Why You Need Solar Energy for homes: How does It Work?

Why You Need Solar Power for homes

Solar energy for homes is the best alternative to energy efficient affordable homes worldwide. Ever wondered how we get electricity from the sun to power your whole house? Today I want to demystify solar energy by breaking it down.

What is Solar Energy?

First things first, what is solar? Solar is a collective term for the sun’s rays that shine onto the earth. How come simple rays and bright light heat up the earth’s surface and the air? Let’s join the word energy to solar to get solar energy. The process of nuclear fusion releases energy.

Nuclear fusion on the sun’s surface creates the energy we can use to power our homes. So, we know why we get the warm from the sun; the hydrogen atoms colliding on the surface of the sun do the great job of producing energy.

Harnessing Solar Energy for Homes

Ok, so the sun is shining and lighting up our fields and we can enjoy going about in beautiful daylight. But how do we tap the same energy from the sun and use it to run our homes?

I’m glad you asked about tapping the sun’s energy for our benefit. And the sun’s energy can never be depleted. It’s been there for millions of years and will continue being available long after we have moved on.  That’ why solar energy is classified under renewable energy sources that we can rely on. Other energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal are under the category of non-renewable energy resources, but that’s a story for another day.

So back to the question; how can we harness solar energy? We make use of solar panels. Solar panels are composed of photovoltaic cells or in short, ‘PV’ as commonly known.

Solar Panels for Homes

We know that sunlight has energy, so PV in the solar panel will convert that light into electricity.

I have a simple solar light at home which helps me light up my room overnight without incurring extra cost on my electric bill. Once in a while, the light does not go on because it is out of power and I have to recharge it out in the sun. Using a small or tiny solar panel, I can recharge it in the sun.

How do Solar Panels Work to Create Solar Energy?

Interestingly, on a cloudy day, I don’t get much power into my portable solar light. I will turn it on but it goes off after a short time. I can use my solar light even for four days or more without the need to recharge it in the sun. One time it was sunny, but I didn’t position the solar panel to face the sun. And of course not much recharging occurred because the light was not hitting the surface of the solar panel.

When light hits the surface of the solar panel, there is a photovoltaic effect. As the photons in the sun’s rays hit the surface of the photovoltaic cells, we get electricity.

How to Store Solar Energy for Use at Home

So now we have electricity but how do we store it and make use of it?

Great!

We store the electric power produced from solar energy in batteries. Among other types of batteries, most commonly used to store electricity from solar power panels are lithium-ion batteries.

Once you can plug your battery into your electrical line at home, you can run machines, heat water, and light your house in an ecofriendly manner. Thanks to the free sun rays, you don’t have to foot a heavy utilities bill when you embrace solar energy.

Is Solar Energy for Homes Affordable?

But if solar is free, how come everyone is not using solar energy to light their homes and power different gadgets around the house? The initial cost of the solar setup is the prohibiting factor. As technology improves day by day, we can expect the cost of up-taking solar to homes and offices to come down.

At the end of it all, not all is hard because even if you don’t have a solar panel at home, you can still enjoy solar lights that don’t need the installation of solar panels.  

Will Solar Energy Replace Fossil Fuels?

The shift to renewable energy resources is inevitable due to climate change effects being observed worldwide. Submerging of cities, flash floods, prolonged droughts, and fatal heat waves remind us all to take up other forms of energy that contribute less to climate change. A simple data analysis of cities and regions affected by climate change will help you to understand the big picture why we should embrace renewable energy resources.

Getting ahead of the game by using solar energy for homes is to your advantage. What much better thing would you do with your money other than paying high electricity bills?

Are you ready to embrace solar energy at home?

Can solar energy supply your home energy needs?

What are your thoughts about solar energy for homes? Share your comments below