Solar Nerd articles about: Solar panels

Solar panels work by turning photons (ie. light) into moving electrons (ie. electricity). Known as the photovoltaic effect, this continues to work under even very low light conditions. Because of that, solar panels don’t need direct sunlight to generate electricity. They’ll continue to generate power even if its cloudy. If your panels are being used for non-critical applications, such as keeping the house battery of your RV topped up, indirect sunlight and cloudy conditions might be just fine.

In case it isn’t obvious, this website is a big proponent of solar energy, and home solar panels in particular. In spite of that, there are pros and cons of solar that you should know about before spending several thousand dollars to hire a solar company to crawl around on your roof. For most homeowners, there are two big reasons why they go solar: to save money and help the environment.

There are a LOT of solar panel manufacturers out there, and knowing which one is the best for your project can be a little daunting. This is especially true if you’re doing a DIY project. If you’re a homeowner who is getting multiple quotes for a solar installation, you’ll be faced with a few choices, but those will usually be limited in scope. Your installer might be a certified installer for one of the premium brands such as SunPower, LG, or Panasonic, in which case that brand will usually be their first proposal to you.