Perhaps the single most well-known myth about solar power is that it is too expensive. The cost of solar power has dropped substantially over the last few years. Solar panel prices have fallen 80% since 2008. A solar PV system is one of the very few purchases that you can make for your home that will actually pay for itself. On top of that, installing a solar system increases the value of your home while giving you a competitive edge should you decide to sell as the new home owner is not susceptible to electricity price increases.
Top 5 solar questions:
Does solar power require batteries?
Electricity generated from solar results in a credit to your account from the electric company. You still remain connected to the grid. On days when your solar PV system produces more electricity than your home is using, excess electricity will be deported to the grid. At night, on rainy/cloudy days, and on days when your home uses more electricity than your system is producing, you’ll draw electricity from the grid.
In this way, the grid is effectively acting as a very large battery which ‘stores’ your excess electricity and then allows you to tap into it when needed.
Although not required in most situations, batteries are an option for those who would like them for increased independence from the grid or for a backup solution in the event of a power outage.
When the power goes out, is my home still powered?
When the power goes out, grid-tied systems go out too. Inverters in grid-tied systems are required to disconnect from the grid for safety reasons. It is not safe to send electricity back onto the grid while line workers are working to fix the problem. Once grid power is restored the inverter reconnects. ECS offers the finest battery backup solution for these situations.
Should I wait until solar panels become more efficient?
Although solar power is a technology it does not improve in the huge leaps and bounds that cell phones and computers do. Media likes to sensationalize new potential solar technology, however the fundamental technology is the same as it was in the 1960s. The incremental changes in efficiency have been slow and steady. As a result, there is more benefit in starting to save money on your electricity bill today than waiting; the time for solar power is now.
How does solar work when it's cloudy?
While solar panels operate most efficiently in direct sunlight, they still produce power on a cloudy day. Typically a system will produce about half as much energy on a cloudy day as on a regular sunny day.