Solar energy refers to light and heat radiating from the sun. When this energy is captured, it can be converted into electricity or used to heat air or water.The most common form of solar energy is harnessed by solar panels, or photovoltaic cells. In photovoltaic power stations, they’re arranged almost edge-to-edge to capture sunlight in large fields. You’ll also see them on top of houses and other buildings at times, as well. The cells are created from semiconductor materials. When the sun’s rays hit the cells, it loosens electrons from their atoms. This allows the electrons to flow through the cell and generate electricity.
The advantages of powering your home with solar energy are many:
1.Lowers Your Electricity Bill Reducing the monthly electric bill is a priority in most homes, and generating your own energy through the power of the sun is a simple way to reduce your electric bill.
2.Low Maintenance Most solar energy systems come with a very extended warranty—sometimes up to 30 years. Maintenance usually only requires an annual cleaning, and the solar PV and solar thermal parts will need to be changed out about every 10 years. There are no moving parts, so there’s less that could break down or go wrong. Since solar energy systems are easy to maintain, you won’t have to spend too many repairs.
3.Sustainable Solar energy could be a stable resource for billions of years. It’s the most abundant energy resource on earth—173,000 terawatts of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously. That’s more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use.
4.Environmentally Friendly Solar energy has far fewer carbon emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions are insignificant because solar power uses no fuel combustion. Each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar energy substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions like CO2 and particulate matter.
