Heating and cooling make up over half the utility expenses for every American home, leaving much to gain from a reduction in energy usage and cost. Solar power is the largest renewable energy source worldwide, growing about 20% annually over the past 15 years. There is still potential for much more growth over the coming decades. With 120,000 terawatts of solar power entering the earth daily, there is much energy to work with for commercial and residential energy resources.
How Do Solar Panels for Homes Work?
A great deal of concern exists regarding the ability of residential solar panels to provide enough energy to keep homes powered 365 days a year. This means that the placement of solar panels is key to the collection of enough solar rays, along with the addition of photovoltaic batteries that are now able to collect excess energy and save for additional energy supplies on cloudy days and other times when sunlight is minimal.
It is important to know that solar panels for homes collect energy from the roof or whatever location they are planted on the house or in the yard. This is a detailed plan, sort of like the placement of a satellite dish, where it will likely get the best reception along with avoiding the collection of rain or snow during storms.
Use Solar Energy for Homes
Many technological developments have come regarding solar and other renewable energy systems. These include the addition of batteries and other cells to collect this energy and store it for continued use. It works much like the power grid where fossil fuel energy is stored for use by a larger community but installed entirely within your own home or other building.
Luckily, product, installation, and service costs of solar energy are reducing consistently. These means that solar panel installation has increased greatly over the past two decades, with the potential for continued growth in this industry. Solar companies are generating residential solar panels, and with the increased research and proof of the benefits solar energy the market has increased.
Existing Solar Panels for Houses
There are already more than a million American homes taking advantage of solar power for the reduction in utility costs. Additionally, there is much to consider with the benefit this has on the power grid. Some of the numbers of existing homes with solar panels installed include:
- Solar installation has been completed for about 1.3 million American homes.
- 40 gigawatts of solar power capacity is generated from these homes.
- With one megawatt providing enough power for over 150 homes, making these 40 gigawatts powerful enough for about 6.5 million homes.
With the benefit of sustainability to the earth and everyone’s lives, there is much to consider with solar panels for homes to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. While many politicians and others battle the effect of solar power on the power grid, there is much to be said for the amount of additional power that is generated, the fact that it can be stored, and eventually combined for the benefit of an overall renewable energy source for all communities.
