Michael Holigan: Every minute the sun provides enough power to meet the energy demands of the entire earth for a year. And with electric rates on the rise, more homeowners than ever have begun to transform the sun's power into electricity. One of the best ways to harness the sun's energy is with these BP Solar Modules.
Now these modules are made up out of silicon cells and these cells have no moving parts, so they're going to last more than a lifetime. They're very lightweight, so we don't have to brace up our roof at all to install the system, and it is easy to install. Solar panels shouldn't be placed just anywhere on the roof. Cara Eisenberg with BP Solar says south facing panels are ideal.
Cara Eisenberg: In the northern hemisphere, south is generally the best direction to face, because it maximizes the amount of sunlight that's going to hit them throughout the year and the more sunlight that hits them, the more electricity they'll generate.
However, sometimes houses don't face that way and that's fine. Southwest, southeast or west or east are just fine. The real thing you have to worry about is shading. And that's why before you do an installation, our installers will come by with a solar pathfinder and take this up onto your roof to plot what the shading will be like throughout the year. So even in November, this will show you for the year how much shading there will be, and where, all the way through the day. And that way they can determine where the best place to put your solar array is.
Michael Holigan: We're installing the solar array on a south facing roof in Plano, Texas. The first step is to screw the rails into place. The rails go right over the shingles. These rails will support the solar modules. When all of the rails are attached, installers can begin putting in the solar modules. The lightweight modules are held in place with clips. The modules can be installed flush with the roof, but we've raised these a bit so air can flow underneath. This will allow the modules to stay cool and operate more efficiently.
Cara Eisenberg: The solar modules produce power, but they produce it up on the roof. You need it into your house. So for that we need wiring. First, you have to wire together the modules. Every time you add a module you're adding more electricity generating capability. Then, once the modules are all wired together you need to take it out into your house. So we've done that through the attic, down into the garage, where we have an inverter.
Michael Holigan: The inverter changes the direct current generated by the solar modules to alternating current, which is standard for American homes. The installer then wires the inverter to the breaker box. This allows the solar panel to work at full capacity.
Now, every house has the power meter outside and you can actually watch it spin as you use electricity. It's middle of the summertime, you have your air conditioners running and things on inside, it really starts to spin fast. When you go with the solar units, that's actually going to slow down because you're not buying as much power from the utility company.
If you're producing a lot of power with the solar units and you're not using a lot inside, it can actually spin backwards, which means you're building up a credit back at the utility company. Inside your house you can watch what's going on because they have a wireless unit, which means you can mount it anywhere and it shows how much the solar units are producing, how much you're actually using inside the house right at that minute and what percentage is being covered by the solar units. And although, some believe these solar systems work just like solar water heaters, they're actually quite different.
Cara Eisenberg: That takes the heat of the sun. This uses the light of the sun and converts the light directly into electricity. So it works even in the cold. In fact, for the same amount of sunlight it works even better in the cold.
Michael Holigan: And with so many states now providing incentives for having solar power systems, homeowners are warming up to solar.
Cara Eisenberg: Solar is an investment. It's like having a house. You could either own it or rent it. If you rent it, then you'll be paying rent forever. Same with your utility bill. Also, solar electricity allows you to be come less dependent on foreign and non-renewable energy sources. And finally, it's clean, pollution free and silent.
Michael Holigan: Solar power is an investment that will save you money every month for years to come, and increase the resale value of your home. For more information on powering your new house with solar panels, visit BP Solar at bpsolar.com.
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