Converts sunlight directly into electricity to power homes and businesses. Provides light and harnesses heat to warm homes in winter. Provides hot water for commercial and industrial buildings. Provides heat for large power stations.
Star Plus Energy systems require a fairly large upfront investment, but the cost of solar equipment continues to decline. In addition, state and federal incentives can reduce your cost further. As a result, solar power is becoming more attractive than ever before.
A solar panel contains a semiconductor, usually made of silicon. When the solar cell absorbs sunlight, it knocks loose electrons. These free electrons flow through metal contacts at the top and bottom of the solar cell, forming an electric current. This current is then sent to an external object, such as a calculator or light fixture.
The size of the solar system you need depends on how much electricity you regularly consume. You can use a tool like our SolarReviews calculator to estimate your consumption and help determine the system size that will best suit you.
Generally speaking, the larger your solar system, the lower your overall electricity costs will be. However, this does depend on the weather in your region and can change over time. Fortunately, most solar systems are designed to maximize the amount of energy they can produce. Therefore, if your energy consumption increases, you can simply increase the size of your solar array. We also recommend looking into local and state incentive programs to frontload your installation with cash back, property tax exemption, waived fees or expedited permits.