Orange County Solar Power: Solar Power Converting Sunlight To Electricity

If you ask any layperson how solar power works the most common answer you will receive is, "solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity". In the most simplest of terms that is indeed true however the process itself is much more complicated and involved.

The conversion of sunlight into electricity happens in one of two ways when you're dealing with solar power. The first method involves photovoltaics and the second involves concentrated solar power. In concentrated power systems lenses and mirrors focus the large area of sunlight into a small beam and convert it into electricity whereas in photovoltaics light is converted into electricity using the photoelectric effect which is a process by which electrons are emitted from matter and then converted into usable energy.

In addition to the act of converting sunlight into electricity for homes or businesses there is also the issue of storing that electricity for use during nights and for times in which traditional power is unavailable such as a black or brown out. Storage methods vary from solar power system to system and the amount of allowed stored energy is usually dependent on the price of the unit a homeowner or business owner is interested in. In all systems however converted electricity is stored using molten salts, rechargeable batteries, or some type of hydrostorage unit. All of these technologies are capable of storing electricity for fair amount of time. This enables homeowners to make the most of their solar power systems at night and during those times where homeowners with traditional electrical needs don't have access to them.

While the process of converting sunlight to usable electricity and storing unused electricity may seem overly complicated to any individual who is uneducated in such things, any consumers wanting to know more can utilize the Internet which will yield plenty of information or they can elect to contact a solar power professional should they have questions that nessesitate answers.

SolarGem specializes in Riverside solar, San Bernardino solar, Orange County solar and Los Angeles solar.