One of the common misconceptions held by people about solar power is that it’s available only during the daytime when the Sun is up and shining. They’re also worried that the harsh winters and dreary rainy months can further make the solar panels useless for the better part of the year.
Well, they couldn’t be more wrong. Your solar home setup can continue to power your home even during nighttime, cloudy days, and the winter months.
Here’s everything you should know about home solar power:
- It’s Sunlight That Matters, Not Sunshine
Many people wrongly believe that solar panels convert sunshine to energy. The truth is that they convert sunlight to energy. So, even when there’s no direct sunlight, such as during the twilight hours or during cloudy days, your solar panels will continue to churn out energy and keep your appliances running.
Of course, the power output would depend on the amount of sunlight your PV cells receive. So, make sure that no obstructions are casting their shadows on your solar panels.
- Grid-tied System
The average Pennsylvania household’s power requirements are relatively low during daytime compared with night hours. Incidentally, it’s during the daytime that most of your solar energy is generated. So, you can divert excess solar energy you produce to the power grid.
The power grid acts as a giant battery storage. When you need power, you can draw it from the grid during the nighttime, and your consumption will be offset by the amount of power you feed into the grid. In other words, you supply your excess power to the grid when you don’t need it, and extract an equivalent amount of power from it when you need it for no cost.
In fact, you can supply more power to the grid than you consume and accumulate payments from the utility, instead of the other way around. This is called net metering.
- Battery Backup
A battery backup allows you to store power when it’s produced and use it later when you need it. An interesting opportunity exists for you. Many utility companies pay you higher rates for feeding your solar energy to the grid during peak hours. So, you can use battery backup to store excess solar energy and then divert it to the grid during peak hours.
If you use the grid’s energy during non-peak hours, you pay their standard prices. This way, you stand to make a substantial profit throughout the year.
These solutions help you enjoy clean, free power – directly or indirectly – from your home solar system throughout the year, no matter the weather conditions. If your system produces sufficient power, you may even find yourself in a highly lucrative position, besides realizing cost savings.
