Governments all over the world are encouraging citizens to ‘go green’ in a global initiative to save our planet. Manufacturers are doing their bit by making products that are environmentally friendly. These include TVs, and other home appliances. Even gas for our cars has been modified to be eco-friendly. Isn’t it time that home-owners started to consider installing solar energy systems?
Panels to store energy from the sun are fitted on top of the house’s roof. The solar panels are designed to absorb sunlight and then convert it into electricity. The stored electricity is fed into a generator which distributes the electricity throughout the home. Everything in the home can work perfectly well with electricity obtained via solar heating.
Many governments have offered rebates or grants to people who use this form of electricity. These concessions encourage many people to go the solar power route. But the best news is that once you convert to solar heating, your monthly electricity charge will drop by as much as 50 to 80 percent. That’s a huge saving!
Sunshine is free, unlike oil, gas and other fossil fuels that go into the making of electricity. Sure, some places don’t have much sunshine, but that’s not to say they cannot use solar generated electricity. And naturally in countries that enjoy lots of sunshine, there is really no excuse not to use solar heating.
Solar systems have been unjustly criticized. Let’s put them to rest once and for all! The first ‘myth’ about solar heating is that the systems are very expensive. While that’s true, what the critics fail to mention is that it is only your initial outlay that is expensive. Once your system is installed and working, the savings you make each month will soon cover the cost of buying your system.
The second criticism is that solar power is not available in cloudy weather. Solar systems can work efficiently as long as there is light, so you will still receive a constant supply of electricity even on cloudy days. Obviously solar power will be greatly reduced in countries that experience freezing winters with lots of rain and snow.
But consider this: Germany only gets half the amount of sun hours that the USA gets. Two thirds of Germany’s daylight hours are cloudy. It rains throughout the year. And yet nearly half of the world’s solar powered electricity generated in each year is produced in Germany. Makes you think, doesn’t it?
Solar power systems are improving all the time. With the latest technology at their disposal, designers are able to create innovative new ideas Solar systems of today have come a long way since 1954 when a group of American scientists placed several strips of silicon together to catch energy from light. This was the world’s first solar panel.
There’s no getting away from it – solar powered systems are here to stay. And whether we like it or not, we are soon going to be forced to use them in our homes. Solar power provides the only feasible solution to the shortage of other forms of energy. A final word of advice – get a high quality Solar Panel system for best results.
The author is a freelance writer for Solar Power Companies.
