| The basics of solar power.Solar power is probably | | | | electric current is formed.This reaction gives |
| the cleanest, most viable form of renewable | | | | Direct Current electricity though, and it must be |
| energy available and it can be used in several | | | | passed through an inverter to be converted into |
| forms to help power your house. Many gardens | | | | an Alternating Current used in our homes to |
| now use solar lights or solar garden water | | | | power any electrical items. Some of the power is |
| features. The availability and wide use of solar | | | | lost in this part of the process as the inverter is |
| power in gardens shows exactly how versatile it | | | | only around 95% efficient but this is a much |
| is as a source of energy. The technology and the | | | | greater efficiency than was once available.The |
| systems are becoming smaller, more compact | | | | nature of the PV cell means there is little or no |
| and better looking than when they were first | | | | maintenance required and there are no moving |
| created and used. Early examples of solar power | | | | parts; this means that a typical PV cell can last up |
| systems can be seen in California where, in the | | | | to 40 years with no work besides an annual |
| 1980s, enough solar power panels were installed | | | | clean.How can I use them to power my |
| to power over 10 million homes.How do | | | | house?There are several ways to use solar |
| photovoltaic tiles work?Simply put photovoltaic | | | | power around the house and not just for |
| tiles and other forms of solar energy work by | | | | powering. You can use it to heat your hot water, |
| converting some of the energy in sunlight into a | | | | heat your pool or even your central heating or if |
| clean form of electricity that can be used in our | | | | you have plenty of roof space and a reasonable |
| houses. The PV cells consist of a positive and a | | | | amount of sun you can get a grid tie system; a |
| negative slice of silicon placed under a thin slice of | | | | grid tie system means that not only can you |
| glass. As the protons of the sunlight beat down | | | | power your entire house but during those times |
| onto the PV cell they knock the neutrons off the | | | | when you create an excess of electricity you can |
| silicon. The negatively charged free neutrons are | | | | sell it back to the grid. An efficiently solar |
| attracted to the silicon but are trapped by the | | | | powered home will be able to reasonably create |
| magnetic field that is formed from the opposing | | | | between 75 and 100% of their own power and |
| fields. Small wires on the silicon catch these | | | | because of the grid tie system this means you |
| neutrons and when connected in a circuit an | | | | may not have to pay for electricity ever again. |