The electricity bill consists of a significant portion of all monthly utility expenses.
Energy usage will differ on many factors like:
On average electricity bills can be close to one-third of all costs so it is worth seeing how one can lower their electricity usage and so - save money.
In the United States, the utility bills of people renting an apartment will be around $240 per month, whereas a homeowner will spend closer to $400 a month.
Average US home bills:
Total cost: $325
Depending on house size, your monthly electricity bill can be close to:
Net energy metering (also referred to as NEM) is a billing mechanism, which allows a customer to store the electric energy in the electric grid operated and controlled by the electricity supplier. This stored energy originates from a consumer's ability to generate energy by the means of renewable energy sources solar and wind. Then, the NEM lets the particular household benefit from the fact that some of their energy was not used at the time of its production and sent to the grid's infrastructure instead.
To check how it works in the case of solar energy, see the article below:
What is net metering in solar energy?
Solar electric systems can be divided into two categories:
In this article, we will describe how can grid-tied systems be connected to the grid.
When it comes to designing a solar PV system for any residential property, the 120% rule is used to determine the limit of how much new power generation the site’s electrical infrastructure can safely handle.
This rule is based on Main Breaker and Bus Bar ratings.
The calculation to determine the limit is maximum electrical equipment load which is Main Breaker Rating x 120%
An image of a regular domestic distribution panel
If your service is 200 A:
200 A x 120% = 240 A - maximum load
This means that the solar breaker is limited to 40 A because the Main Breaker Rating + Solar Breaker must be less than or equal to 240 A.
Examples:
200 A + 40 A = 240A
200 A + 30 A < 240 A
The Main breaker is usually installed at the main electricity line going into your home.
If your service is 100 A:
100 A x 120% = 120 A - maximum load
This means that the solar breaker is limited to 20 A because the Main Breaker Rating + Solar Breaker must be less than or equal to 120 A.
Examples:
100 A + 20 A = 120A
100 A + 10 A < 120 A
The Bus bar is the part of the distribution panel where you install breakers.
If your system amperage exceeds the 120% rule, don't worry! You can still tie your system to the grid using piercing lugs (or inline lugs). They are used to manually connect PV supply wires with electricity supply wires.
Electricity is a form of energy that is easy to use and transport. We use it in our homes to power up electrical appliances, heat our homes and much more. It is not, however, a primary source of energy, like coal or natural gas, which are accessible for us without any processing. In order to use electricity as a form of energy, we need to generate it using various processes.
Electricity supplied by energy companies to our homes is generated in big, commercial power plants. There are different primary sources of energy and processes that are used in order to obtain the electrical power that is further transported to consumers.
The most common power plants used in the energy sector nowadays are thermal power plants. In such systems, coal, natural gas, biofuels, or even crude oil is burned to heat up the water in the power plant to produce high temperature and high-pressure steam. Steam is then transported onto so-called steam turbines which start spinning, gaining mechanical rotational power. Mechanical power from rotating turbines is then used in electrical generators, which can produce electrical energy by spinning electromagnets inside coils of wires.
Other examples of thermal power plants that operate on the same principles as the power plants described above are geothermal power plants and nuclear power plants. What differentiates them from conventional thermal power plants is the primary source of energy. In geothermal power plants, high-temperature steam is obtained from the Earth’s underground hot springs. In nuclear power plants, uranium is used to heat up water and steam by conducting a nuclear chain reaction. Nuclear power plants have great efficiency and use very small amounts of fuel to produce the same amount of heat as conventional power plants.
Apart from the conventional steam-turbine powerplants which are described above, electricity can be generated using alternative, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, water (hydro) energy.
In wind power plants, the wind is utilized to spin the blades of the wind turbines, generating mechanical rotational energy. This energy is then transported onto the electrical generator, a similar process to the steam-turbine power plants’ generators. Wind turbines are usually very tall and have large diameters in order to gain as much energy as possible from wind.
Solar power plants are vast areas of land on which a lot of solar panels are installed. Combining hundreds or even thousands of solar panels into one system can generate similar amounts of energy that can be produced in thermal power plants. Their operating principle is the same as in the smaller solar energy systems [see the article: What is a solar cell?].
Hydro power plants generate electricity from moving water that can spin a water turbine, which then transports its mechanical rotational energy onto a generator in the same manner as in the previous examples. They can be installed on rivers, waterfalls or even use ocean tide energy to spin the water turbine.
Pumps that work with solar panels are the same as every other pump. There is, however, a difference in the source of power. The installation of the solar pumping system is different for every type of kit.
Energy meters calculate the amount of energy used in units called kilowatt-hour (kWh). Traditional energy meter devices use small dials. These dials show a digit and that digit represents a number of the total amount of energy consumed. To properly read the value, it is useful to write down the digits just passed by the pointer of each dial from right to left. Starting from the right then, the first dial is the unity digit. The one to the left of it is the tens digit. Then, the next dials to the left are respectively the ones representing the hundreds and the thousands of the number being the current meter's reading. In the example below, the reading of the energy meter is 7830 kWh.
It is important to start the reading from the right side to not miss out on any significant digits at the end of the total number value. Also, the dial which is the furthest one to the right is the one that causes the movement of all the other dials. When it makes a full rotation, then the one to the left of it moves from 0 to 1. When that one makes a full revolution as the effect of the furthest one to the right moving, it effectively makes the third one from the right to move as well. This process continues all the way to the dial on the left, being the last significant digit of the total energy meter's reading.
More modern energy meters with the digital display may require the value shown on it to be multiplied by a constant. In such a case, the value of the constant is shown on the device's enclosure. The consumed energy amount is then the value on the energy meter's screen (10.22) times the constant (40) which results in 408.8-kilowatt-hours.
Digital energy meters with just the display and without any additional constants or any complexity in their value reading are becoming more common. In the case of these meters, a customer is required only to read out the value shown on the screen from left to right ignoring the digits shown after the decimal point (usually indicated in red). An example of such a display is presented below. Its proper reading is 544-kilowatt hours.
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Air Changer per Hour (ACH) - how many times the air is changed in the room per hour using ventilation systems.
BTU (British Thermal Unit) - a measurement of heat used in HVAC systems. The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of pure water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Chiller - an appliance that removes heat from the liquid phase. This is done through vapor-compression or refrigeration cycles. The cooled fluid from this process passes through air condition systems reducing the air temperature. This device is the main component of HVAC systems.
Ductwork - special channels and pipes that are used in AC and HVAC systems for airflow.
Dehumidifier - an appliance that reduces the level of humidity in the air.
Heat Pump - a simple device designed to absorb heat from a colder space and release it to warmer places.
Split Zone Air Conditioner - a type of air conditioning system. These systems have two separate units, an outdoor and an indoor unit. The condenser is located in the outdoor unit, and the evaporator is located in the indoor unit. Both units are connected with a lineset or pipe filled with the refrigerant.
Thermostat - a device that controls and regulates the systems. This device allows you to easily set the optimal temperature inside your home.
Refrigerant - is a fluid that is used in the refrigeration cycle in some popular devices like air condition systems or heat pumps. These substances mainly transfer the heat by changing phases from liquid to gas in HVAC devices. Examples of popular refrigerants are R410a, R134a, R-717, and R-290.
The future is looking bright with solar energy! Solar power projects are growing and becoming more and more attractive to consumers for a variety of reasons. One is that solar energy is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. But that is most likely how far your knowledge goes. We have outlined here some interesting facts you probably didn’t know about solar!
Solar power starts with solar energy being produced through the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy. This is done through photovoltaic (PV) panels for example. Solar energy is the most unlimited energy source amongst other renewables. The Earth is hit by 173,000 terawatts of solar energy continuously. That is equivalent to more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use. Solar energy is completely renewable and has 5 billion more years to be utilized. The US Department of Energy found that the power acquired in one and a half hours of sunlight is more energy than the entire world consumes in one year. The total amount of energy used by humans every year is 410 quintillion Joules. In comparison, 430 quintillion Joules of energy are produced every hour and a half the sun strikes the Earth. This data tells us that we essentially have a source of unlimited clean energy.
Although solar energy requires soft costs such as permitting and installation, the consumer will receive a return on their investment due to low operating costs. In 2019, homeowners observed break-even points as low as three to four years. Some homeowners also generated huge savings, which ranged between USD 10,000 and USD 30,000 over 20 years. The unstoppable rise in technologies and scientific research has significantly pushed back solar costs and increased efficiency. For instance, in 1977, the price of a simple solar cell was $77 per watt and fell considerably to $0.74 per watt in 2013. The average price to install solar has also decreased by more than 70% between the years 2010 and 2017. Costs are continuing to decline as companies are increasingly taking economic advantage of using solar energy.
Currently, about 42% of global coal power plants are unprofitable because of high fuel costs. Studies predict that this number can go up to 72% by 2040 with pollution policies driving up expenses. The United States could save USD 78 billion by closing plants in line with the Paris Agreement. It is more expensive to run 35% of coal power plants than to set up renewable infrastructure. Adopting renewable energy practices such as solar is necessary for moving forward and pursuing economic gain.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of the fastest-growing occupations in the US is solar PV installer, with a projected growth rate o 51% from 2019-2029. This rate is much faster than any other average in other occupations. As of February 2020, there are more than 250,000 solar workers in the United States. Projections show that this figure is to increase to 270,000 by the end of the year. Since 2010, solar jobs in the United States have increased by almost 160%. This figure is 9 times the national average job growth rate in the last 5 years.
Projections show that a solar-powered household can reduce 100 tons of carbon dioxide, 0.5 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 0.75 tons of nitrogen oxides within 28 years! A United States household uses on average 830 kWh of electricity every month. Producing 1,000 kWh of solar-powered electricity cuts down on emissions by almost 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide, 8 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 5 pounds of nitrogen oxides. Solar energy is a sustainable energy investment that provides vast environmental benefits for the collective good.
A common concern for households or businesses considering going solar is “what happens on a cloudy or rainy day?” Photovoltaic panels can use either direct or indirect sunlight to produce power. When clouds are blocking the light, these panels still function accordingly. Solar production is less, but it is not at zero. Rain is neither a concern because it helps the systems operations by washing away dirt from the panels.
Solar panels continue to work effectively during the winter times. Impressively, the cold temperatures and snow can help solar panel output. This is because the snow helps reflect light, which in turns improves PV performance. Find out more about solar system productivity in winter here.
Solar energy is used at night thanks to two solutions: net metering and solar-plus-storage technology. These solutions allow consumers to have access to overnight electricity when there is no sunlight to produce energy. When you produce excess power through your solar panels, net metering allows you to feed the energy back to the grid. You will then receive a reward with credits that are added to your electric bill by the utility. The grid connection to your home ensures you will still have power regardless of the solar panel production levels.
Solar panels have a long lifetime that lasts about 25–30 years. They are reliable and durable mainly because they do not have moving parts, which makes the likelihood of damage or breakage very minimal. In fact, because of their design, the infrastructure of the solar panels after their lifetime still provides economic value as they can be replaced at low costs. Solar panels can be recycled using specific industrial processes. Research has shown that solar panel recycling processes have up to 96% efficiency. Find out more on solar panelling recycling here.
Solar energy use is not only used for household and business electricity purposes. Solar energy is used for transportation as well. In the 1960s, the space industry started powering spacecraft with solar technology. The aviation industry has also started adopting solar technology. In 2016, two pilots completed the first-ever circumnavigation of the globe without using any fuel. The famous solar aircraft, Solar Impulse II, flew a total of 40,000km in the pursuit of promoting renewable energy use and energy efficiency. The Round-The-World flight team effectively overcame technical and operational challenges, which provided an inspiring example behind the boundless potential of renewables. This was the beginning of a new era that demonstrated the reliability and strong potential of shifting to renewable sources of energy.
