      |
       |
YOUR RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS
- About
Energy Sources
- Intro
to Electricity Choices
- Restructuring
- Mass
Energy's Efforts
- Shopper's
Guide
- Why
Green Power Matters
- FAQs
- Join Now!
Solar Power
The energy produced by the sun each day is a vast and largely untapped resource. Solar energy can be used to heat domestic hot water, offset a building’s space heating needs, or to produce electricity. In contrast to our current energy system which relies on burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, solar energy is pollution-free and virtually unlimited in supply. Solar energy production peaks at the same time as energy consumption, since sunny summer days are when we use air-conditioning and when solar energy production peaks.
Photovoltaics produce electricity from the sun's rays using semiconductor technology. The same type of silicon wafers that are used to make computer chips can be used to create electricity when the sun is shining on them.
How does a Solar Electric System Work?
The word Photovoltaic (PV) comes from two roots meaning "light" (photo) and "voltage producing" (voltaic). When the sun's rays fall on a PV cell it increases the energy stored in the atoms of that cell. That increased energy leaves the electrons free to move about and electricity will flow when conducting wires are attached to the cells. A number of cells are wired together into a sealed module, and modules can be connected together into larger arrays. PV produces electricity in a process that is completely self-contained, has no moving parts, and where no materials are consumed or released!
Solar arrays are usually mounted on rooftops or on a ground mounted structure. The picture above is from the Porter Square shopping center in Cambridge where this 20 kW solar electric system is used to help power some of the shopping center's electricity needs.
The electricity produced by PV panels is DC (direct current). This is different than the AC (alternating current) that comes from the utility lines in through the wall sockets in your house. Therefore, systems connected to the utility grid have an inverter that converts power from DC to AC, making it compatible with the electricity flowing through the power lines. Home owners who install PV systems can sell power back to the utility when producing more than they are using in thier home. The picture above shows a 500 W system on a home in Gardner, MA.
Solar in Massachusetts
Solar Fact: A solar electric system in Boston will produce over 90% of the energy generated by the same system in Miami, Florida!
While solar electricity systems will certainly offset the amount of electricity you purchase from the utility, there is a substantial upfront cost. In Massachusetts tax incentives and opportunities for low-interest financing, such as Wainwright Bank’s “Green Loan,” help lower the burden of this upfront cost.
Incentives available for Massachusetts residents.
Mass Energy
670 Centre Street
Boston, MA 02130
(617) 524-3950 p
(617) 524-0776 f
