Have you considered going solar at home?
Just look around your neighborhood and you’ll see that more and more homes have solar panels on their roofs. But if you’re still using expensive and inefficient traditional utilities, you may not realize that solar power is actually the fastest growing form of clean energy in the world.
Don’t worry—we have plenty of fun facts about solar energy so you can impress your friends and neighbors!
Today, let’s start with these five interesting facts about solar energy:
Going solar really helps our environment and health.
Going solar and breaking our dependence on archaic fossil fuels brings a host of environmental benefits.
For instance, did you know that by curbing pollution, it’s projected that solar power can reduce our health and environmental costs by $167 billion each year? Solar also reduces water scarcity, saving enough water to provide for 1.3 million households annually. Finally, by going solar we could save $259 billion in damages directly linked to climate change just this year.
From the globe to your neighborhood, solar helps clean up the environment, which benefits us all.
Solar saves you a LOT of money – starting from day ONE.
These days, it’s more important than ever for the typical family to save money, and our power bills really add up. In fact, the average household drops $173 per month on their utility bills, including electric, and that could go way higher for bigger homes and in warm weather months.
By partnering with the top solar installers and utilizing only state-of-the-art technology, most homeowners begin saving the day they flip the switch. When we’re talking fun facts about solar energy, one of the most important aspects is the savings, all starting when you flip the switch on your brand-new solar system.
Installation is smooth and easy.
Solar is more affordable and saves you more than ever, and the installation process has never been easier. LGCY Power assigns you a dedicated Solar Consultant, who is like your personal solar concierge, leading you through the process, and handling all of the paperwork. LGCY even manages the permits, goes over options, and coordinates the installation.
Homeowners can even opt for maintenance and monitoring services, so going solar at home is not only one of the smartest choices you’ve ever made, but an enjoyable experience.
Renewable energy sources like solar will dominate by 2050.
The solar revolution is here, and it’s set to change the world over the next few decades. In fact, renewable energy sources like wind and especially solar are set to replace the majority of fossil fuels by 2050. (To put that growth in perspective, in 2015, wind and solar made up only seven percent of our global energy usage.)
There are many reasons for this dramatic increase, including improved technology, battery capacity, and infrastructure, but the bottom line is that fossil fuels are just getting more expensive. At the same time, it’s finally dawning on people how cheap, clean, and easy it is to tap into the power of the sun.
Now when your friends ask you, “What are some interesting facts about solar energy?” you’ll be ready!
Contact LGCY Power if you have any questions or for a complimentary solar assessment.
Solar energy provides clean, inexpensive energy for more Americans than ever before, with LGCY Power at the forefront of helping homeowners who want to save. But to understand where we’re going, it’s also important to understand the history of solar energy.
So, if you’ve ever wondered, “What is the history of solar energy?” read on!
The power of the sun was first harnessed by human beings in the 7th century B.C., when primitive magnifying glasses were used to light fires.
By the 3rd century B.C., the Romans and Greeks used mirrors to magnify the sun and light their torches used in religious ceremonies. These “burning mirrors” became commonplace, with a record of this newest solar “technology” even in Chinese civilizations.
In the 1500s, the iconic Italian technologist Leonardo da Vinci envisioned large concave mirrors to heat buildings and homes, which he sketched like so many other inventions.
Around that time, wealthy Europeans started having sunrooms or early green houses built to provide solar heat and grow exotic fruits that otherwise wouldn’t thrive in that climate.
The Birth of Modern Solar Energy
But it’s not until 1839 when we see the birth of modern solar energy. It was then that a prodigious young French scientist named Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect, a chemical and physical process where current or voltage is generated when a material is exposed to sunlight.
By the 1860s, a French mathematician named Augustin Mouchot registered the first patents for solar-powered engines, although they were far from usable in everyday life.
In 1873, the mineral selenium came to the forefront of solar power’s evolution, as electrical engineer Willoughby Smith discovered that the element had the potential for photoconductivity. That led to a revelation just three years later by English physicists William Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day that selenium can create electricity when exposed to sunlight.
The Design of the First Solar Cells
Any discussion about the history of the development of solar energy wouldn’t be complete without Charles Fritts’ contribution. In 1883, this New York inventor designed the very first solar cells, constructed from selenium and a thin gold layer. Fritts installed these primitive solar panels on the rooftop of a New York City building. His invention only reached an energy conservation rate of 1-2 percent (while most modern solar cells operate at 15-20 percent efficiency), but these cells did produce electric current “that is continuous, constant, and of considerable force” according to Fritts’ account.
But it was another inventor, Edward Weston, who received patents for those solar cells, U.S. Patent 389,124 and U.S. Patent 389,425, in 1888. That same year, Russian scientist Aleksandr Stoletov invented the first solar cell that utilized the photoelectric effect, discharging electrons when light hit the cells.
After that, new patents came periodically, with American inventor Harry Reagan receiving a patent in 1897 for thermal batteries charged by solar energy. Another patent came in 1913 when William Coblentz designed a thermal generator that was more practical than ever before.
The Introduction of the Photovoltaic Cell
Our look at solar energy history facts takes a huge leap forward in 1954 when Bell Laboratories designed the silicon P.V. (photovoltaic) cell. There at Bell Labs, inventors Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson came up with the first-ever solar cell made of silicon – not selenium – that reached 4 percent efficiency at converting sunlight to power. With subsequent developments, they quickly reached 6 percent efficiency, but installing solar panels on a building or residential property was still a far-off concept.
One of the notable events in the brief history of the development of solar energy came with space exploration, as solar power was used to help power satellites, including Vanguard I, Vanguard II, Sputnik 3, and Explorer III, all in 1958. By 1964, NASA launched their Nimbus spacecraft satellite, which ran completely on 470-watt solar power. NASA used solar to power space exploration again in 1966 with the first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory.
Solar One: The World’s First Solar Building
In 1973, the University of Delaware created “Solar One,” the world’s first solar building. It didn’t have solar panels, but the solar capacity was built right into the rooftop materials, using a combination of solar P.V. power and solar thermal.
When the United States was thrust into an energy crisis in 1974, Congress quickly passed the Solar Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Act. With that, the U.S. government pledged to “make solar viable and affordable and market it to the public.” For the first time, it seemed that solar energy in normal life seemed viable for the near future. However, the path of growth for solar slowed in the 1980s when energy prices dropped precipitously.
The endorsement of solar power for the nation was a mercurial issue for U.S. presidents, too. President Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the White House in 1979, but President Ronald Reagan had them removed in 1981. It wasn’t until 2010 when President Barack Obama asked for solar panels to be re-installed at the White House, as well as a solar hot water heater.
The Solar Challenger: First Aircraft to Run On Solar Power
Solar development got an unlikely boost from the aviation field in 1981 when Solar Challenger became the first aircraft to run entirely on solar power, flying from France to the U.K. Thirty-five years later, in 2016, Solar Impulse 2 became the first aircraft to fly around the globe with solar power and zero emissions.
As we transition from the history of solar energy to the present day, it becomes clear why residential use of solar is more popular than ever. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the prevalence of solar energy has grown by an average of 50 percent annually over the last ten years. This is largely thanks to the Solar Investment Tax Credit, which was enacted in 2006. But the technology of solar systems, from panels to batteries, has also vastly improved. In fact, installation costs are now 70 percent less than just ten years ago.
Today, solar power is less expensive, easier, and more efficient than ever, and LGCY Power is the national leader in solar power for homeowners looking to save on their energy bills.
Call LGCY Power at 1.866.566.2650 and speak with one of our experienced solar professionals. Our solar experts will answer your questions about making the switch to solar power and will demonstrate how going solar will save you money in as little as one month’s time.
Twice a year, most of us set our clocks forward or back in observance of Daylight Savings Time. Whether it’s springing one hour forward in March or falling back one hour in November, Daylight Savings Time (DST) gives us an extra hour of daylight in the evenings during the winter season when days are shorter. According to Scientific American, approximately 25 percent of the world’s population observe daylight savings, losing an hour of sleep or gaining an hour of sunlight.
However, being able to work and play an extra hour wasn’t the only purpose for Daylight Savings Time. So, does Daylight Savings Time save energy, too?
There are plenty of studies and even a little controversy surrounding the question, how does daylight savings time save energy? So, it’s first important to look at the history of Daylight Savings.
The History of Daylight Savings Time
Daylight Savings didn’t come to fruition until World War I, when Germany saw that an extra hour of sunlight would help with work, wartime production, and conserve energy. By the end of WWI, the United States was doing the same, asking Americans to set the clocks back as a temporary wartime measure, and they picked up the practice again in WWII to stretch the days and conserve energy.
Once the war ended, it fell to individual states to decide if they wanted to observe Daylight Savings Time, as well as the schedule of dates. But in 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966, turning the clocks back one hour on the last Sunday in October and forward one hour on the last Sunday in April.
If those dates don’t sound entirely familiar, it’s because in 2007, those dates were adjusted to the first Sunday in November and the second Sunday in March.
Now that we’ve caught up with the history of Daylight Savings Time, let’s focus on the crucial question, how does Daylight Savings Time save energy?
How Does Daylight Savings Time Save Energy?
The conventional wisdom went that if we are able to spend an extra hour outdoors, we wouldn’t need to turn on lights, watch televisions, or use other appliances, saving electricity. Just by keeping the lights off for an hour, Daylight Savings Time saves energy, right?
Of course, some thought daylight savings was a great idea and lobbied hard for it, like retailers and farmers, among others who would benefit. (In 1986, lobbyists for the golf industry told Congress that an additional four weeks of daylight savings would generate about $400 annually in extra revenue and sales on golf courses across the country!)
What The Research Says About Daylight Savings
Those opinions aside, let’s look at the research to see how Daylight Savings Time saves energy (if at all).
In the 1970s, during the U.S. oil crisis, the U.S. Department of Transportation conducted a study and found that Daylight Savings Time (DST) decreased overall electricity consumption by 1 percent, but not because of its intended effect – reducing home energy and heating needs.
The U.S. Department of Energy published a report in 2007 when Congress extended DST four weeks. Their findings were consistent with the DOT, as saving daylight only lowered energy use by 0.5 percent (half a percent) each day. They discovered that although there was some nominal energy savings in the late afternoon/early evenings, people used their heat and lights more in the mornings. In total, Daylight Savings Time saved the country only 1.24 terawatts or 0.03 percent of our total electricity demand.
That may seem like nominal electricity savings, but in their 2008 report on that analysis, the DOT noted that 1.24 terawatts could power 100,000 U.S. households for a whole year. Additionally, their study looked at residential power savings but not the effect of DST on commercial energy usage, which could offer more savings.
The extension of Daylight Savings Time in 2007 also provided a valuable opportunity to compare the before-and-after energy usage and test its efficacy to save energy.
Adrienne Kandel, an economist for the California Energy Commission, did just that, conducting a study into California’s energy usage before and after the 2007 extension of DST. She found that Daylight Savings had little or even no effect on how much energy was used in that state. The energy savings was only 0.2 percent over those extra weeks of DST, well within the 1.5 percent statistical margin of error.
Another valuable opportunity for a before-and-after comparison came in 2006 when Indiana adopted Daylight Savings Time statewide. By studying electricity usage, they found that DST actually increased demand for electricity by 1 percent, costing Indiana residents an additional $9 million.
A large-scale European study found that Daylight Savings initiatives reduced the energy used for lighting only marginally, but the demand for home heating actually increased by 9 percent, making DST a resounding net negative.
And a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research in the U.S. found that while energy for lighting did decrease, the use of power for heating and cooling rose significantly.
Accurately gauging if Daylight Savings Time saves energy is a tricky proposition. This smattering of studies and reports also lack any uniform scientific methodology, and many factors are at play.
For instance, through the 1960s, it was lighting that cost us the most in electricity, although now lighting has become exponentially more efficient – and cheaper. In the 1970s, it was the skyrocketing price of oil that dictated the lion’s share of energy costs, altering the DST savings equation.
DST May Hurt Home Energy Savings in Certain States
These days, we use air conditioning far more on early summer evenings and turn on the heat during chilly mornings in the early spring and late fall, dispelling the idea that DST lowers energy usage. In states where air conditioning is needed almost year-round, DST may actually hurt, not help, home energy savings. (That’s the big reason why Arizona hasn’t adopted DST.)
Likewise, latitude matters when we wonder how Daylight Savings Time saves energy, since an extra hour of daylight in northern latitudes with colder climates may be far more valuable than southern and warmer regions. We also use our computers, electronics, and smart appliances almost constantly, so an extra hour of daylight won’t make an impact. Most of these studies also look only at residential electric bills, not commercial buildings, retail spaces, or offices.
The Best Way To Save On Solar
No one is really sure if the sun will set on Daylight Savings Time and we will go back to a uniform time, but one thing is for sure: the best way to save money on your energy and electricity bills is to go solar at home with LGCY Power. Solar power is now cheaper, easier, and more efficient than ever, and LGCY Power is at the forefront of America’s solar revolution.
Given that solar panels generate electricity through sunlight, your residential solar system will obviously spend all of its time outdoors. This means that your solar panels will be exposed to all sorts of conditions, from typical rain and snow to extreme winds and temperature swings. Your panels might even have to withstand severe weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, and more.
Therefore, it’s understandable that many homeowners have questions about how solar panels perform in a variety of weather conditions. Does extreme weather reduce the lifespan of a solar panel? Is there such a thing as all-weather solar panels? Throughout this article, we’ll fill you in on all of the important details.
Heat and Sun
Of course, sunshine is a good thing for solar panels. The more sunlight your panels receive, the more power they generate — it truly is just that simple. However, what if you live in a city like Phoenix, AZ, that frequently sees temperatures spike into the 100s? Is there a level of heat that becomes too much and causes the panels to crack?
Fortunately, most solar panels can handle temperatures up to around 150 degrees. Even then, it’s likely that the panels would merely lose efficiency instead of becoming damaged. It doesn’t matter much how hot it gets — if your solar system is in a sunny city like San Diego, CA, your solar panels will likely perform at an optimal level.
Cold and Snow
There’s a common misconception about solar panels in cold weather. While you might think that cold weather decreases the efficiency of your residential solar installation, this has no basis in fact. There are some winter conditions that can reduce solar panels’ effectiveness — such as the angle of the sun — but cold temperatures can actually boost efficiency.
What if you live in a city like Baltimore, MD, where heavy snowfall is somewhat common during the winter months? Much like solar panels in cloudy weather, it’s important to note that snow-covered solar panels won’t produce as much energy as a clean panel, but it’s highly unlikely that your panels will buckle under the weight of the snow. Furthermore, solar panels are typically installed at an angle that allows snow to slide off harmlessly.
Wind, Hurricanes, and Tornadoes
For the most part, windy conditions shouldn’t have much of an effect on your solar panels. Of course, if your home is directly in the path of a hurricane or tornado, it’s possible that you could lose your entire roof. However, in the vast majority of other high-wind scenarios, your solar panels will be in no danger. Furthermore, the wind does not affect solar panel performance.
Hail
If you live in the Midwest, your home is likely subjected to the occasional hailstorm. Thankfully, solar panel manufacturers planned ahead for this occurrence. The vast majority of solar panels are constructed to withstand much more severe impacts than the typical hailstorm provides. In fact, most solar panel manufacturers build their panels to withstand twice as much force as the impact from a severe hailstorm.
In Conclusion
While it’s true that weather does have an effect on residential solar systems, solar panels and weather tend to mix better than people think they do. Solar manufacturers are well aware that their products will need to withstand a variety of harsh conditions, and it’s going to take a lot more than rain, snow, or hail to damage your panels. Furthermore, while all-weather solar panels aren’t available quite yet, efforts are underway to create even stronger panels that can withstand anything Mother Nature sends their way.
For more information about extreme weather effects on solar panels, contact LGCY Power today. Our representatives are true experts who are familiar with everything there is to know about solar panel performance in various weather conditions. They can help you figure out the best options for your home and choose the right panels for your solar system.
Solar power is gaining popularity in the United States, with more people opting for the savings and clean energy that LGCY Power provides. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 77 percent of Americans say that it’s more important to develop clean energy sources like solar than produce more fossil fuels.
But, while solar power usage has grown 460 percent from 2008 to 2018, we still rely on coal, petroleum, and natural gas to generate about 80 percent of our country’s power. What’s holding us back? A lot of it is just education, which will lead to even more widespread adoption of solar power in our daily lives. So, today we would like to provide you with more information on the advantages of solar energy vs fossil fuels.
The main considerations we’ll use to judge the two are:
1) Cost of power
2) Negative environmental impact
3) Ease of integration and use
4) Pros and cons
1) The cost of fossil fuels vs solar energy
When we talk about comparing the cost of solar electricity to fossil fuels, it’s important to note the prevalence of government subsidies. In fact, the United States government has subsidized traditional fossil fuels at a higher rate than any other country in the world according to EnergySage.com.
For example, the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) actually covers 26 percent of most solar installations in the United States. That has been true even under even the most environmentally friendly administrations and Presidents. Therefore, the best way to compare apples-to-apples when we talk about energy costs is to turn to a more straightforward metric: global energy prices.
Update: In August 2022, the solar tax credit was increased to 30% and extended through 2032.
Traditionally, the price of electricity generated from fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels ranges between $0.05 and $0.17 per kilowatt-hour. Currently, the price of solar energy runs between $0.03 and $0.06 per kilowatt-hour according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. So, solar power costs about half as much as electricity produced from non-renewable sources (and that’s not factoring in indirect costs like environmental harm, etc.).
While the savings with solar are profound, the potential for even lower energy prices in the future is exciting. Remember that solar is not a fuel but a technology. Therefore, it’s not a limited resource like gas, oil, coal, etc., which can only increase in price as the supply shrinks. Conversely, advancements in solar technology will improve dramatically over the coming decades, making solar power the cost-efficient choice to power our lives.
2) The environmental impact
When it comes to environmental impact, solar is the clear winner. Solar energy harnesses the power of the sun, cleanly and without harmful emissions or pollutants. We don’t need to mine, drill, burn, or deplete a finite resource to obtain an endless abundance of solar energy.
Fossil fuels, however, deplete and degrade the Earth in the process of obtaining them, causing serious and irreversible changes to the Earth’s fragile ecosystem. Fossil fuels also emit harmful pollutants such as greenhouse gasses, poisoning our environment for future generations. For instance, the burning of fossil fuels now accounts for three-quarters of all carbon emissions in the United States according to NRDC.org. Our dependence on non-renewable fuels also leads to indirect effects like armed conflicts, food insecurity, price volatility, deforestation, and more.
3) Integration and use
Currently, renewable energy resources like wind, solar, and hydropower make up only 2-3 percent of energy usage for the whole world (and about 4 percent in the United States). Non-renewables like oil, coal, and natural gas still make up the vast majority of our energy usage, despite their higher cost and harm to the environment.
Part of the reason for that dependence on non-renewable fuels, is the infrastructure and distribution system, which has been entrenched in our society for more than 100 years. When it comes to ease of filling up your car’s gas tank or calling up the utility company to connect electricity at your house, non-renewables have an edge.
But the use of clean energy is becoming more practical by the day, already surpassing fossil fuels in terms of cost savings. As technology around solar panels, batteries, and other solar systems keeps developing, the application of clean energy sources in everyday life will become more widespread.
4) Solar energy vs fossil fuels pros and cons
To recap the pros and cons of solar energy and fossil fuels, we see that solar now costs less to produce (approximately half as much). The operating costs of fossil fuels will only grow over time as these finite, non-renewable resources are depleted.
Solar Power, on the other hand, will most likely drop in price and increase in efficiency since it’s a technology and not a power source.
Fossil fuel dependence comes with serious environmental consequences, like water pollution, soil erosion, global warming, and more.
When we talk about solar energy vs fossil fuels, the only drawback to solar is that it’s not widely accessible yet, as improvements in infrastructure, technology, and energy policies are needed before there can be a solar panel on every rooftop. LGCY Power is at the forefront of that movement to bring solar to every American household!
Sources:
Solar Energy vs Fossil Fuels
Renewable Energy is Growing Fast in the US But Fossil Fuels Still Dominate
Renewable Power Costs in 2019
Solar vs Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels Dirty Facts
Today’s solar panels are far more efficient in a wide variety of weather conditions than the panels of yesteryear. However, there are still some situations where you could experience decreased output from your residential solar system. One of the most common weather events that affects efficiency is snow on solar panels. How much does snow accumulation decrease your solar system’s energy efficiency? And how do you clean snow off solar panels? Let’s dig into the details.
Solar Panels Are Built To Withstand Snow
First off, let’s correct one of the most enduring myths about solar panels. Many people think that solar panels and snow don’t mix well. In actuality, your typical solar panel is manufactured to withstand at least two feet of snow, and most of them go well beyond that level. Considering that solar panels also function quite well in cold weather, there is little-to-no risk of your panels becoming damaged by snow or other wintery conditions.
How do solar panels work with snow on them? While it’s unlikely that your solar panels will be damaged by winter weather, it is true that heavy snowfall can block sunlight from reaching your panels. Because your solar system needs direct sunlight to produce energy, this can have a negative effect on your electricity generation.
However, before you jump up on the roof and start brushing the snow off of your solar panels, you should check with your solar manufacturer. Some solar companies will void your warranty if you remove snow from your panels yourself. If you get the go-ahead from your manufacturer, you can try either sweeping them using a roof rake or a long-handled brush, or you could blast them with water from a hose to melt the snow away.
How To Remove Snow From Solar Panels
Use The Cold Water Method
If you choose the water method, make sure you use cold water, as the temperature differential between cold snow and hot water could crack the glass on your panels. Furthermore, anyone sweeping or raking snow from solar panels should attach a soft cover to make sure you’re not scratching the glass. You should also never use RainX, car wax, rock salt, or other chemicals on solar panels, as all of these materials can cause damage to not only your solar system but also the shingles and other structures on your roof.
The Autonomous Solar Panel
That said, there are some more advanced methods regarding how to remove snow from solar panels on the roof. One option is a relatively recent innovation known as an autonomous solar panel. These panels can sense when there’s snow cover, and they transfer a small amount of energy in the form of heat to clear away the snow. In addition, the Minnesota-based “Solar for Snow” organization recently won a $50,000 prize from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for their plan to produce solar panels that include nano-materials to self-heat snow-covered panels.
Wait For It To Melt or Slide Off
To be honest, sometimes the best way to get rid of snow on solar panels is to simply wait for it to melt or slide off. Unless there’s a significant amount of caked-on snow cover preventing your solar system from accessing sufficient sunlight, it’s unlikely that you’re losing a significant amount of production. Especially if your solar panels were installed at an angle of 35 degrees or greater, it won’t take much warming to loosen the snow enough to fall off.
Talk With Solar Experts at LGCY Power
As with most aspects of solar panel maintenance, if you have concerns about the buildup of snow on solar panels, you should ask a professional. Our LGCY Power representatives can tell you everything you need to know about how to get snow off of solar panels, and they can also help you figure out the best way to avoid too much snow buildup in the first place.
While solar panels and snow don’t exactly work in harmony, the negative effects of snow on solar panels can be a bit overblown. You might lose a bit of production here and there, but for the most part, it shouldn’t significantly decrease the energy generation from your residential solar system.
Because solar panels produce energy from direct sunlight, it’s pretty obvious that your residential solar system will typically produce more electricity in the summer than it will in the winter. However, there’s quite a bit more to it than you might think, and understanding seasonal solar panel performance can increase your household’s solar savings. Let’s discuss the many ways the seasons affect your energy output and how you can take advantage of them.
Solar Panels Work Best in the Summer Months
Why do solar panels work better in the summer? The longer days certainly help, as your solar panels receive sunlight for more total hours per day than they do in the winter. Furthermore, the angle of the sun provides additional solar panel savings in the summer because the sun’s rays are stronger when it’s directly overhead, as opposed to the lower angle of sunlight in the winter months. This also helps explain why a solar system in Orlando, FL will usually generate more energy per year than the same exact system in Baltimore, MD.
It can be surprising to analyze how much more production you get from your residential solar system during the summer as opposed to the winter. While exact energy levels can fluctuate significantly based on the size and style of your solar system, the age and quality of your solar panels, your location, and daily weather patterns, you can generally expect your system to generate up to 50% more energy in the middle of the summer compared to the dead of winter.
Two-Thirds of Energy Output for the Year Are Generated During This Time
In fact, if you split up the year into two equivalent six-month portions — with the “summer” half running from mid-March through mid-September and the “winter” half stretching from September back into March — nearly two-thirds of all energy output for the entire year is generated during the summer half. Of course, these statistics can also vary quite a bit depending on where you live.
If your residential solar system is located in a sunny city like San Diego, CA, or Phoenix, AZ, you might not notice nearly as much of a seasonal difference as a similar system in North Dakota would experience. Furthermore, some areas (like the majority of the American West) receive most of their rain in the winter, while others (like the Southeast) experience rainy summers. In other words, how solar panels work in the rainy season (and when that season occurs) also plays a part.
Electricity Usage Impacts Seasonal Solar Performance
Electricity usage is another factor that affects seasonal solar panel performance. Some people use more energy in the winter, especially if your home has electric heat instead of gas heat. Other people have higher energy usage in the summer when the air conditioning is cranked up to keep their homes cool. Depending on your specific electricity usage tendencies, your solar energy savings can vary between seasons.
Thankfully, there are solutions to all of these issues. The best way to ensure you have plenty of energy to power your home regardless of weather and climate concerns is to add a solar battery to your residential solar system. With a solar battery, you can store energy generated during peak production months and use it when your system’s output decreases. Solar batteries are a great way to maximize your solar savings and avoid purchasing supplemental energy from your utility provider.
Questions?
Do you have further questions about how seasonality affects your solar panel savings? Feel free to contact one of our LGCY Power representatives at your convenience. Our expert team members can assist you to determine how much of an effect the seasons will have on a solar system at your home and help you choose the perfect solar panels for your house. Understanding how energy production levels can fluctuate during different parts of the year can help you make the most of your solar energy savings, so give us a call today!
LGCY Power is the national leader in solar power for homeowners looking to save on their energy bills. But despite the exponential growth of solar’s popularity today, the roots of solar technology date all the way back to the 1800s.
Today, we would like to highlight the contributions of one of the world’s first solar pioneers, a man named Alexandre Edmond Becquerel.
The Father of the Photovoltaic Effect
Better known as Edmond Becquerel, he was a French physicist who lived from 1820 to 1891. He’s now recognized as the father of the photovoltaic effect, the operating principle behind solar cells, and therefore the first solar panel inventor.
The concept of solar power to provide electricity for our homes and power our businesses wasn’t even science fiction yet when a young Becquerel started tinkering in his father’s lab in Paris’ Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle. Becquerel’s father, Antoine César Becquerel, was also a notable scientist. It was there that young Edmond conducted seminal research into the fields of electricity, magnetism, photography, and optics.
However, his most notable contribution to science was his understanding of the core principles of solar energy, leading to his role as the world’s first solar panel inventor.
In 1839, at the age of 19, Becquerel focused his research on an almost-unheard of concept – harnessing the power of the sun to create energy. In fact, Edmond Becquerel hypothesized that “shining light on an electrode submerged in a conductive solution would create an electric current.”
Working tirelessly in his father’s laboratory, Edmond ran numerous experiments in which he tried to create the world’s very first photovoltaic cell. While you may not be familiar with the term ‘Photovoltaics’ (often abridged to ‘PV’), it is defined as the process of converting sunlight to electricity; or photons to voltage.
The First Photovoltaic Cell Is Created
And he finally did create the first photovoltaic cell by coating platinum electrodes with silver chloride or silver bromide. When the electrodes were illuminated, Becquerel found that both current and voltage were generated, a true eureka moment for solar energy. His research was soon written up and published, and he was embraced as the inventor of the photovoltaic effect, which is the science behind how solar cells operate still to this day. Thanks to his work, what we now know as the photovoltaic effect was coined the “Becquerel effect.”
Alexandre Edmond Becquerel conducted countless more experiments into photovoltaics, dedicating his life to research and developing the potential for solar power in daily use. But energy created through photovoltaics never became efficient or practical, and early solar cells were mostly just used for measuring light and other optic sciences. Solar was used to create energy in the mid-1800s during the Industrial Revolution when large industrial plants used solar power to heat water into steam, which then powered their machinery.
A Patent for the Modern Solar Cell
But it wasn’t until one hundred years later, in 1939, when an American engineer named Russell Shoemaker Ohl registered the first patent for the modern solar cell while working at AT&T’s Bell Labs, U.S. Patent 2402662.
Edmond Becquerel was widely recognized and celebrated for his scientific accomplishments during his lifetime. In 1849, he was designated as a Professor at Versaille’s Agronomic Institute and later named Chairman of Physics at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers a few years later in 1853. In 1886, towards the end of his life, Edmond Becquerel was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, a prestigious appointment.
The Becquerel Prize for Outstanding Merit in Photovoltaics
Still to this day, the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) bequeaths The Becquerel Prize for someone who demonstrates “outstanding merit in photovoltaics.”
Solar power is finally becoming mainstream, and it’s all thanks to the contributions of Edmond Becquerel with his discovery of the photovoltaic effect.
So, if someone ever asks you, “Who created solar power?”, now you’ll be fully aware that it was a Frenchman named Alexandre Edmond Becquerel!
Sources:
Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics
Edmond Becquerel
Edmond Becquerel: The Man Behind Solar Panels
Russell Ohl
How Long Do Solar Panels Last?
Installing solar panels for your home can be an environmentally friendly and cost-effective move. With residential solar installations, you can stop relying on your utility company and paying monthly energy bills, while also protecting our environment by powering your home without the use of fossil fuels. But how long do solar panels last on average?
This is one of the most common questions regarding residential solar panel purchases, and understandably so! Purchasing solar panels for your home is a significant investment, and you need to know that your solar installation will last long enough to make it a smart financial move.
Solar Panels Can Power Your Home for Decades
With this in mind, you will likely be pleased to hear that solar panels can power your home for decades. There are many variables involved — including the brand and model of solar panels you buy, the climate you live in, how much sun the panels receive, etc. — but in general, your solar panels should be able to produce optimal results for 30 years or more.
Solar Panel Lifespan
It’s important to understand the solar panel degradation rate and how it will affect how long a solar panel lasts. According to 2018 research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a typical solar panel loses roughly 0.5% of its energy output each year. The quality of panels you buy greatly affects this rate, as some companies that produce solar panels say their degradation rates are 0.3% or even lower.
If losing 0.5% of your solar installation’s output each year sounds like a lot, it’s impressive to look back on how much the typical degradation rate has dropped over the years. Just six years prior to the 2018 study we just cited, the NREL’s 2012 study reported a solar panel degradation rate of 0.8%. That means that in less than a decade, solar manufacturers improved degradation rates by roughly 38%.
What is the Life Expectancy of Solar Panels?
So, how long will solar panels last if you buy them today? These days, the typical solar panel will still produce around 90% of its maximum output after 20 years of full-time operation. Theoretically, even a 40-year-old solar installation should pack plenty of punch to power your home, as it should still operate at 80% of its initial energy level. To maximize your solar panels’ life expectancy, you should protect them from environmental hazards like rain, wind, and snow that contribute to degradation rates.
Look For a Robust Warranty
If you’re concerned about the longevity of your planned residential solar installation, you can protect your purchase by buying panels from a company that provides a robust warranty. The typical solar panel sold today has a 25-year “performance warranty,” which ensures that your panels will produce sufficient electricity for at least 25 years.
But how long do solar panels last compared to how long it takes for them to pay for themselves? As we mentioned earlier, this depends on many variables, but generally speaking, you can expect your residential solar installation to pay itself off within 8-16 years compared to purchasing your electricity from the utility company.
A Typical Solar Energy Payback Time is a Few Months
Another aspect to consider when evaluating how long solar panels last is whether your panels will degrade fast enough to undermine their energy payback time, which is the time period necessary for a solar installation to produce enough power to outpace the amount of energy required to originally manufacture it. Fortunately, today’s solar panels usually last well past this date, as the typical energy payback time is only a few months.
If you still have questions about how long solar panels last, get in touch with one of our LGCY Power experts today. Not only can we answer all of your tough questions about the life expectancy of solar panels, but we can also help you determine what type of solar installation is the right choice for your home.
If you fill out our 30-second solar questionnaire, we’ll reach out soon to discuss all of the relevant details, including how much money you can save compared to using electricity from a traditional power company and how long you should expect your solar panels to last.
If you’re looking to install solar panels for your home, you may have some questions about the role of the solar inverter. What is a solar inverter and how does it work? On a basic level, a solar inverter is a computer that tells your solar system how to convert the electricity generated by your solar panels into power for your house. It’s a crucial component of any residential solar installation, so let’s dig a bit deeper into the role of the solar inverter.
The Roles of a Solar Inverter
Your solar panels produce electricity in the form of direct current (DC). However, the electrical system inside your home uses electricity in the form of alternating current (AC). Therefore, it’s necessary to transform the DC power into AC electricity that your home can use. That’s where the solar inverter comes in. But that’s just one of the tasks completed by a solar inverter.
The other primary function of a solar inverter is to provide an internet connection for your solar system. This enables a homeowner (and their solar provider) to view detailed information about the current status of the solar panels. This allows you to keep a close eye on the energy produced by your solar panels in real-time, giving you an in-depth look at how much money you’re saving compared to using power from a traditional utility company.
The solar inverter is also responsible for alerting you to any problems within your solar system. If your panels aren’t generating the expected amount of energy, information produced by the solar inverter can help your solar provider troubleshoot the issues and get your system back up to full capacity.
How does a solar inverter work?
Types of Solar Inverters
The answer to this question largely relies on which type of inverter you use in your solar system. Most commonly, residential solar installations use a string inverter. Just like its name implies, a string inverter “strings” your solar panels together into up to three groups. Then, the string inverter converts the DC energy from your panels into AC electricity for your home.
The second type of solar inverter is usually called either a power optimizer or an optimized string inverter. With this option, the optimizer sends fixed-voltage DC electricity to the inverter before the inverter converts it into AC power. This produces usable electricity at a more efficient rate than the standard string inverter does, as the inverter itself doesn’t have to fix the voltage.
If your roof receives partial shading, an optimized string inverter can be a far superior option. With a traditional string inverter, shade on one panel can affect the output of the entire string. However, the optimizer in an optimized string inverter minimizes the effect of a partially shaded solar system, allowing the other panels in the string to pick up the slack for the panel that’s stuck in the shade. Additionally, power optimizers allow homeowners to keep an eye on performance statistics for each individual panel rather than the string as a whole.
Microinverters are the other style of solar inverter. Rather than one centralized inverter, this option involves installing small microinverters on each individual solar panel. These inverters each convert DC electricity into AC energy straight from the source, increasing energy efficiency and optimizing each panel’s electrical output. Microinverters are the most effective of these three options, although they are also the most costly.
Finally, the hybrid inverter is a relatively recent invention that’s quickly gaining popularity. This is a great option for homeowners who store electricity in solar batteries, as they come with built-in battery inverters. Additionally, hybrid inverters can also include electric vehicle (EV) chargers. If you own a solar system and an electric car, a hybrid inverter can kill two birds with one stone, avoiding further expenses by combining solar inverters and EV chargers in one unit. Hybrid inverters are available in standard string inverter and power optimizer styles.
LGCY Power Can Help
Here at LGCY Power, our representatives are true experts when it comes to the different styles of solar inverters. They can help you decide which is the best option for your residential solar system, while also providing you with vital information about inverters, including how to read a solar inverter. Give us a call today if you have any questions!
