Smart Living: All About Solar Panels
Turn to the sun for a clean and sustainable energy source to power your home
Rebecca Gross
21 May 2017
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design, and I study cultural history through the lens of architecture, design and visual culture. I have a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School for Design, New York. My latest book is called "Ornament is not a crime: Contemporary Interiors with a postmodern twist."
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design,... More
“I love a sunburnt country” is a famous line from Dorothea Mackellar’s poem My Country, so what better way to take advantage and help care about the future sustainability of this sun-drenched nation than with solar panels. Indeed, as concerns about renewable energy and mounting utility bills continue to increase, solar panels are a viable alternative for harnessing solar energy and for counteracting rising energy prices. Here’s what you need to know about them.
What is solar energy?
The sun provides solar energy and it’s an abundant, sustainable and renewable resource that is an alternative option to non-renewable resources.
The sun provides solar energy and it’s an abundant, sustainable and renewable resource that is an alternative option to non-renewable resources.
What are solar photovoltaic (PV) panels?
Solar panels are designed to absorb solar energy and convert it into electricity. They are composed of several solar cells (made of silicon and a few other elements) and connected together between protective glass and a backing plate.
How do solar panels work?
Certain materials can be made to produce electricity from sunlight, which is called the photovoltaic effect. An inverter unit then changes it into alternating current for a home’s electrical circuits, while a battery storage system can accumulate excess energy to use at night.
The principles of effective passive solar design
Solar panels are designed to absorb solar energy and convert it into electricity. They are composed of several solar cells (made of silicon and a few other elements) and connected together between protective glass and a backing plate.
How do solar panels work?
Certain materials can be made to produce electricity from sunlight, which is called the photovoltaic effect. An inverter unit then changes it into alternating current for a home’s electrical circuits, while a battery storage system can accumulate excess energy to use at night.
The principles of effective passive solar design
This colourful house is the Frank Gehry-designed New Orleans duplex for the Make It Right foundation, which constructs homes, buildings and communities for people in need, particularly those devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It has a rooftop terrace covered with frameless solar modules that convert sunlight into electricity and double as a waterproof canopy to provide added shelter.
Positioning solar panels
The effectiveness of solar panels will depend not only on location, climate and weather – the more the sunlight the better – but also how they are positioned on a roof. Solar panels work best when they’re north facing. They should be positioned at an optimal angle – sitting flush with the roof or angled off the roof – and not blocked by trees or other structures shading the roof.
Some panels have better temperature tolerance than others, which can suit milder or hotter climates. For example, solar panels should be directed at the sun, but they can become less efficient as they get warmer, due to the physics of the photovoltaic effect. This means some panels may be more efficient on a mild day than a very hot day, and that the panels should be installed to allow air circulation beneath them to help them cool.
The effectiveness of solar panels will depend not only on location, climate and weather – the more the sunlight the better – but also how they are positioned on a roof. Solar panels work best when they’re north facing. They should be positioned at an optimal angle – sitting flush with the roof or angled off the roof – and not blocked by trees or other structures shading the roof.
Some panels have better temperature tolerance than others, which can suit milder or hotter climates. For example, solar panels should be directed at the sun, but they can become less efficient as they get warmer, due to the physics of the photovoltaic effect. This means some panels may be more efficient on a mild day than a very hot day, and that the panels should be installed to allow air circulation beneath them to help them cool.
This house in Yandoit Hills is a solar passive home that operates off the grid. It has a north-facing aspect with a 5 kilowatt PV solar system installed on the shed, and an evacuated tube solar hot water system on the house roof, to provide the home with its very own self-sustaining energy source.
Size of solar panels
The amount of space on a roof can be a contributing factor to the size and/or number of solar panels, as can the amount of energy a home consumes during the daylight hours. Calculating consumption patterns of electricity use during daylight hours, when the panels are generating at their peak, can help to determine the size and capacity of a solar panel system.
A system with battery storage can help store excess electricity generated in daytime for later use at night.
The amount of space on a roof can be a contributing factor to the size and/or number of solar panels, as can the amount of energy a home consumes during the daylight hours. Calculating consumption patterns of electricity use during daylight hours, when the panels are generating at their peak, can help to determine the size and capacity of a solar panel system.
A system with battery storage can help store excess electricity generated in daytime for later use at night.
Solar panels can also come in the form of solar tiles, as on this Sydney home, which blend with the concrete tiles of the roof.
Pros of solar panels
- Solar energy is free; it’s converting solar energy into electricity that costs. It is typically a cheaper alternative than other energy sources, however, and provides independence from utility companies and rising electricity costs.
- Solar energy is renewable, sustainable and produces less greenhouse gas emissions than other energy sources.
- Solar systems should be designed to last, since there are no moving parts, and manufacturer warranties can be for up to 25 years. (Installers should also offer a warranty or guarantee for that length of time).
- Solar technology is constantly evolving and advancing, with high-efficiency models and potential for greater storage.
- A battery storage system can be used to provide power when there’s no sun.
- Rebates and subsidies can help reduce the overheads of buying and installing a system.
David Saunders of S2 Design transformed a heritage-listed Victorian terrace into a highly efficient and environmentally friendly home. It has seven solar panels (installed 10 years ago) that Saunders says covers half the energy costs of the home. “If we replaced them with more efficient panels we would cover all of the household power costs with just a 3 kilowatt system because the rest of the house electricity usage is so efficient,” he says.
“As an architect I advise clients to install solar panels for the benefit of the environment, not necessarily to save money,” Saunders says. He finds that most are retrofitted rather than part of new builds (due to budgets at the end of a project), however, he encourages clients to wire their homes for solar panels so they can more easily be installed at a later date.
Tour this house
Tour this house
Cons of solar panels
Read more:
10 Reasons to Say Yes to LED Lights
9 Ways to Say NO to the AC and Reduce Electricity Costs
Tell us:
What is stopping you from tryng solar panels in your home? Tell us in the Comments section below.
- The cost of a solar system will depend on a number of variables, including the system size and the quality of components used. Typically, there are high initial purchase and installation costs, but rebates can go someway to reducing that – rebates vary depending on your state or territory.
- Depending on the size of the solar system, it can also add substantial weight to a roof, in which case additional structural support may be required.
- Depending on location, new property developments can reduce or cut out available sunlight, diminishing a system’s efficiency.
Read more:
10 Reasons to Say Yes to LED Lights
9 Ways to Say NO to the AC and Reduce Electricity Costs
Tell us:
What is stopping you from tryng solar panels in your home? Tell us in the Comments section below.
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Thank you Rebecca for explaining solar and its' benefits, also for including S2 design's Argyle project as a case study. I hope the Australian government is paying attention to this important message about renewable energy!
My parents recently doubled the number of panels on their roof because of the rising cost of electricity bills. (This is from people who are still yet to be completely convinced about climate change!)
It's time to go solar for a sun-kissed country like Australia. Moreover, with government incentives like Victoria solar home rebate program, investments in renewable have become more attractive.