It’s no secret that solar radiation, as defined in textbooks, is actually a form of green, renewable energy for homeowners with the help of home-scale facilities. Homeowners who are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint, lower their utility bills, or even replace old devices that are not energy efficient can benefit from solar home systems.
These systems are mainly suitable for houses in somewhat sunny regions. Although these systems work on cloudy or overcast days, they are not as efficient. Solar systems are most commonly placed on the roof, which is really a great alternative for using up space that would otherwise go unused. Solar panels receive solar radiation and work most efficiently on flat or sloped roofs with a higher southern exposure. If the roof is shaded or not suitable for solar installations, ground mounted systems are available. Due to the fact that geographic location and season play a role in energy conversion efficiency, using a web-based solar calculator can help homeowners accurately assess the relative costs and benefits of a solar energy installation for your region.
Home solar systems can be divided into two main categories: passive and active:
Passive solar system takes full advantage of the natural heating from the sun’s energy known as insulation. Orienting the solar emission receiving structure to both the arc of the sun and the demands of the site is of paramount importance for both efficiency and beauty when considering the location of your home. Some examples of common passive solar implementation include the use of thermal mass (including bricks, stone, earth mass) within its insulated envelope to store heat radiated by the sun. This is easily and beautifully incorporated within interior walls and floors.
The active solar system is comparable to the passive solar system, however, despite its complicated process, such a system generates more heat than passive systems. This type of system largely relies on three essential components: a solar collector to absorb solar energy, a solar storage system, and a heat transfer system to disperse heat to the right places in your home. They can be divided into two key categories of their own: solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar thermal systems.
Photovoltaic solar systems, which convert energy from the sun directly into electricity, are probably the most common type of home solar system. They can be isolated from your main power grid using a battery pack to store power for overnight use, or they can be connected to the grid. Grid-tied systems are the most common, primarily because they allow homeowners to use traditional energy sources when the sun is not shining and offset this energy use during periods when solar electricity can be generated. Some power companies even allow homeowners with a home solar power system to sell excess electricity generated by grid-tied PV to the power company and get rebates. Silicon panels are the most prevalent type of solar photovoltaic system in use right now, but thin-film photovoltaics is also gaining acceptance. Although much less efficient than silicon panels, thin-film photovoltaics are smaller and more flexible. These properties allow them to be easily integrated into the design of a building. For example, a common application for thin-film photovoltaics is solar tiles, which are made to look like ordinary roof tiles.
Solar thermal systems use solar radiation to heat water, heat and cool the interior of the home, or both. They are less expensive than solar PV and can also generate significant savings for homeowners, since heating, cooling, and water heating are considered the most energy-intensive processes in the residence. Other types of solar thermal systems include solar hot water systems, solar pool heaters, and solar thermal space heaters.
Solar hot water systems absorb solar radiation and use it to heat the home’s water supply. For homeowners with swimming pools, solar pool heaters are another type of energy-saving home solar system that uses solar radiation to heat the water.
Solar thermal heaters work on a principle comparable to (and are usually combined with) solar hot water systems. However, solar thermal cooling systems, which are absorption or desiccant systems, have a much more complex design.
Regardless of the type of solar system, whether passive or active, green home power generation, like the home solar system mentioned above, is a great way to save money and protect the environment.
