Dear Friend; We truly believe that solar energy is the energy of the future. And we hope that through this short discussion on how does solar energy work that you'll come to join us in this thinking. Solar energy is arguably the cleanest and most viable energy we have to use. And you've seen it all over the place. Perhaps that little calculator on your desk is powered by light. And many traffic construction signs are now drawing their energy from solar energy.
So how does a solar energy system work. Let's find out. Simply put a photovoltaic cell converts some of the solar energy from the sun into an energy we can use. And that energy is a clean form of electrical energy. This photo cell is made of a sandwich of two slices of silicon. Each slice of silicon is charged differently. One is positive and the other is negative. Between these 2 slices of silicon are small wires which make up the circuit. And when the sun beats down on the cell the negatively charged neutrons are knocked free. But not too free, they are caught by the wires and form an electric current.
We're getting a good handle on how solar energy works. We've created our electricity with the solar panels. But not so fast young whipper-snapper. This is direct current which we can't use for most residential applications. So along comes inverter to save us and convert the direct into the alternate current. And the good news is these inverters are around 95% effective at this conversion.
Friends, you've learned how does solar energy work. It's really not that complicated. And the benefits are beyond peace of mind. It is quiet energy. And it can be used for more than just your lights. How about heating your water. And if you have a system tied to the grid and you have a roof full of solar panels you could become energy independent. Most of these systems can easily create from 75% to 100% of your energy needs.
How does solar energy work? You are now an expert my friend. It is a remarkably simple system. And it is becoming less expensive and more viable all the time. In California over 10 million homes are benefiting from this bounty of the sun. reliability and applicability are the keywords to solar energy.