PV Gap

Lester Said:

where does solar energy come from?

We Answered:

Generating electricity with the power of the sun’s rays (“solar power”, “photovoltaic power”, or “PV” for short) is possible due to the photovoltaic effect. “Photo” comes from the Greek for “light”; “voltaic” refers to the production of electricity and is a variant of Italian physicist Alessandro Volta’s name.

To illustrate how PV works, let’s follow the flow of energy through a small grid-tied residential system:

The first step in the process occurs when rays of light from the sun strike the cells within PV modules (modules are commonly called “panels”). As the light energy hits the photovoltaic cells, electrons are excited and begin to flow. Multiple cells are connected in one module, and several modules are connected together to form an array, all harnessing and summing the flow of this electric power.

The current produced in the PV modules is Direct Current (DC). However, most of the lights, appliances, and other electrical equipment in our homes operate on Alternating Current (AC). Next in the chain of energy flow is a device called an inverter, which gathers the DC produced by the array and converts it to AC which can be used in the home. The inverter regulates the AC power it outputs, so it can be safely used by even sensitive electronic devices such as televisions, computers, and audio equipment.

The AC output of the inverter is connected to the home’s main service panel, where it intermingles with the AC power supplied by the local electric utility. Net Metering refers to the physical (and financial) ability of a home’s electric meter to “run in both directions”. We are accustomed to power only flowing from the utility to the loads in our house. However, with the house now acting like a mini utility producing its own electricity, there will likely be times when electricity actually flows out of the house and to the utility.

Perry Said:

what is solar energy.where does it come from,how does it work,what are the good and bad about it.?

We Answered:

Solar energy is energy from the sun, it is a renewable source of energy and does not cause pollution. From http://altenergy.in

Leah Said:

where does the sun's energy came from?

We Answered:

Red Bull and Coffee Beans!

Bob Said:

If energy can not be created or destroyed, where did the energy come from in the first place?

We Answered:

When time started ? What was before the Big Bang ? What is beyond this Universe ?
All these questions are unanswerable now. In the future ? Who knows.