their system and understanding the components involved is the first step.

Before considering one of these solar power systems, many homeowners are curious as to what parts are used in a typical solar power installation. Even though these systems can vary considerably from home to home, there are several basic components needed for every solar power installation being designed today. Understanding how these parts work together can help you better prepare for installing your own solar power system.

The main components of any solar power system are the solar panels. These are the part of the system that is typically mounted on the roof and does the actual conversion of sunlight to power. The number of solar panels can vary depending on the size of the system being installed, but they all operate basically the same way. Inside these solar panels are a collection of solar cells that have been wired together to produce the electricity the system provides to your home. These solar cells are made of a material that is able to generate a small current when exposed to sunlight. Even though this current might be small for each solar cell, when they are connected together they can produce quite a lot of power.

These solar panels typically produce a DC current that is then sent to a device called an inverter located near your home?s electrical panel. This inverter serves a few functions but its primary role is to convert this DC current produced by the solar panels into AC current that can be used by the home. It is also the part of the system that connects directly to your homes wiring and is responsible for switching between the power being supplied by the solar power system during the day, and the local utility in the evenings. Many homes will also install a series of batteries as part of their solar power installation and the inverter will send a portion of the power the system generates during the day to these batteries to charge them. These batteries can then be used in the evenings to supply power to the home when the solar panels are inactive. The final thing the inverter does is send any excess power your system generates during the day back up the power lines to local utility. When they receive this power from your system, they will generate a credit for your home for the power. That way when the inverter connects you to the local utility to supply the power you need, you can use these credits to offset the cost of this power.

These are the basic components found in any solar power installation being deployed today. You have quite a few decisions as to the size and type of solar power system you install, and understanding how it all fits together can help prepare you to make the right choices.

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