Research suggests that people are caring more about the environment than they have ever done before. This may be partly because we live in an enlightened age and are more aware of how our actions impact the planet. This is certainly one of the factors that are driving interest in solar power. Of course, the recent global pandemic and economic issues also highlight the uncertainty and instability of jobs and the current fragile economic situation.
All these factors point toward purchasing and installing solar panels. However, solar panels on their own are not enough, that’s why you need to opt for premium solar installations.
Power Without the Sun
The sun heats the solar panels and creates movement in the molecules which generate electricity. This is capture and sent to a transformer to be converted into usable current. As long as the sun is out you have electricity, the only limit is the number of panels. The greater the number of panels the more power you will have available. Of course, you use more power when the sun disappears. This is generally when you cook and you certainly need lights. The good news is that most solar installations will generate more power during the day than you need. All you have to do is store that power. It’s referred to as solar storage.
How Solar Storage Works
In effect, solar storage simply means that the electricity created by the sun and your solar panels is stored inside a battery. This battery can then provide the power you need when the sun has gone to bed. In essence, the principle is simple, excess electricity generated in the day is sent to the battery, ready to be used at night. However, the electricity created by the solar panels is known as DC, Direct Current. The electricity used in your home is AC. That means you need a transformer to convert the power into a useable state. But, if you want to store it in a battery it needs to be stored as DC.
As there is no point in converting it from DC to AC and back to DC, you need a smart controller. This knows what current your home is drawing and sends that to the transformer which converts it to AC. The rest is sent to the battery to be stored. When needed power is pulled from the battery by the controller and sent to the transformer. The system needs to be set up properly to ensure you have electricity when you need it. It should be noted that although we say battery, for most homes you will need several batteries. The exact number will depend on how much current you need to store and how much you use when the panels are not producing electricity. Solar storage is a viable way to ensure you can come completely off-grid and protect yourself against energy costs rising. But, you need to speak to the professionals to ensure it is installed safely and effectively
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