What Is The Power Supply Of Solar Energy?
You might have noticed that many people around you are starting to make a lot of emphasis on renewable energy sources. The reason for this is the rapid consumption of other sources of energy. Renewable energy cannot be exhausted and plays a vital role in the development of mankind.
Solar energy is energy gotten from sunlight and is one of the main sources of renewable energy in the world today. We get solar energy when sunlight is converted to electrical energy that we can use. In many cities of the world, solar energy is quickly becoming a regular thing, and is now a major source of power.
Due to the importance of this renewable energy resource, there have been many studies to increase the efficiency of using solar energy. This is a step towards getting global sustainability. At OUKITEL, we are fully committed to promoting solar energy and other sources of sustainable energy.
How Solar Energy Is Captured
Solar systems capture sunlight through solar panels. Solar panels are made up of silicon cells that are stimulated after contact with sunlight. The silicon cells stimulate electrons, which causes electricity flow. The process whereby electricity is created from sunlight is called the photovoltaic effect.
Silicon is a semiconductive material. That means it acts as an insulator under most conditions. However, once electricity is introduced, it can serve as a conductor. Silcon’s semiconductor property allows it to absorb energy from the sun, and convert it into electrical energy.
A solar cell consists of layers of silicon or photovoltaic cells that are either monocrystalline or polycrystalline. The combination of solar cells is what we call a solar panel or module. The combined solar cells are placed on a backing sheet with a protective glass cover and metal frame to form a complete panel. The panel includes wiring to direct electricity flow.
Professionals install solar panels in groups to form a solar array. Due to stimulating the silicon in the array with sunlight, the electrons in the panel start moving. This is the photovoltaic effect. Electricity is simply an interaction between electrons. The photovoltaic effect is how solar power supply is created.
Converting Solar Energy: The Role of Inverters
Solar panels produce direct current (DC) electricity. A direct current is one that only flows in one direction. However, your home appliances run on alternating current (AC). Alternating current means the electricity flows in both directions.
Hence, before the solar electricity from your panels can be used in your home, it needs to be converted from DC to AC. To convert direct current to alternating current, you need an inverter. Without an inverter, your solar system can generate electricity. However, you won’t be able to use it.
The size and configuration of your solar system determine the inverter you’ll need in your home. A basic solar system only requires a string inverter. A string inverter is a single box in a central location close to your home’s circuit breaker. More advanced systems require micro-inverters, where each panel has its own inverter.
Solar inverters also let you connect your solar system to the internet so you can monitor your system’s performance. This helps you compare your energy production levels with your household consumption levels. That way you can check if the system is working optimally and meeting the necessary electrical load.
Using high-quality inverters for your home solar system plays a large role when it comes to its performance. Try pairing your OUKITEL solar generator with a good inverter to get amazing performance results.
Storing Solar Energy: Battery Storage Solutions
How do you store excess energy generated from your solar system for future use? The answer is a battery. Most solar systems come with batteries to store any excess energy your panels produce. Examples of solar batteries include lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries.
Deep cycle batteries are the best battery type for most solar systems. This type of battery is designed to discharge over a long period and recharge repeatedly in a cycle. To ensure optimum performance and the lifecycle of deep cycle batteries, it is best to always leave them with 30% capacity.
Many factors can impact the life of a solar system’s battery. OUKITEL provides advanced battery storage solutions that can cater for your every need. Our batteries are long lasting and offer impressive durability.
Managing Power Flow: Charge Controllers
How do you manage the power flow into your home to prevent your appliances from blowing up? Solar regulators or charge controllers, like the name implies, regulate the direct current coming in from solar panels to prevent your solar battery from overcharging.
Overcharging your batteries can lead to loss of electrolytes, which damages the batteries. Solar regulators are designed to sense when your solar battery is fully charged and stop or reduce the current flowing into the battery.
Many charge controllers also come with a low voltage disconnect feature, which stops the supply of electricity to appliances once it reads that the battery voltage is lower than the acceptable level. This helps to keep the battery and your appliances safe from permanent damage.
Another important job of a charge controller is to prevent the current in the battery from returning into the solar panel. This only occurs at night and can lead to the battery becoming flat. Charge controllers mainly protect the battery from damage and preserve its lifespan.
Monitoring And Optimizing Solar Energy Use
It is very important to monitor and optimize your solar power consumption. The device used to monitor solar energy use is called an electric meter. Most times, a portable solar power station will require a smart meter to monitor its consumption, and send real-time data to your local utility company.
Homes with smart meters can take advantage of net metering. Net metering allows you to get credits from your utility company for any excess electricity generated from your panels. However, net metering only works if you connect your solar system to the electricity grid.
Your smart meter records the energy you produce and use every day. If there is any excess energy, you can convert them to credits with your utility company. This drastically reduces your electricity bill.
Grid-Tied Systems
When you integrate you solar system with the general electricity grid, it is known as a grid-tied system. Having a grid-tied system comes with numerous benefits. The main one being; it helps users save up on electricity cost.
In a grid-tied system, the electricity your solar panels produce flows directly into your home. Any energy you don’t use is then directed into the electricity grid. However, that does not mean the excess energy is wasted. You can receive credits as compensation from your utility company if you use net-metering.
The excess credits you get can offset your electricity bill. Hence, there will most likely be a massive decrease in the amount you have to pay for electricity monthly. This saves you a lot of money that you would normally spend on bill payments.
If you’re interested in a grid-tied solar system, OUKITEL’s products like the OUKITEL P5000, OUKITEL BP2000, OUKITEL P2001, and OUKITEL P1201 are perfect to ensure reliable power supply to your home.
Load Management And Efficient Energy Use
Load and energy management are very important topics in this age of sustainability. Knowing the accurate load and supply you home needs is vital to fully optimize your solar system.
When the load on your solar system is too much, it greatly impacts your homes’ energy balance. This, in turn, reduces the efficiency of your solar system. There are several ways you can efficiently use the energy your solar panels produce. Some of these tips include:
● Use high-efficiency panels
Solar panels that come a high-efficiency rating can convert more sunlight to electrical energy than regular panels. High efficiency panels allow you to generate more electricity, while using the same surface area. This maximizes your energy generation.
● Mirrors
The use of mirrors can help maximize your solar energy use. It is simply a concentration technique that works by placing mirrors in strategic positions to concentrate sunlight onto your solar panels. This helps to increase the panel’s efficiency. However, make sure you don’t cause excessive heat using this method.
● Power Optimzers
Power optimizers ensure the performance of solar panels doesn't reduce even under poor conditions such as shading or panel mismatch.
● Activity Timing
Timing high energy consuming activities can help you properly optimize your home’s energy use. It is best to finish all high energy consumption activities during daylight hours to reduce the need to draw energy from the grid at night.
OUKITEL provides several solutions for smart energy management. OUKITEL power station is perfectly optimized to assist load management and efficient energy use. Check out our OUKITEL power station review to find out more about our products.
Conclusion
Supplying solar power into your home requires several components to work perfectly. Some of the components you need include; solar panels, inverters, batteries, and charge controllers. Each component is important for your home’s solar systems to work efficiently.
OUKITEL provides reliable and efficient solar energy products that can solve your every need. Whether you require components or complete solar power stations, OUKITEL is the place to be. Our products are completely safe, durable, and give you the best value for money. Check out our website to learn more about our amazing products.
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