What is Solar Power?

There are two kinds of solar power, which are easy to confuse:

• Solar Electric (also known as PV short for Photovoltaics) are where sunlight hits
  silicon panels and creates electricity..
• Solar Thermal, where the heat from the sun warms pipes inside roof panels to heat your water.

Both offer ways to reduce your home’s carbon emissions, but to date the government has only introduced feed in tariffs for Solar Electric systems.

How does it work?

1. We install Solar Panels on your roof which turn the energy in the sun's rays into electricity.
2. The panels create Direct Current (DC) so we use a device called an Inverter to turn it into Alternating Current (AC) which we use in our homes.
3. A Generation Meter measures exactly how much energy you are producing (very important because it's how you get paid for it).
4. Finally we plug into your Fuse Box which links your solar system to your kettle and to the grid.

If that wasn't technical enough, Toby Ferenzci has elaborated on this explanation below…

How does a solar electricity cell work?

Solar electricity (photovoltaic) cells are made out of one of the most abundant materials on earth - silicon. When light strikes the solar cell, a proportion of it is absorbed by the silicon where it is able to free electrons from their atomic bonds and allow them to flow freely around the cell.

Because the cells have electric fields, the electrons flow in a set direction or path. We call this path 'current', and can draw off this current to power things - almost anything in fact!

How do the individual solar cells make up an installation?

Many solar cells are connected in series to form a solar module and these are then attached to the roof of a home or business by using a specially designed, racking system which is screwed onto the wooden or metal beams of the roof. It's very simple to install or remove and has no effect on the roof or the structural integrity of the building. Once the solar panels are safely attached, wires that come out of each end are plugged into what's called an inverter.

The inverter does several things: It controls the voltage across each solar panel continually adjusting to produce the maximum energy. It also converts the direct current produced by the solar panels into alternating current required by the grid as well as monitoring the total amount of energy produced.

The final part is an electricity meter. This monitors whether you take electricity from the grid, sell electricity from the solar system back to the grid or use your solar electricity for yourself.

Gallery- click on any photo to see our gallery of installations...

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Engensa solar installations, as featured in...