Solar energy is a renewable source of energy which is gaining more users because of the benefits it provides. With the abundance of sunlight availability and technology to harness the energy to convert it into electric power, users have been increasing every year. Solar power panels are used to absorb the solar energy and convert it into electric power through the photovoltaic (PV) effect. Most of the home has a roof or backyard where the solar panels can be fixed to produce electricity.
A home solar system provides enough electricity to fulfill all the power requirements of the house. It should be capable of providing AC power as traditionally all the homes now use AC power to operate lighting systems, gadgets, appliances and equipment such as computer systems, refrigerators, mixers, fans, air conditioners, television and music systems.
Elements required in the home solar system
1. There are several elements in a home solar system such as:
2. It requires adequate number of solar panels in order to absorb solar energy.
3. The system requires battery which can be charged by the solar power generated and store electric power which can be used in the night. Batteries are used in off-grid systems.
4. The system also requires inverter to convert the DC power generated toAC power to be used by appliances in the house.
5. The solar power system should be interconnected with adequate cabling and wiring to channelize the energy into energy that can be used by appliances at home.
Working of home solar system
When sunlight falls on the solar panels, it is absorbed by the PV Cells. The silicon semiconductors in the cells convert the solar energy into electric energy through PV effect. The DC power directly charges the battery. The DC power in the battery is sent to the inverter which converts it into the AC
power. The AC power is sent to the mains connection in the home, which can power all the appliances in the house.
Factors to consider which installing solar panel at home
There are certain factors to consider before setting up the solar power system at home:
Before installing the solar panel system, ascertain the AC power required for the appliances at house. The best way to do this is by using the highest monthly electricity bill in the past year. The bill records the number of units of electricity that was consumed in a month. Divide the units of electricity by the number of days in the month to find the daily consumption.
Then calculate the number of solar panels needed to generate the AC power required.
The availability of the space in the house needs to be determined based on the number of solar panel required. The solar panels can be fixed in the roof top or backyard depending on where the adequate sunlight is received.
In order to maximize the fall of sunlight on them, solar panels should be placed facing south
The cost of the home solar power plant depends on the number, size and type of solar panels used.