Solar panels power a building by collecting light from the sun and using the energy to make electricity. Since they rely on sunlight, solar panels can only produce energy during the day. However, homes with solar panels can still have power at night when the solar panels are not actively working.
A house that has solar panels is also hooked up to the utility grid for its area. While the sun is shining, the solar panels are producing energy for the house. If the panels produce more energy than is used by the appliances in the house, the excess electricity will go out into the utility grid to be used in other buildings.
At night, the appliances in the solar powered house will need to draw electricity from the grid to keep working. The utility company keeps track of how much electricity the house is drawing at night and how much it is supplying to the grid during the day. The homeowner only needs to pay for the difference, calculated by the electricity used minus the electricity produced.
If a house produces more power than it uses, the utility company will pay money back to the homeowner. This is known as net metering. Utility companies look at energy use over the entire year when doing calculations for net metering. During the long days of summer, solar panels can produce much more energy than they do on short winter days. With net-metering, homeowners can bank energy throughout the year and avoid any major fluctuation in utility costs.
In some cases, a battery back-up system may be needed to provide reliable power. These systems can store solar power as it is being generated and then use it later. This is more likely to be necessary in areas with unreliable utility grids or frequent power outages due to weather.
Some battery back-ups only store enough power for a few hours. These may only be able to power essential appliances. Larger batteries can store enough power for several days. A solar paneled house can be set up so that it uses battery power at night instead of utility grid power. However, the equipment for this can be very expensive. In most cases, the most efficient and reliable way to use solar power is to produce energy during the day, draw from the utility grid at night, and have a small battery back-up for outages.
A house that has solar panels is also hooked up to the utility grid for its area. While the sun is shining, the solar panels are producing energy for the house. If the panels produce more energy than is used by the appliances in the house, the excess electricity will go out into the utility grid to be used in other buildings.
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Solar Power System in Night |
If a house produces more power than it uses, the utility company will pay money back to the homeowner. This is known as net metering. Utility companies look at energy use over the entire year when doing calculations for net metering. During the long days of summer, solar panels can produce much more energy than they do on short winter days. With net-metering, homeowners can bank energy throughout the year and avoid any major fluctuation in utility costs.
In some cases, a battery back-up system may be needed to provide reliable power. These systems can store solar power as it is being generated and then use it later. This is more likely to be necessary in areas with unreliable utility grids or frequent power outages due to weather.
Some battery back-ups only store enough power for a few hours. These may only be able to power essential appliances. Larger batteries can store enough power for several days. A solar paneled house can be set up so that it uses battery power at night instead of utility grid power. However, the equipment for this can be very expensive. In most cases, the most efficient and reliable way to use solar power is to produce energy during the day, draw from the utility grid at night, and have a small battery back-up for outages.
