PV systems for homes and businesses are becoming more affordable all the time. PV works best in an energy-efficient building. So your first move should be to add insulation, install energy efficient lighting and appliances, to minimize the building's overall electricity use BEFORE you install a PV system.
To make PV systems even more affordable the government offers financial incentives through solar rebates and other programs.
Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight directly to electricity. They work any time the sun is shining,.... BUT more electricity is produced when the sunlight is more intense and strikes the PV modules directly (ie when rays of sunlight are at right angles to the photovoltaic panels).
Unlike solar thermal systems for heating water, PV does not use the sun's heat to make electricity. Instead, electrons freed by the interaction of sunlight with semiconductor materials in PV cells are captured in an electric current.
PV allows you to produce electricity? without noise or air pollution ? from a clean, renewable resource. Thanks to Australia's climate and high level of clear sunlit days, PV technology may well be the energy source of choice for the 21st century.
A well-designed PV system needs clear and unobstructed access to the sun's rays for most or all of the day, throughout the year. You can make an initial assessment yourself.
The orientation of your PV system (the compass direction that your system faces) affects its performance. In Australia, the sun is always in the Northern half of the sky but is higher in the summer and lower in the winter.
Normally, the best location for a PV system is a north-facing roof, but a roof that faces west can also be viable. PV panels can also be mounted on a flat roof facing the sky or bolted on frames tilted toward the north at an optimal angle. Sometimes they are attached directly to the roof as ?PV shingles.?
If a rooftop can't be used, your solar modules can also be placed on the ground, either on a fixed mount or a ?tracking? mount that follows the sun to orient the PV modules. Other options (often used in larger domestic or commercial applications) include mounting structures that create covered parking, or that provide shade as window awnings. To make the best use of your PV system, the PV modules must have a clear ?view? of the sun for most or all of the day?unobstructed by trees, roof gables, chimneys, buildings, and other features of your home and the surrounding landscape.
Some potential sites for your PV system may be bright and sunny during certain times of the day, but shaded during other times. Such shading may substantially reduce the amount of electricity that your system will produce. People decide to buy PV systems for a variety of reasons.
Some people want to help preserve the Earth's finite fossil-fuel resources and reduce air pollution.
Others want to invest in an energy-producing improvement to their property.
Some people like the security of reducing the amount of electricity they buy from their utility because it makes them less vulnerable to future price increases, while some people just appreciate the independence that a PV system provides.
Whatever your reason, solar energy is widely thought to be the energy source of choice for the future, and you may be able to take advantage of a state-sponsored program to help make it your energy choice for today and tomorrow.
