How Residential Solar Works
Learn the basics behind residential solar energy systems.
A residential solar energy system is a great way to power your home with clean, renewable, cost stable electricity. The following diagram illustrates how commercial solar works.
- 1. Solar Array: Powering your home with the Sun starts here. The solar array is comprised of a series of solar panels. The bigger the array, the more electricity it is capable of producing. When sunlight hits the solar array, DC electricity is generated.
- 2. Inverter: The DC electricity from your array travels to the inverter, where it is converted from DC to AC electricity. AC electricity is identical to the type of power you receive from the utility power grid.
- 3. Electric Service Panel: AC electricity from your inverter passed to the electric service panel where it is routed to power your facility’s various electric loads.
- 4. Utility Power Grid: When your solar electric system generates more power than your business is consuming, excess electricity is routed to the power grid. When you feed electricity back to the grid your meter will spin backwards, earning you credits on your bill.
Appendix – What does all this mean?
What is a Watt?
- The power capacity of a PV panel is rated in watts.
- A typical PV panel has a power capacity between 130 and 230 watts and has varying size options.
- When many panels are linked together to form an array, the power capacity is often referred to in units of kilowatts (kw) or 1,000 watts.
- In Colorado, 1kW of optimally oriented PV will generate an average of 1,500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year.
- For reference, a 1kW system under good sunlight has enough instantaneous power to run ten 100-watt light bulbs, or forty 25-watt Compact Florescent (CFL) bulbs.
What Makes a PV System?
- A PV system includes panels, racking, inverters, wiring, and conduit. Batteries and charge controllers are required only if you will require back up power. Many people rely on the grid for this.
- Typical panel efficiency for converting sunlight to usable power for your come is 13% – 18%.
- Panels are warranted for 20 to 25 years, inverters for 10 to 15 years.
- Panels are designed to withstand hail, snow, and wind without incurring damage.
- System racking is designed to meet the wind zone ratings of specific neighborhoods
A Straight Grid-Tied Solar Electric System:
What is Net Metering? Ask a Solar Expert from Bella Energy from Bella Energy on Vimeo.
- Has no batteries.
- Will go down when the grid goes down so your system does not back-feed the neighborhood lines and possibly electrocute a line worker.
- Can be sized to cover over 100% of your annual electric needs.
- Is interconnected with the grid so you will always have power, even at night or on overcast days.
Allows you to spin your meter backwards. You will be credited at the retail rate for any power your system feeds onto the grid. At the end of the year, the utility will pay you for any excess kW hours at the wholesale rate.
Although designing a PV system is entirely custom, a 4 kW system will power an average sized residential home.
Your home’s solar energy system will produce electricity for over 30 years. Learn more about how residential solar systems work…
Impact of a 4 kW Array:
- Reduces CO2 emission by 11,580 lbs per year.
- Will save you $700 on utilities in the first year and over $31,000 during the 25 year warranted lifetime of the system (assuming we continue to see a 5% annual escalation in utility rates).
- Takes up about 350 ft2 of roof space, depending on panel capacity.
Did You Know?
Solar Energy can save you hundred of dollars on your electric utility bills and dramatically increase the value of your home. Learn more about the benefits of residential solar energy…
