Solar power was once something for those who could afford it, since it was such an expensive product to invest in. Everyone talked of how the initial investment would give people more savings on their energy bills, and how it was so worth it. Now, those same people are encouraging the use of solar panels and solar energy products in the home, because the price of these systems has dropped in recent years. It’s still not cheap to convert a home to solar power, but it is much more affordable than it ever was before. Especially in a time when energy costs are going up and people’s income is going down, something’s got to give.

On many episodes of ABC’s hit “Extreme Home Makeover”, the homeowners are given a new home, and that often includes a solar grid or other solar panels that will allow them to generate and save energy, not only for their home, but also for their entire neighborhood if they should choose to share. Between this and the current societal emphasis on going green and saving energy, solar power has never been such a popular topic. Knowing how it works can often help many people to realize that it’s much easier to use than they might have thought.

Solar panels or grids collect energy from the sun through the solar cells that are in the panels. When grouped together, these cells have every ability to turn sunlight into electric currents. This current is then stored in the charge controller, and then used by the home when power is needed. Essentially, there are batteries that store this energy, but think of them more like super size batteries, not your standard AA batteries. An inverter converts the stored battery energy into AC currents, which can be used to run all of the appliances and lighting fixtures in a home, which thrive on AC power.

Solar panels aren’t complicated to install, and they certainly aren’t hard to find in today’s green-focused society. They can be purchased at just about any hardware or construction store, and the assembly is usually a simple process. There are freestanding grids that can be planted in the ground like a tree, and there are grids that can go on the roof of the home, or anywhere else that the sun can be accessed on a daily basis. Simply install the panels, have the energy stored and converted by the charge controller, and use it in conjunction with traditional electric power that you have in your home. If you are really brave, you can even go all-solar, but you’ll need a much bigger grid.