Solar Energy Proving To Be Clean And Abundant
When most people hear the term solar energy they instantly think about how the sun is converted to electricity. They seem to forget about the thermal energy produced by the sun that helps provide warm air and water for a variety of energy resources. With high oil prices, along with a dwindling supply and the environmental impact that fossil fuels can have on the environment, many individuals and companies are switching to solar energy to provide a clean source of power.
To provide electricity, solar energy captures the sun's rays using photovoltaic cells that converts the energy into electricity. Although, the electricity produced is only 12-volt direct current, it can be converted to the type 120-volt alternating current required by most household electrical appliances by using a power converter. Additionally, there have been many more appliances that operate on 120-vot direct current. Most of them were designed for portable use by being plugged into a vehicles 12-volt outlet, but they do work with solar energy.
The biggest draw back in converting to solar energy in homes or businesses is the initial cost. Since the current crop of solar cells, the grouping of photovoltaic cells that convert the energy into electricity only operates at about 15-percent efficiency, so many of them are required that it is costly to install enough of them to provide the power needs.
Return On Investment Provides Free Electricity
Despite the current high initial cost, once a facility has been converted to solar energy they can use far less power from the utility grid. The more power that is converted from the sun the less electricity is required, putting a significant dent in the electric bills. It is estimated that the initial cost of converting an average home to solar energy will be recouped in about 15 to 18 years.
During that time, electric bills will be much lower ad once the cost has been recovered, the payoff can be tremendous. With most of the components needed to operate a home on solar energy having a warranted life of 20 years, the investment is considered worthwhile. However, not all appliances, such as electric heaters and those that use a large amount of power for operation, may still require more than the sun for their use.
Many homes that have switched to solar energy remain connected to the power grid for the times that the sun is not shining strong enough to power the solar cells as well as to have sufficient electric to power some of the more energy-hungry devices in the home.
