Residential Solar Panels Basics

Residential solar panels are in increasing demand because of increasing international public awareness of the need for "clean" renewable energy sources. This awareness is reflected in state and Federal incentives for installing these energy sources. Such has been the demand that supplies of residential solar panels were caught short during 2007.

The benefits of solar light and heat are obvious. Apart from the initial installation cost it’s largely free to run, available all year round and totally environment-friendly. It’s not surprising that the systems that capture and redirect such energy are more than preferable to alternative solutions. Residential solar panels cover the needs for both heat and electricity depending on the type and extent of the system you have installed. You benefit is that you'll potentially have all the energy necessary for your home appliances without paying for it every month.

When you have some residential solar panels installed on your roof, you don't have to know all the scientific details that make them work in the most efficient of ways. You just have to enjoy the advantages of a good electric system that is completely silent, totally clean and always renewable. For the moment, residential solar panels are considered the energy source of the future in an environment of an ever reducing fossil fuel supply and given their harmful toxic emissions impact on the environment.

Residential solar panels are organized in modules that rely on solar cells generating DC (direct current) electricity. The additional devices necessary for the use of residential solar panels include an inverter and a storage battery with a charge controller.

The inverter is necessary for the transformation of the direct current (DC) into alternative current (AC) since this is the form used by home utilities. Before purchasing an inverter for use with residential solar panels it is good to check its performance in terms of its operational requirements. The charge controller prevents overcharging of the batteries, and it is often considered a must-have element for a complete and safe system installation.

Your geographic location has a major bearing on the amount of available sunshine available for use. Low sunshine hours need to be compensated for by increasing the number of residential solar panels that you need to install and the extent of the battery storage you need to put in place. This design of the system needs to account for your needs all year round including the winter months and periods of bad weather.

The extent to which you meet your own power needs will depend on many factors, not the least of which is the cost. If you manage to cover 80% of your needs you are doing very well.

For more information see our beginner's guide to solar panels