Solar energy is one of the most versatile forms of green energy available for residential purposes. In recent years, solar panels have become a popular method of increasing your home efficiency and potentially saving money on your electric bills over time. Regardless of your area, there is a likelihood that solar energy maybe an excellent option for your home. If you’re curious how solar panels work in Charlotte, NC, read the article below.
How Solar Energy Works
Solar cells are linked together to form solar panels. When sunlight hits these cells, photons knock electrons loose from atoms, which creates an electrical current. This current is what ultimately powers your home.
The electrical current gets sent to your solar inverter, where it’s transformed from direct current electricity to alternating current electricity. This energy gets circulated throughout your home, and any extra may be sent back to the grid for potential credits on monthly electric bills (net metering) or to your battery backup if one is available. Net metering is great because it allows solar customers to benefit from all the energy their solar system generates, whether they use it or not.
Storing energy in a Pink Energy battery backup gives homeowners access to power in case of grid outages, or at night when solar panels can’t produce any energy.
Solar Performance In Charlotte, NC
Seasonal solar performance depends more on the number of sunlight hours available in a day than on the temperature outside. You might think that the long, hot North Carolina summers are what make solar energy so appealing for Charlotte. However, the southern heat is not what makes solar energy so effective. Solar panels work by using incoming photons to excite electrons in a semiconductor to a higher energy level. But the hotter the panel is, the greater the number of electrons that are already in the excited state. This reduces the voltage that the panel can generate and lowers its efficiency.
But that doesn’t mean that solar performance in Charlotte is low in the summer! The longer days with more sunshine give your panels more opportunity to create energy. In addition, with little snowfall in the area, that means your panels will not experience periods of lower productivity due to being covered in snow.
Peak solar efficiency is typically seen during the spring or autumn months when the days are still long and the temperatures are a bit lower than the summertime.
Go Solar In Charlotte, NC
If you’re interested in adding solar panels to your Charlotte home, contact your local Pink Energy expert! They’d be happy to evaluate your home for solar suitability and provide all the information you need to make an informed decision.