Looking to reduce your carbon footprint while making an investment in your home or business that will pay for itself in the long run? Outfitting your property with solar panels is one of the easiest ways to accomplish both goals. “Going green” is probably the top reason for using solar power. But equipping buildings with solar panels has other useful applications, too. Tapping into renewable energy can significantly reduce your utility bills. Solar energy can also be invaluable when natural disasters disrupt the power grid, leaving commercial and residential customers without access to essential systems, such as refrigeration and central heating and cooling. Green energy can help fill in the gap.

To learn more about solar companies, here’s a little background to help you get started. To find an alternative energy installer that serves your area, a Google search for “alternative energy companies near me” should give you some leads. Then, you can compare various alternative and solar company options. They’ll provide you with additional information, plus an estimate of solar panel installation costs. From there, you can choose a renewable energy company and take the next steps toward making your home or business more eco-friendly.

Did you know that only an estimated 0.0005% of the earth would need to be covered with solar panels to power it completely? In spite of this astounding fact, solar panel mounting systems are still only just becoming popular in the mainstream consciousness. Thought the green movement has been around for several decades, it is only within the last decade that it has truly become something that exists outside of the fringes. If you are interested in making your home or business a bit more environmentally conscious, here are a few facts you need to know about solar panel mounting systems and general environmental conversation efforts.

A solar panel is a set of solar photovoltaic modules electrically connected and mounted on a supporting structure. A photovoltaic module is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells. The solar panel can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications. Each module is rated by its DC output power under standard test conditions, and typically ranges from 100 to 320 watts.

Globally, an estimated 400 Quads of solar energy are used for power purposes each year. By far the easiest way to add to thins number is to invest in solar racking systems while you are doing a home remodel. If you are already tearing up sections of your house, what is a few more day to invest in solar panel mounting when you could be helping to save the environment.

An estimated 35 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are saved each year by those that use solar energy. The efficiency of a module determines the area of a module given the same rated output – an 8 percent efficient 230 watt module will have twice the area of a 16 percent efficient 230 watt module. A single solar module can produce only a limited amount of power; most installations contain multiple modules. A photovoltaic system typically includes a panel or an array of solar modules, an inverter, and sometimes a battery and/or solar tracker and interconnection wiring.

One kW of power generated from solar panels prevents 150 pounds of coal from being mined.
One kW of solar energy produced by solar panels prevents 105 gallons of water from being consumed. Solar trackers increase the amount of energy produced per module at a cost of mechanical complexity and need for maintenance. They sense the direction of the Sun and tilt the modules as needed for maximum exposure to the light.

Fixed racks hold modules stationary as the sun moves across the sky. The fixed rack sets the angle at which the module is held. Tilt angles equivalent to an installation’s latitude are common. Most of these fixed racks are set on poles above ground.