Light and heat are the two main types of energy created by the sun, and companies and individuals alike, have been harnessing the power of both of these for many years, and for a wide range of activities.
Listed below are some of the most common uses of solar energy, and it’s little wonder that electricity production is first up:
Solar to produce electricity
Having gained considerable momentum during the past few decades, solar panel systems can be seen on more and more homes throughout the U.S., and indeed, the world. With the cost of solar panels having fallen significantly, and the financial and environmental advantages of solar power being more widely understood and appreciated, solar electricity is at its most accessible.
Residential solar power systems generate electricity to offset that which the owner of the home typically consumes, and when excess energy is produced, it can be sold to the electric grid.
Solar batteries and generators
With a solar battery connected to your solar panel system, you can continue to use clean, green energy from the sun’s rays long after the sun has gone down, and can even power your home during an electricity outage. By combining a solar panel system with a backup battery and generator, some homeowners are able to go completely off-grid.
Solar ventilation
Helping to keep your home cool during the scorching summer months, solar attic fans, for example, can reduce the burden on your HVAC system.
Solar water heating
With two types of solar water heating systems: active and passive, homeowners can power their water heaters with solar energy. While active solar water heaters function with the help of mechanical pumps that move fluid from the solar panels on the roof to the storage tank, passive water heater systems aren’t operated using mechanical pumps, and rely instead, on the simple fact that heat rises naturally. As a result, passive systems are more affordable than their mechanical counterparts, but aren’t as efficient as an active solar water heating system.
Solar home heating
When paired with a hot water or hot air system, solar space heating systems can be used to provide heat to homes, or alternatively, can be used to power radiant floors.
Hot air solar systems
When the siding or roof of a home that has been designed with a hot air solar system in mind, absorbs the heat from the sun, that air is then circulated by the system, throughout the home. A circulating fan is sometimes used in conjunction with this system, to help evenly distribute the heated air.
Solar heating for pools
Working by circulating water to a collector to be heated by the sun, and then pumping that heated water back into the pool, this particular type of solar energy application is very popular in the southern and southwest of the U.S.
As you can see, there are a variety of uses for solar power both inside and outside the home, with each one harnessing the naturally clean energy of the sun, and repurposing it for our use. To start saving money on your electricity bills, and power your house using renewable energy, why not take the first steps of your solar journey today, and schedule a consultation with a local solar panel provider.