Solar. How does it work?
From sunrise to sunset, the Solar panels generate direct current electricity (DC) which is sent to the inverter. The inverter converts the DC into alternating current (AC), the type of electricity required for household use. (GOL Solar also offers AC solar panels which do not require a central inverter because they feature a microinverter that’s factory integrated into each panel.) The AC power is delivered directly to your home’s main electrical service panel for use by you and your family.
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What is Net Metering?
When your Solar panels yield more energy than your house needs at any time, you may be curious where that energy goes. The power grid gets the energy and you get credit for it on your bill.
This is called net metering, and it’s one of the biggest benefits of Solar. essentially, when your home produces more energy than it consumes it reduces the amount of energy measured on your bill by the exact same amount (The Meter Spins Backwards) which allows you to benefit from the energy your panels produce.
Net metering is a Georgia state-level policy — passed by state legislatures. Net metering allows for a one-to-one credit for your Solar electricity. In other words, the electricity you produce in Georgia is equal in value to the electricity you receive from your utility.
Traditional Power
Traditional power comes from a complicated system of power stations, substations, and transformers called the Grid. This method of power is usually generated from burning coal, meaning it’s dirty and non-sustainable.
That also means that traditional power companies charge more for power every year. If you get your power this way, you are stuck paying for rate hikes.
A Brief History of Solar Panels
The Rise of Solar Companies
Long before the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, bringing awareness about the environment and support for environmental protection, scientists were making the first discoveries in solar energy. By the 1950s, Bell Laboratories found that semiconducting materials such as silicon would create an efficient solar cell. Inventors Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson (later inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2008) were the brains behind the silicon solar cells at Bell Labs. This was considered the first practical device to convert solar energy to electricity, and unfortunately, it was not cost-effective for most people.
In the 1970s, an energy crisis emerged in the United States, soon after Congress passed the Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974, and the government was determined to make solar viable and affordable to the general public. In the following decades, the federal government has invested heavily in research and development which has drastically reduced the cost of equipment and installation, set incentives such as grants, and provided tax credits for those who used solar systems.
In 1956, the cost of solar energy was about $300 per watt (including installation) and by 2019 panel cost was under $3 per watt. Even in the last decade, the cost to install solar has dropped by more than 70%! Now residential solar installation is more practical, attainable, and affordable than ever.