02.18.06
Solar power. Home Improvement
With gas and electricity prices rising across Europe, more people are looking for reliable alternative energy systems for the home. Solar power uses proven technologies to generate clean, renewable electricity, providing hot water, space heating, and electricity for your home, reducing your monthly utility bills.
How does it work?
When sunlight shines onto solar panels, it transforms the light into DC electricity. DC electricity is then converted to AC electricity that is used throughout the home. During the day, solar panels produce more electricity than is used in your home, the extra electricity can be stored in batteries, so at night, electricity is automatically drawn from the battery storage system to provide your home with the power you need.
Solar panels are Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. When sunlight strikes a PV cell, electrons are dislodged, creating an electrical current.
Solar technologies use both direct and scattered sunlight to create electricity; the solar resource across southern Europe is ample for small solar electric systems. However, the amount of power generated by a solar system in a particular area depends on how much of the sun’s energy reaches it. PV systems, like all solar technology, will function efficiently in Italy, which receives an amble amount of solar energy. As well as the fact that energy from the sun is readily available, there are many other benefits. By locating photovoltaic cells on top of houses, no extra land space is needed and they can also be situated in urban areas, where there is plenty of available space. In addition they are very easy to install, and although there are some high costs involved, they replace the need for other materials, such as tiles, to be used.
