Whether you’re in sunny California, hot Texas, or snowy Minnesota, solar panels are an efficient way to provide heat and electricity to your home. They can save you thousands of dollars in electric bills, and they are useful in any climate throughout the country. While they may not entirely replace your dependence on the grid, adding solar energy can decrease your overall energy costs over time.
Solar panels are designed to convert the rays of the sun into electricity. They do not use coal or natural gas to power them. They just sit on your roof, walls, or wherever you place them, and gather in all the sunrays they can, converting it into usable electrical energy.
Solar panels themselves weren’t actually created until the 1950s, but work on them started 150 years before that. In the 1800s, studies of photovoltaic (electricity) processes and primitive versions of what would eventually become solar panels were created and invented.
During the 50s, solar panels were too expensive to sell commercially, but by the 1970s, green energy was becoming more and more popular, and investors leaped to provide funding in order to create a marketable, affordable product. Not only were tiny solar panels lighting up calculators, they provided part of the electrical power for campers, and were installed as small lights in or outside of homes and other buildings. These early, less efficient applications led to more refined products. Less than 20 years later, solar panels were sold to the public to create some of the electricity in their homes.
Solar panels are not highly complex pieces of equipment, but they produce a very clean source of energy. Made with silicon semiconductors, which trap the sun’s light and convert it into electricity, they are painted in an antireflective coating which is harbored under a glass sheet to provide protection for the panels. These smaller panels are then laid side-by-side on a big sheet and mounted on a strong frame. This frame can be attached to capture the maximum amount of sunlight, either remaining stationary or able to rotate with the sun’s path across the sky.
Even in places like Minnesota, solar panels can be used for multiple electric needs. They can be used to warm water, to create light, to warm gardens, or even provide some electricity for your outlets. As these systems become more sophisticated, solar energy can be utilized for ever more electrical usage.
Although the initial cost of solar panels can be steep, you can recoup your costs with five or so years. As long as the sun is shining, you’ve got a boost in your electricity output.