Alternative Energy HQ solar power for homes, wind energy, and bio fuel issues
The technical term for solar power systems is Photovoltaic Systems or PV systems. Photovoltaic is a word derived from two words, one from ‘photo’ meaning light, and another from ‘volt’ which is a measurement of electrical energy. In simplest terms, a photovoltaic system is a configuration that collects energy from sunlight and turns it into electric power. Here is a simplified explanation of the whole process.
Most PV systems start off with a method of collecting the sun’s energy. This is usually achieved using solar panels that are made to take in the sun’s energy once exposed to the sun’s rays. Most solar cells today are efficient enough that they don’t have to have direct sunlight to gather energy (although they obviously are most effective in times of direct sun); they can even gather some energy on cloudy days.
Once the solar cells collect the energy from the sunlight, the photovoltaic system converts that energy into electricity, which can be used immediately or stored for future use. In standalone systems, the unused energy is typically stored in electric batteries, and this used to be the case for most PV systems. Nowadays, many homes and businesses using solar energy can remain tied into the local power grid, and the PV system can likewise be tied into the grid. This set up helps eliminate the need for storage batteries because the local power grid can serve as storage for any unused energy that is sent by your PV system. In this kind of set-up, your electric company deducts a certain amount from your monthly electrical bill in recognition to the electricity that you are feeding to the power grid.
Although photovoltaic systems are eco-friendly, it is fairly obvious that there will be days when you will be able to gather excessive amounts of energy and some days when you can hardly gather some energy. Standalone systems are often hybridized in order to be able to include an alternative power source that will kick in when the solar cells are unable to gather sufficient amounts of energy. Usually, the alternative power sources of standalone systems can come in the form of a diesel generator or biogas. For those who are more committed to renewable energy, the alternate energy source might even be wind. For the typical home or business user, though, the alternate energy source is simply the local power company. Since most PV systems are connected to the local power grid, the only time a consumer draws power from the grid is when the PV does not have enough stored energy to power up the household or establishment.
Hopefully, this brief overview gives a better understanding of photovoltaic systems and how they work. While these systems rely on the amount of daylight available, adaptations can be made to make solar energy a reliable energy source.
