The solar energy It is a type of energy that works due to the direct use of electromagnetic radiation from the sun. To achieve this, solar panels or panels what can i be thermal or photovoltaicthrough generate heat or electricity respectively. one uncomfortable to generate energy thanks to the sun, that\’s it it doesn\’t shine 24 hours a day. On cloudy days or at night, no energy is generated for self-consumption, precisely when energy demand is highest. The solution to this disadvantage lies in solar energy storage For what can be used when the sun is not available.
Most solar installations are designed to produce more energy than it normally consumes a house during the day. The surplus energy generated during the sun hours well stored in solar batteries Well is discharged into the electrical network. All photovoltaic panels stop producing electricity when they do not receive light, but that does not mean that installing solar energy is not profitable. Self-consumption systems for homes usually have batteries responsible for accumulating enough energy to power a home during periods without sunlight, or are connected to the electricity grid to guarantee power during those times when the energy generated by the sun is not sufficient to cover. the request.
Profitability of a solar installation at night
For a solar panel to generate energy, it must capture sunlight. When the photovoltaic panels are not receiving light, they are not producing electricity, but as mentioned before, this does not mean that a solar power installation is not profitable. there is two alternatives that make photovoltaic installations profitable even at night:
Photovoltaic installation with solar batteries
All photovoltaic installations have been designed to produce much more energy than a house needs. If the solar panels do not receive the necessary light to generate energy, an installation with accumulators is able to generate energy thanks to solar batteries.
Photovoltaic installation connected to the network
If the installation does not have solar batteries, so that it remains profitable even at nightmust to be connected directly to the electrical networkand in those moments when the energy generated is not enough to cover the energy needs of the home, the photovoltaic solar energy installation will resort to the electrical grid.
Currently, the regulations in force in our country allow the surplus energy generated by our solar panels to be transferred to the electricity grid, and to be compensated monthly in the electricity bill, which represents significant savings. This system is called \»simplified compensation”, and allows the marketer to set a price to compensate for these surpluses. Therefore, the retailer buys the surplus energy at times when the self-consumption plant generates more energy than needed and applies the agreed price at the end of the month in the form of a discount on the electricity bill.
The future of solar power generation overnight
During 2020, scientists from the University of California conducted a research based on the possibility of solar panels being able to generate electricity 24 hours a dayeven during the night.
The research team claims it could be possible to design solar panels that work at night by capturing invisible infrared light from Earth. These panels could generate around 25% of the electricity produced by a solar panel during the day, which would mean a big advance in terms of sustainability and self-consumption.
This nocturnal device would use a thermoradiative cell able to generate electricity due to infrared radiation or heat produced during the cooling of the panel itself. This small amount of energy would be able to produce electricity. The principle is based on the transformation of invisible light into energy. However, there is still a long way to go at the research level to be able to implement this technology on the roofs of our houses.
In the P.O.W custom design a detailed study on the consumption forecast of your home at advise you on the type of photovoltaic installation which interests you the most and best suits your needs. So you can enjoy the best, most economical and sustainable energy, even during the sunless hours.
