The basis for generating electricity has not changed in over 120 years, when it was first created for the purpose of powering inventions in 1881. In a traditional turbine based power plant, some force is used to turn turbines which are attached to electrical generators. The force that turns the turbines tends to be steam, but the how the water is boiled to create the steam varies. Generally, either fossil fuel (oil, coal, natural gas) or nuclear fusion is used, though geothermal and solar power towers have also been used as to turn water into steam.

There is another way to turn turbines – via the direct method – which is how hydroelectric plants are run. When using hydroelectricity, a river (or part of a river) is damned, and the flow is diverted over the fins of a turbine, which turn it, thus generating electricity. Wind power also works this way by turning the blades of windmill, which in turn spins the turbines to generate power. For both methods to work effectively, a minimum amount of power needs to be constantly generated by water or wind to keep the turbine spinning. For hydroelectricity this is pretty easy, but for wind it requires that the installation site have certain natural characteristics to maximize turbine performance.

When we talk about solar for the home, we are not talking about a turbine-based solution. Instead we are talking about photovoltaic panels (also known as PV). Unlike the hydroelectic towers mentioned above, these panels do not heat water to produce steam and turn a turbine. Instead, they directly convert solar energy to electrical current. This electrical current can be immediately used, stored for later use, or redistributed to the electrical grid for a fee.

In our next installment we will talk about how PV can work in your home and the options available to you.

Using solar energy to generate electricity in your home is always a great step for people with the desire to go green. Solar is a freely available and renewable resource that is available anywhere in the world. With recent technical advances in solar cells, the amount of light needed to generate large amounts of power has decreased–which makes solar energy applicable for use in almost any home with normal electrical usage. With the rising costs of natural gas and oil, solar also serves as a great investment for your home.

Over the following weeks we will try to tackle all these questions and provide you with a how-to guide on how to choose, install, and pay for a solar array for your home. There are many ways to go about this and new options exist for the home (and in some cases, apartments). If you are curious about how to add solar energy to your home and have specific questions, feel free to leave a comment and we will try to answer as many as we can over the course of the series.