Solar Power vs. Daylighting

The solar powered home is no longer the technology of tomorrow, it is available today. It may not be possible to be completely independent of the grid, but the solar home of today allows you to be green and save money on your utility bills. A solar powered home may not work for everyone – there are technical and financial hurdles to overcome. Here are the 4 basic components of a residential solar power system.

A Residential Solar Power System

        · The solar panels. These are made up of photo voltaic cells that convert the energy from sunlight into electricity. They are normally installed on the roof of the home which is where they will receive the most sunlight.

        · Batteries. The solar panels will generate electricity only during the day when sunlight shines upon them. Nothing is generated at night. If you want to have solar generated electricity at night, batteries will be required to collect and store the electricity generated during the day so it can be used after sunset.

        · The Inverter. The solar panels generate Direct Current (DC) while your home uses Alternating current (AC) power. The electricity that is stored in batteries is also DC. To convert this DC into AC an inverter is needed.

        · The electric meter. The AC from the inverter flows through the electricity meter into the home’s main electrical panel from where it made available throughout the home.

Installing a solar power system in your home can be complicated and expensive, although it will pay for itself in the long run. A simple way of using sunlight to light up a home, at a fraction of the cost of a solar power system, without a large amount of special equipment and with a very simple installation process is by installing a daylighting system.

Day lighting Is the Right Way to Get Started

A day lighting system is not part of a solar power system. It does not convert sunlight into electricity or heat. Instead, it collects daylight from the exterior of your home, carries is through ceilings and walls and uses the light to illuminate those parts of the home that do not get enough natural light. Besides providing healthy daylight indoors, it reduces the need to use electric light during the day, thereby cutting electricity bills. Unlike a solar power system, a day lighting one uses cutting edge technology to keep itself simple and easy to install. These systems are surprisingly economical too.

Whether or not you are planning to install solar power in your home, day lighting systems are something that you cannot ignore. Clean, healthy and free daylight in every part of your home is a major benefit and cost saver. Once you see the benefits you may want to reconsider installing solar power. The day lighting system can work in tandem with solar power. If you decide not to, you are still a winner because the standalone daylighting system will continue to provide you with free natural daylight for many years to come.