Is Solar Energy Right For You?

Today, solar energy is used for diverse applications, from high-tech instruments in NASA’s space program to everyday electricity needs. Installing a SolarHut solar energy system in your home could be the right decision if you would love to:

· Become your own power producer and end your dependence on expensive, pollutant grid power. Solar photovoltaics can produce enough free energy to power your home and more.

· Join the movement towards clean, renewable energy and help reverse the effects of climate change.

· Make a long-term investment in your home, health, and planet.

SolarHut will install a system, connect it to the grid, and start spinning your meter backwards for you as you produce your own solar energy

Call (530) 391-7313 for more detailed information on how SolarHut and Carnahan Electric can design the right solar energy system for you.

Photovoltaics: The Science Behind Solar Energy

What are photovoltaics? The word comes from “photo” (light) and “voltaic” (energy produced by a chemical reaction). Photovoltaic technology refers to the conversion of light into energy at the atomic level. Certain materials, such as silicon, cadmium, and selenium, have the ability to absorb light photons and release electrons. Solar photovoltaic technology harnesses these freed electrons and uses their electric current as DC electricity (NASA 2002).

Fully powered by the sun, solar photovoltaics are a free, clean, and renewable source of energy that can be used independently of or in conjunction with conventional grid energy. Unlike solar thermal systems, solar energy panels require little maintenance, necessitate no moving parts, and last for 30-40 years.

Call (530) 391-7313 for more detailed information on how SolarHut and Carnahan Electric can design the right solar energy system for you.

A Brief History of Solar Photovoltaics

The early years of photovoltaics and birth of solar energy.

· 1839: Photovoltaics were first discovered by a 19 year old experimental physicist from France, Edmund Becquerel. Since his work was strictly experimental and only breached upon the photovoltaic effect, a number of scientists followed with more advanced studies. It was in the next twenty years that selenium was used as an experimental semi-conductor (U.S. Dept. of Energy 2004 ).

·1918: Polish scientist Jan Czochralski develops the process to grow single-crystal silicon ingots necessary in photovoltaic technology (Wikipedia 2004).

·1923: Albert Einstein is awarded the Noble Prize for his work explaining photoelectric effect (US Dept. of Energy 2004).

·1954: Bell Labs builds the first solar photovoltaic module.