Frequently Asked Questions
Still on the fence about switching to solar, or want to learn more about this renewable power solution before contacting a contractor? Find answers to some of homeowners’ most frequently asked questions below.
Still on the fence about switching to solar, or want to learn more about this renewable power solution before contacting a contractor? Find answers to some of homeowners’ most frequently asked questions below.
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What Percentage of the Home’s Power Can Be Supplied with Solar Electricity?
In an ideal situation, the answer to this question would always be 100%. In reality, the amount of the household’s power that can be supplied by solar depends on several factors, including normal energy use, solar panel efficiency, and the size of the system. Most homeowners opt for grid-tied systems that feature an entire solar array vs. panel by panel installation. This gives residents maximum power but also allows them to draw off the grid or sell energy back to the grid as needed. |
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How Long Is the Payback Period?
Even homeowners interested in switching to green energy for ideological reasons need to keep cost efficiency in mind. It’s often possible to get solar panel financing to make the system easier to afford, but they still want to know how long it will take before they break even on their investments. For the average U.S. household, the payback period for solar power is around eight years.
How Long Does It Take to Install a Rooftop Solar System?
Expect the planning and design processes to take longer than the actual installation. Once the contractors have determined the best solar energy solution and ordered the PV modules, the installation itself should only take a few days of work. Since it takes a while to design a system, homeowners who want to start enjoying energy independence should search for solar panel installation near me and choose a contractor as soon as possible.
What Is the Difference Between Residential and Commercial Solar Projects?
Commercial solar systems are much larger. They’re used to power large buildings, or even entire towns and are often located far from the buildings that will be receiving the power. Residential solar systems are much smaller, typically providing around six kilowatts of power. Their smaller scale means the panels can usually be installed on rooftops and do not require a substantial investment.
Even homeowners interested in switching to green energy for ideological reasons need to keep cost efficiency in mind. It’s often possible to get solar panel financing to make the system easier to afford, but they still want to know how long it will take before they break even on their investments. For the average U.S. household, the payback period for solar power is around eight years.
How Long Does It Take to Install a Rooftop Solar System?
Expect the planning and design processes to take longer than the actual installation. Once the contractors have determined the best solar energy solution and ordered the PV modules, the installation itself should only take a few days of work. Since it takes a while to design a system, homeowners who want to start enjoying energy independence should search for solar panel installation near me and choose a contractor as soon as possible.
What Is the Difference Between Residential and Commercial Solar Projects?
Commercial solar systems are much larger. They’re used to power large buildings, or even entire towns and are often located far from the buildings that will be receiving the power. Residential solar systems are much smaller, typically providing around six kilowatts of power. Their smaller scale means the panels can usually be installed on rooftops and do not require a substantial investment.
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How Do Solar Panels Even Work? The intricacies of using solar panel construction to produce energy from the sun require years of study to understand, but the basic principles are simple. Each panel is made from multiple cells. When sunlight hits the solar cell panel, the particles of light, or photons, knock free atoms to generate electricity. Multiple panels can be arranged into a solar array to produce more electricity. The electricity can be stored as DC power or run through an inverter to convert it to AC power for household use. |
What’s the Difference Between a Solar Module and a Solar Panel?
Homeowners who have done their research may be asking themselves about the benefits of a solar module vs. solar panel array. They’re in luck because these two words are usually used interchangeably. The only real difference is that some models of solar power panel feature multiple modules mounted together in the same place. The applications of solar cells are the same regardless of the configuration.
Homeowners who have done their research may be asking themselves about the benefits of a solar module vs. solar panel array. They’re in luck because these two words are usually used interchangeably. The only real difference is that some models of solar power panel feature multiple modules mounted together in the same place. The applications of solar cells are the same regardless of the configuration.