I am a big proponent of reducing carbon emissions by using green energy sources, and clearly the best way of generating green power at home is using solar power. However there are still many misconceptions about solar power and solar panels so here are some of the most common questions I get from friends and family on the topic:

 

Q1: How do solar panels work anyway? How does light turn into electricity?

 

Answer: Sunlight is turned into electricity by solar panels using a process called photovoltaics. Special substances in the panels such as different forms of silicon produce a voltage when they are exposed to light from the sun. Solar panels include enough of these substances in one area so that the voltage produced is sufficient to power electrical devices in your home!

 

Q2: If I use solar panels in my garden will they steal the sunlight from my plants?

 

Answer: No absolutely not. The only way using solar panels in a garden would reduce the light reaching your plants is if they are placed directly over plants and blocking the sunlight directly from reaching them. Anyway, the best place for your panels is on your roof where they are mostly out of sight and get maximum exposure to the sun because there is nothing around them to cast a shadow over the panels.

 

Q3: Doesnt the carbon footprint from manufacturing solar panels cancel out any advantaged gained by using them to produce power?

 

Answer: Not necessarily. Production methods are always improving and the modern high tech methods used to manufacture panels has reduced the time taken to offset the carbon generated by producing the panel with the clean source of power produced by the panel down to under four years. So if you are using panels for 10 or more years to power your home your net carbon footprint is far lower than without using solar power.

 

Q4: Isnt it too expensive to set up enough solar panels to power my home?

 

There are ways to keep the cost down if you want to start producing your own clean energy at home. For example, if you are interesting in learning how to make solar panels it is actually pretty straightforward to do most of the work yourself. Some people setup up solar systems that generate good clean energy from the sun for only a few hundred dollars – it is possible to get involved in solar power without spending lots of cash or needing to be a rocket scientist.

 

So hopefully that clears up some issues for people on the fence about jumping on the solar power bandwagon – stop think about it just get going and do it, the planet will thank you.