What is Solar Energy?
   The sun is an incredible ball of energy that provides a free, renewable resource in the form of heat and light. Just 20 days of sunshine produces the same amount of energy as all of Earth's reserves of oil, coal and natural gas. Solar energy can be harnessed passively through appropriate design principles as well as actively with collectors that capture the heat or light of the sun. Utilizing modern solar electric technology, the amount of sunlight that hits an area of 110 square miles could provide enough electricity for the entire United States.

   By harnessing solar electricity in the home, we can decrease our reliance on power plants which can lead to great global and personal benefits. Solar electric panels create electricity from the sun's energy without polluting the air. In Ohio, electricity is largely generated from burning coal, which produces air polluting byproducts such as carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides. Other geographic areas rely on nuclear power plants for their electricity. Nuclear power plants do not produce smoke but instead create radioactive waste. Solar electric panels, however, do not produce any byproducts.

   Harnessing solar energy also allows us to diversify our energy sources, which lessens the risk of relying on any one major source. Many Northeast Ohioans live in all-electric homes and are completely reliant on utility-produced power. The blackout during the summer of 2003 demonstrated the incredible repercussions of our nation's reliance on a single source of energy. As the largest blackout in North American history, it affected 40 million people in the U.S. (about 1/7 of the population) and 10 million people in Canada (about 1/3 of the population). The shutdown of 100 power plants created a blackout area of approximately 9,300 square miles. Causing an estimated $6 billion in financial losses, as well as both widespread panic and discomfort, the impact of this blackout would have been far less severe if more people were utilizing the abundant and free energy from the sun produced by solar panels in their homes.

How Does a Solar Panel Work?
There are multiple types of solar panels and infinite uses for them. For example, solar panels can be found powering construction signs, garden lights, pond pumps and entire homes. Regardless of the application of the energy, solar panels all function in the same basic way.

   Solar panels contain layers of the semiconductor silicon. Sunlight excites electrons in the silicon and causes them to move between layers, and some of this movement can be captured as energy and sent to a source that can either use it immediately or store it. The captured energy can be stored in a battery if not used and, as in the case of garden lights, can be utilized at night or even stored for later use, such as backup power for a home in the case of a blackout or brownout.

   Within a year we in Northeast Ohio receive an average of four full-sun hours per day. While we certainly experience more than four hours of daylight each day, it is the times during the day in which we receive full-sun that cause solar panels to produce electricity. The amount of full-sun we receive in Ohio varies from two hours in the winter to six hours in the summer. For this reason, solar panels must have an unobstructed view of the sun for most of the day to produce electricity, and shading should be avoided.

   In order to produce electricity for more than a few garden lights, larger solar panels are needed. Solar panels are rated in Watts (W), just like a light bulb. A 100 W panel in the sun for 4 hours produces 400 Watt-hours (Wh). This is approximately the same amount of energy required to operate a 40 W light bulb for 10 hours. Electricity bills reflect usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is 1000 Watt-hours (Wh). In order to generate electricity for a home, several panels, each rated to produce between 120 and 185 W, are required.

   When generating electricity for personal use, it is very important to know what will be powered with the electricity created. This is akin to planning meals based on the number of people who will be eating. Similarly, we have to consider the amount of electricity it would take to “feed” any number of light bulbs and electrical appliances. For example, to run a solar-powered pond pump, it is necessary to determine how much electricity the pump will use according to the amount of time it will be running.

   Electricity produced by solar panels can be used independent of the existing electricity infrastructure of a home or it can interact with the electricity coming into the house from the electric utility. An electric bill provides information about how much electricity a home uses in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Unlike solar garden lights, home-sized solar electric systems do not necessarily reserve electric power in batteries. However, getting through the next blackout or brownout will require backup energy stored in batteries

Next Steps
There are as many options for incorporating solar panels for household use as there are imaginations about how to use it. Remodeling is a perfect opportunity to install solar panels because outlining goals are known at the beginning of the project which helps guarantee satisfaction with the finished product. The work can be done by a contractor or an individual homeowner.

Here are some tips:
• Understand your electricity bill. Determine where all kilowatt-hours are going with a meter that measures    electricity usage like the Kill-A-Watt.
• Save money immediately by upgrading old appliances and using timers and sensors. Every dollar spent on    energy efficiency saves $3-5 on a renewable energy system. It is always more cost- effective to balance energy    production with need reduction.
• Determine your solar resource. Solar energy depends on access to sunlight. The proposed location should be    free of any shading year-round between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Notice the trees that may continue to    grow.
• Determine the scope of the project. Expanding a system is possible with proper planning. Do you want clean    power (electricity without the pollutants)? Do you want backup power? Do you want to take your electricity    with you wherever you go?
• Read about real systems and visit live installations. Home Power Magazine is a good place to start your    research. Every year, the American Solar Energy Society conducts a Tour of Solar Buildings on the first    Saturday of October, and this year it takes place on Oct. 1. In Ohio, tour locations are organized by Green    Energy Ohio. This is an opportunity to see how solar and other renewable energy sources are working here in    Ohio. Visit www.greenenergyohio.org or call (614) 985-6131 for more information.

Additional Resources:
Home Power Magazine: www.homepower.com
(800) 707-6585
Renewable Energy Access: www.renewableenergyaccess.com
(877) 650-1782
REpower SOLUTIONS: www.repowersolutions.com
(216) 402-4458
U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar: www.eere.energy.gov/RE/solar.html

Copyright 2005 Erika Weliczko, REpower SOLUTIONS.

Erika M. Weliczko, Founder and President of REpower SOLUTIONS, is a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Certified Solar PV InstallerTM. REpower SOLUTIONS is Northeast Ohio's premier renewable energy provider. REpower SOLUTIONS delivers renewable energy design, installation and education for solar- and wind-electric systems. For more information, call (216) 402-4458, visit www.repowersolutions.com or e-mail erika@repowersolutions.com.

Photo by Erika M. Weliczko of REpower SOLUTIONS.