How Do Solar Panels On My Roof Work

Before you install solar panels consider having your roof evaluated to make sure it can withstand installation especially if the roof is towards the end of its life.

How do solar panels on my roof work. You can also opt for solar shingles if your roof is sloped. Usually when solar panels are installed on a home they are tied to the grid. Your roof should be structurally stable and able to handle the weight and wind driven forces exerted by a solar installation. Rooftop solar panels rely on the ability of the solar cells to harness the energy of the sun and convert it to electricity.

Now solar panels are very light. How solar panels work. It is a small square shaped semiconductor that is made from conductive materials such as silicon. First sunlight in the form of photons hit the solar panels on your roof or ground mount.

Will that many panels actually fit on your roof. Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight with photovoltaic cells generating direct current dc energy and then converting it to usable alternating current ac energy with the help of inverter technology. This electricity is then used to power your home. When you really break them down a solar panel is nothing more than a big sheet of glass over a metal frame with a patch of wiring that runs to your home s main.

Step by step overview. If your roof is between five and 10 years from needing replacement it s a good idea to get an expert out there to assess. The installers can also find a way to improvise and can use racks to adjust the orientation and the angle of the solar panels. Some specialized pieces of equipment are used to install panels and thus the structure of the roof doesn t matter.

If you used the solar nerd calculator you ll have an estimate of how many solar panels you need to generate all of your electricity but then the question is. A solar inverter connected to your solar panels converts this electricity into the clean energy that can power the lights and appliances in your home. Solar panels cannot produce electricity at night when the sun is down so that is when your home will. How do solar panels work.

They only weigh about 45 lbs a piece so structural integrity is usually very easy to analyze and permit. Making your roof work. How do solar panels work on homes. Solar panels an inverter and a solar gateway.

Ac energy then flows through the home s electrical panel and is distributed accordingly. The panels convert the energy from freed electrons to dc current which then flows to an inverter and is converted from dc electricity to ac electricity. A solar panel system is made up of three basic parts.