SOLAR ENERGY

WHAT IS SOLAR?

According to the Environment Protection Agency, solar energy is defined as energy derived from the sun’s radiation.  Solar energy sustains life on earth, It is also becoming increasingly common that this energy is converted and used as an alternative to fossil fuels.

BENEFITS OF SOLAR PANELS

• Net metering allows FPL to buy back unused energy

• 30% tax rebate

• 9% equity increase

• Eco friendly

• 25 year warranty

• Savings on energy bill

HOW IS SOLAR ENERGY STORED?

Solar power is stored in deep-cycle batteries or battery banks, in a grid-tied system or in the power grid itself,  Batteries can be utilized for both on-and off-grid systems. Batteries required for major components to function correctly and store solar power.  Component one, the charge controller, prevents the batteries from overcharging when they are full. Component two, the actual battery is a team of deep-cycle cells wired together,  Deep-cycle batteries are built to last roughly ten years and be discharged up to eighty percent of their capacity on a regular basis.

Component three, the system meter, measures and displays the status of the collected solar power as well as the performance of the power. Component four, the main DC disconnect , acts as a breaker between the battery and the inverter that turns the solar power into AC power. This breaker allows the battery bank to be disconnected for maintenance.

Passive and active solar water-heating systems use water tanks to store solar energy, just as swimming pool solar heat systems use the actual pool water to store the energy. Both types of systems are capable of using a thermal mass storage system that accumulates solar energy during the day as heat and then releases it slowly for use at night.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF SOLAR ENERGY?

• Solar energy is defined as energy obtained from the sun’s radiation. The two main forms of solar energy include active solar energy and passive solar energy. Active solar energy involves equipment or an action to convert solar energy into a useful form.  One example of active solar energy is the use of solar cells to convert energy from the sun into electrical energy that can be used in the home.

• Passive solar energy does not require any specific action or equipment. An example of passive solar energy is strategically placing windows in a home to allow sunlight to enter and provide heat.

WHY IS SOLAR ENERGY IMPORTANT?

Solar energy is important because the sun is a sustainable source of energy that can be used to power homes and businesses globally. Fossil fuels are finite, so it’s important that alternative energy sources be embraced.  As of 2014, it is widely believed that fossil fuels are causing global warming. Solar energy is a potential solution to the environmental problems being caused by fossil fuels. When fossil fuels are burned to generate electricity, they release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The vast majority of scientists believe that continuing to depend of fossil fuels is going to cause serious environmental problems in the future.

Another important use for solar energy is in satellites. Many satellites are engineered with photovoltaic panels, which capture sunlight and convert it into electricity that is used to power the satellite. Solar power is also useful in areas where standard electricity is not available. For example, research facilities in Antarctica depend on sustainable energy sources, such as the sun and wind turbines, to generate power.

Emergency phone systems in remote places often use solar power as a dependable power source. Solar energy can also be used to power devices that run at night. For example, some streetlights are able to charge energy from the sun during the day, then run throughout the night.

HOW TO CALCULATE SOLAR SYSTEM

• Call FPL and pull all kw usage from the last 12 months

• To get the monthly average, divide the total kw usage by 12

• The monthly average divided by 30 days

• The results that you get, divide it by 5.5 hour production per day in order to get the size of the system.

• Multiply the size of the system by 1000

• The results divided by the panel that you sell (300). This way you can find the amount of panels that the property needs.

• Multiply the amount of panels by 300, the results will be the correct size of the system

• Example:

* 800 kw + 850 kw + 900 kw + 1050 kw + 800kw +                                                         700kw + 700 kw + 650 kw + 900kw + 800kw + 700kw + 900kw = 9,750 kw

      * 9,750 kw

      * 9.750 kw yearly

      * 812 kw monthly

      * 27 kw daily

* 27kw / 5.5=4.9kw

*4.9kw *1000=4900 watts

*4900 watts /300 watts=16 panels

*16 panels * 300 watts=4800 watts

* SIZE SYSTEM 4.8kw