How Does Solar Electricity Work?
Converting Sunlight to Electricity
Photovoltaic Solar Cells generate electricity by converting the sun's energy to electricity. This is energy that is already hitting your house and normally just going to waste.
If instead a solar electric system is installed then the sun's energy is collected and converted to DC electricity (green line below).
With a solar photovoltaic system it's like locking in electric rates at today's prices.
It's a "hedge" against inflation and rising electricity prices.
This electricity is then changed (by an Inverter - inverter video) to the same Type of Electricity (AC, blue line below) that your utility company provides to your home.
The lights and appliances in your home can then use this electricity and any "extra" unused electricity is sold back to the utility company using Net Metering. Net Metering just means that you pay for any electricity you use minus any electricity your system makes.
During the day when there is full sunlight your solar panels are producing quite a bit of electricity. If you are home you can use this electricity, but if you're at work then the unused electricity is "sold" to the utility company at full retail price. Or if you are at home and your solar electric system is producing more electricity than you are using the excess is sold to the utility company also.
Electric Rates are probably only going to continue to go up.
Protect yourself from these utility company rate increases with a Solar Electric System.
Your meter will actually run backwards when you are generating more electricity than you are using (you can show this off to your neighbors)
At night when there is no sunlight and so your solar system is producing no electricity. But you are connected to the Utility Grid and so can buy electricity from the utility company as you need it.
You simply pay for the difference in electricity that you use minus what your solar system produces. Or the "net" amount which is where the term Net Metering comes from.
