Racking
Residential solar systems are mounted to the roof with a racking system designed to secure the panels while not damaging your roof. They are generally not adjustable and designed to position the solar panels at a consistent elevation above the surface to which they are mounted. Residential systems can be mounted to all roof types including shingles, tiles, and metal roofs. Commercial systems can be mounted on a flat roof with a ballasted roof mount which does not penetrate the surface. Systems can also be mounted on the ground if there is enough unshaded area available.
Solar Panel or Solar Module
Solar panels are comprised of many individual solar cells. Solar cells are made from layers of silicon, phosphorous (which gives the negative charge), and boron (which provides the positive charge). The solar cells are wired together in a circuit. When photons from the sun strike the surface of the solar panel, electrons are knocked out of their atomic orbits and released into the electric field. The circuit of solar cells then pull the free electrons into a directional current (also known as DC electricity). This entire process is known as the Photovoltaic Effect. Multiple panels are required to meet the electricity requirements of an average household. The DC electricity generated from the solar panels is then sent to the inverter.
Inverter
Solar inverters convert the electricity from solar panels, DC (direct current) into AC (alternating current), which is the type of power used in most homes. The inverter will allow the system owner to see exactly how much DC electricity is being generated by the solar system. Once the electricity has been converted from DC to AC, it is then sent to the utility meter.
Meter
When a home or business has a PV system installed, there is a meter installed (PV meter) on the PV system to track the system’s energy generation (output) in kilowatt hours (kWh). At the same time, the utility company replaces the existing building meter which tracks energy supplied to the home or business with a new dual-read billing meter (net meter). This dual-read meter captures two different readings:
1. The amount of energy supplied to the building by the utilities distribution grid
2. Any excess energy generated by the solar PV system that was not used by the building at the time it was generated
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This excess energy goes back into the distribution grid and is termed “push back”. This energy is “credited” to the customer’s bill.