Solar Roofing: Because We’re Running out of Fuel

Author: maxboughner | Posted: 03.05.2012

With experts saying the world’s fossil fuel reserves are on its death throes, the world today looks to energy in nature. Unlike fossil fuel which cannot be replaced once spent on industries and cars, energy sources like the wind and the sun can be replenished. Today, your home can participate in this renewable energy crusade for a cleaner and more efficient future.

Meet the solar roof, a roof’s add-on feature capable of providing energy for the home. In this design, the existing roof will be covered in solar panels that will collect light from the sun for energy conversion. Since the house now makes its own energy, reliance on coal and gas-fired power plants can be greatly reduced. You may see a significant cut in your electric bills, as the home is now less reliant on conventional energy sources.

The secret to this innovative marvel is materials, like silicon, that are skilled in turning photons to electrons. There are hundreds of these in a single solar panel, capable of dishing out thousands of watts, depending on the sun’s intensity. Silicon, for example, is an ideal material for solar cells because of the way its atoms are arranged.

Silicon only has four electrons in its outer shell – as opposed to the usual eight in other elements’ outer shells – and must find four more to become stable. Since sunlight is chock full of photons, they bind with the electrons in silicon and help them break free. As a result, the electrons are free to travel to your fuse box, producing the energy required to power your appliances and lights.

Solar roofs offer a list of benefits for both the home and the environment, as you may already know. Since they don’t produce energy by burning fuel, the amount of harmful gases in the atmosphere is greatly reduced. In the East Bay area, this form of East Bay roofing can be a bonus since summer can get really bright there. Any excess of solar energy ends up in the city’s power grid, which means credit with the electric company.

Another great thing to note about renewable energy is that it gears people up for an impending energy crisis. If power plants run out of fuel to burn, the power grid can switch to wind or solar power to provide the area with energy. East Bay roofing will have a green and bright future.

Check out how solar cells work by reading the article at HowStuffWorks.com. For more info on how solar roofing can help you and the Earth, contact your local Martinez roofing contractor.



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