Posted at by Teresa Morrow
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SOLAR POWER
Q. How does the solar power (photovoltaic) or PV system work?
A. The solar panels generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. This additional electricity is fed by the power inverter into your home, and is linked to the utility grid.
Q. Will the PV system work on gray, cloudy or overcast days?
A. Yes, because photovoltaic energy uses the full spectrum of light. The ultraviolet rays are still charging the system, even when the sunlight isn’t visible.
Q. Does the PV system work when the utility grid is down?
A. If you choose a system that has a battery pack, it will provide power to those circuits you select as critical loads. You might choose the refrigerator, computers, lighting circuits, and TV. You can choose which appliances will have back-up power, should the grid go down.
Q. What happens when we generate more power than we’re using?
A. Excess electricity is fed back into the utility grid for others to use. Your electric meter credits you for all energy sent into the electric grid. You are then billed for the difference between the electricity you generate and the energy you use.
Diane Tegarden
FireWalker Publications, Inc.
http://www.firewalkerpublications.com