How solar power works
Why Solar Power?
With a home solar power system you can:
- Save money on your energy bills
- Generate your own electricity
- Get paid for any excess power you export back to the grid
- Add value to your home
- Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions
How solar power works
Whilst the technology behind solar power may seem complex, the process of converting sunlight into electricity is quite simple.
- The sun. Sunlight contains energy.
- Solar panels. Solar panels mounted on the roof have photovoltaic cells. When sunlight falls on these cells they convert the sun’s energy into DC power.
- The inverter. The inverter changes the power from DC to AC, the most common type of electricity used for households.
- The electricity meter. A bi-directional electricity meter that can measure both the power you use and the power you send back to the grid, measures power consumption in half hour intervals. The excess power you don’t use is sold back to the grid. This is called the feed-in tariff and can vary depending on your electricity retailer.
- Electricity grid. Your home is connected to the electricity grid. Surplus energy you generate is fed back into the grid, and when you need additional power the grid will provide this.
