How do solar panels work?

Question

I am thinking of installing solar panels on the roof of my building in New York State. Give appropriate details associated with solar panels. Any info will be appreciated. THANKS :)

Answer 1

Solar panels are better for the environment than your wallet.  If you want to install them yourself, then it might be a very economical option for your power needs.  Professional installation can be quite pricey.  Check out http://www.monofuel.com for more information on installing solar panels yourself.

Answer 2

Basically they take sunlight and convert that energy into Direct Current (DV) Voltage energy.  Then the power is used to charge batteries.  That way the power can be used at any time instead of only when the sun is shining.

Solar panels cost about $5/Watt at 12Volts of electricity.

You cannot get an estimate of what the final amount may be unless you convert (Solar Panels) Watts @ 12V DC to (Regular plug in gadgets) Watts @120V AC

Quite expensive, good for emergency situations or cabin setups, but not very good to replace Kilowatt-hours of 120V power.  You need Ample sunlight!

Solar Panels require charge controllers & batteries in almost all applications.

Solar power is really cool, but it is better used to charge handheld sized gadgets than it is to try to run your Air conditioner - if you know what I mean.

Answer 3

Find 1 specific electrical use in your house then get the appriate solar wattage to substitute the grid wattage and see the impact of taking that appliance off-grid.  Good place to start is your modem.  Get a solar panel from ebay and some sealed lead acid batteries and take them off-grid.

Answer 4

its so good to have solar on our roofs because we can save    

more current .