How do solar panels work and are they worth the investment? KSAT Explains

Solar Damper SAN ANTONIO – There is no shortage of sun during a south Texas summer, so why don’t we harness that energy to power our homes and businesses? The good news is, we are. San Antonio is the leading city in Texas when it comes to advancements in solar energy usage, according to a study done by the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center.Solar Damper

San Antonio has over 450 residential CPS Energy customers that use solar in their homes and 65 commercial businesses. Those numbers are made Lithium battery possible by a partnership between Big Sun Solar and CPS Energy. Their “community solar” program makes solar available for anyone who wants it. One branch of the program is made up of a combination of solar farms around the city. The other branch uses solar panels that are atop more than 100 parking structures around the city. The program allows CPS Energy customers to purchase panels then the customer gets a credit on their bill each month. As of July 13th, 2022, that program was at capacity and not accepting new applications.

The Beginning of Solar and How it WorksLithium battery

Planetary gear motor, The technology that turns natural light into energy has not always been available. In fact, it’s fairly new and still being developed. Humans have been harnessing solar energy since the 7th century, B.C. by using sunlight and magnifying devices to start fires. Centuries later, in the early 19-50′s, scientists created the first silicon photovoltaic cell -- that’s basically the technical name of the modern-day solar panel. This new creation was an accident. “They were researching the properties of silicon semiconductors, and they found that when certain impurities were added to the silicon, it generated a strong electric current when exposed to the sun,” says Dr. Krystel Castillo, Director of the Texas Sustainable Research Institute. Solar tracker actuator

So how does energy from a giant star (the sun) millions of miles away absorb into a silicon panel and create electricity? Think back to your high school physics class. Heat=Energy. The sun produces heat and light. The electrons from the sun’s UV rays are absorbed into the photovoltaic cell (solar panel) and NMRV Series Worm Gear Reducer create a direct current. Think of direct current as a battery -- it never shuts off and is constant. That direct current goes into an inverter to create an alternating current. That’s the electricity that comes out of the plugs in your wall. That electrical current goes down a long string of wires into an electrical Solar Tracking Controller box mounted on the side of the building. The power generated from the solar panels is mixed with the power being supplied by the grid. The smart meter installed on the building decides which kind of power needs to be used. It is programmed to use 100% of the solar energy before it starts pulling energy from the grid. If the solar energy system creates too much power, it is sent back to CPS Energy and shows up as a credit on the customer’s bill.Solar Tracking Controller