How Does the Sun Produce Energy? From Space to Your Solar Panels
Solar energy is referred to as being free and abundant. While this is true in a technical sense, to convert sunlight into electricity, there is some cost involved. But that cost, comparatively speaking when thinking about utility companies, is relatively low. With the help of SMART solar financing, you can get an affordable solar system that harvests the sun’s energy to power your home. How does the sun produce energy and how does it get converted to electricity for your home? Let’s look at the basic mechanics and find out…
The Sun is a Giant Fusion Reactor
The sun generates its energy through nuclear fusion. It’s one of the most energy-dense and efficient reactions known to science. In the core of the sun, pressure is so high, and temperatures are so hot that hydrogen atoms collide, fusing to become helium. During the reaction, mass is converted into light and heat, and we can feel the results of this as sunlight.
Sunlight is the energy responsible for life on Earth as we know it. It’s a form of radiation that can heat the earth, help plants to grow, and allow our bodies to produce essential vitamins. That energy can also be captured and converted into electricity. You asked how does the sun produce energy, but knowing how the star works is only half of the story when it comes to rooftop solar power.
Solar panels contain grouped photovoltaic cells. Mainstream panels use silicon as the primary material. The cells react to sunlight. When the sun’s energy hits the panels, there’s a flow of electrons, creating an electric current. Cells have positive and negative layers. The electrons move through both layers to create a circuit. This is what produces electricity.
Inside the panel, the electricity is direct current (DC), and we don’t use this in our homes. An inverter is used to create an alternating current (AC). The efficiency of both the panels and the inverter is important. New York Power Solutions uses advanced microinverters, ensuring maximum efficiency.
Early solar panels had an efficiency rating of around 6%. Modern panels have efficiency ratings of around 23%. The number continues to increase as new materials and designs are discovered.
New York Solar Tax Credits Make it Easier to Get Solar
It’s easy to understand the basic science behind solar panels. It’s also easy to get installed thanks to Federal and New York solar tax credits. There are various programs available like the Federal 30% tax credit based on your solar bill. There’s a State solar tax credit worth 25% of your solar bill, up to $5,000.
There are also direct incentives available when you choose a NYSERDA-Approved solar installer, like New York Power Solutions.
Is Your Home Ready for Solar? Find Out with a Free Home Solar Estimate
You can learn about the cost of solar by starting with your free home solar estimate. This estimate will be based on available satellite data, using our advanced algorithms. Our team has installed more than 5,000 systems throughout New York. Thanks to our experience, our estimates are surprisingly accurate.
If you like the estimate we can go ahead with a site visit and evaluation to make sure that your home is suitable for solar. We’ll also give you a report detailing the costs and benefits, so you can put the investment in solar into perspective. We can use tax credits for SMART solar financing, significantly offsetting the cost of going solar.
You asked the question… how does the sun produce energy? Now you know the answer as well as how that energy is converted for the home. It’s time to talk to our team and make the switch to solar.
