Sunlight is partially made up of photons, which are the smallest measurable units of light energy.
When these photons touch your solar panels, the panels then generate electricity. An inverter built into the panels converts this into a current, which makes the energy usable in your home.
Any excess energy converted by your solar panels can be ‘sold back’ into the electricity grid or diverted to a battery storage system.
Grid connected solar power system
Solar energy could help to cut your energy bills in two ways:
1.
Using solar energy lowers your dependence on your energy provider, which helps to reduce your energy bills. You can also make conscious steps to reduce your energy consumption so that your house runs predominantly on solar energy.
2.
If your panels produce more energy than you use, excess energy can be ‘sold back’ to the electricity grid. This is known as a feed-in tariff and may help you to offset your overall energy expenses. Most feed-in tariffs are around 5 cents per kWh (1 kWh is roughly equivalent to running a dishwasher for an hour, or watching a plasma TV for 3 hours).
Why should you go solar?
There are many reasons why you should make the switch to solar, including:
Reduce your carbon footprint
By joining the 20% of Australian homes who already use solar energy, you are helping us to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and mining.
Save on your electricity bills
With a solar system your energy comes from sunlight, which Australia gets an abundance of. You can even sell any excess energy back to the grid.
