Top 8 Solar Power Facts To Know
Solar power usage and solar panel installation are growing more and more popular in Florida with every passing year. But before you decide to “go solar,” first take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the most important and most interesting facts about solar energy today.
Here are the top eight solar power facts that every homeowner should know:
1. Solar Tech Is Older Than You Think
Solar energy has taken off like never before over the last few decades, but it has been around since the 1830s, when Alexandre Becquerel made key discoveries concerning the photovoltaic effects of light energy. Additionally, more rudimentary forms of solar power have been used for thousands of years to heat water, cook food, and start fires.
2. Solar Energy Is Incredibly Abundant
The largest solar plant on Earth, located in the hot and sunny Mojave Desert, covers 1,000 acres – but that’s puny compared to the true potential of solar energy. Every square meter of land on the planet receives around 1,366 Watts of solar energy per day – its a virtually unlimited resource just waiting to be harnessed and put to good use!
3. Solar Installation Is Affordable
Many avoid getting solar panels installed for fear it will be unaffordable, but today the many tax incentives, rebates, and loan/lease programs make solar installation practical for most homeowners. You can then save money every month on electric or even have the power company paying you! (Get your solar installed along with new roofing, and you can save time and money and gain convenience.)
4. You Can Use Solar Round The Clock
Install enough solar panels of the right kind on your roof or on stands in your yard, and you can produce enough electricity for all your domestic needs. And with modern battery backup systems, clouds, darkness, and the less sunny winter season need not interfere with your solar power usage.
5. Photovoltaic Solar Is “Atomic” Energy
Although it involves no splitting of atoms, modern solar energy is “atomic” in a sense. The photovoltaic cells the compose solar panels work by causing a reaction between incoming photons of light and carefully placed electrons. It’s really subatomic collisions that make solar energy capture a possibility.
6. Facing The Equator Makes A Difference
In the US and the whole Northern Hemisphere, solar panels must normally be installed facing southwards to obtain the optimal amount of sun exposure. Additionally, stand-based panels are usually programmed to follow the path of the sun throughout the day. Direct sunlight makes the panels more productive – though direct sunlight isn’t necessary for them to function at all.
7. Rooftop Panels Greatly Reduce Carbon Emissions
Over the course of the life span of today’s solar panels, a solar energy system can reduce carbon emissions by around 100 tons – and that takes into account the emissions involved in manufacturing the panels.
8. It Is Cheaper Than Ever To Go Solar!
Amazingly, the cost of solar panels has plummeted by some 80% in the last decade and is expected to continue the trend. The icing on the cake is the fact that solar panels are becoming much more efficient even as they become more affordable.
To learn more about solar installation services in Central Florida, or for a free solar consultation and quote – contact Sheegog Contracting today! We make it easier than ever to save big on the sun’s renewable energy.
