Over 70% of our electricity in the United States is generated from fossil fuels, a finite resource that emits greenhouse gases and other pollution. We would be wise to transition to domestic, clean, renewable sources of energy in order to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign sources of energy.
Solar cells and Solar Panels also called photovoltaics (PV), convert sunlight directly into electricity. When light strikes a solar cell, the energy from photons knocks electrons loose from atoms that make up the solar cell. Those electrons begin to flow thereby producing electricity.
A basic PV cell produces only a small amount of power, so cells are interconnected to form modules, which can in turn be connected into arrays to produce significant amounts of power. Because of this modularity, PV systems can be sized to meet various electrical requirements.
A grid-tied PV system connects directly to the utility grid.
Using grid-connected PV power has economic as well as environmental advantages. When your home or business requires more electricity than the PV array is generating, you get it from the utility. When you require less electricity than the PV array is generating, the excess is fed back to the utility through net metering. A credit for electricity sold back is deducted (netted) from charges for electricity purchased.
If you would like for M3E to assess your site for a Solar PV system, contact us, and here is what you should expect:
The Department of Energy has a good site if you'd like to explore solar energy further.
