While designing his home, Jack wanted it to be energy-efficient and eco-friendly. His architect suggested going for the solar panels over the roof. But cautioned him to go for a good solar Dc to AC converter. Jack wondered why he couldn’t use the solar DC directly.
Let us see why you cannot do that:
- Most electrical appliances work on AC: Most of the electrical and tech appliances work on AC. They are not designed to work in DC.
- Voltage cannot be tweaked: If you notice the working voltage of different electrical appliances, you will notice slight variations. DC voltage cannot be altered. But you can do so with AC with the use of a transformer. That’s why you cannot use solar DC directly. It will lead to short-circuit of the appliances.
- Minimal energy loss: The transmission of AC leads to minimal energy loss. You can use the conventional wire to reduce resistance. But to use DC, you need to have extra-thick wires to reduce resistance. These wires are very costly. Imagine the total cost incurred in trying to wire the whole house just for DC!
- Practical problems: To use DC directly, you need to have high voltage, thick wires with minimal resistance, and constant current. These are tough to achieve when your source of electricity depends on the brightness of the sun.
- Safety reasons: Getting an electrical shock from DC can be fatal. And that is why most home appliances work on AC.
- Unavailability of DC appliances: There are very few DC appliances available in the market. The reason is obvious. Not everyone has a solar panel for their home. And even if they have, they still keep a connection from the power grid for emergency purposes. The demand is low and that has resulted in less innovation in this sphere.
How do I use my electrical appliances with solar panels?
By now, you must be wondering how to use the electricity from the solar panel. Before we explain that to you, let us know a bit about solar electricity.
The photovoltaic cells of the solar panels are activated by the sunlight causing the free electrons to move. In the case of solar panels, this movement is unidirectional and it leads to electricity production. This electricity is then harnessed by appropriate appliances for domestic use.
To convert the Dc into AC, you need to install a DC-AC inverter. It will allow you to use the domestic appliances from solar energy without worrying about varying currents or voltage. You can learn more on this topic by googling about Infinity Solar.
Conclusion
Solar energy is a sustainable way to power your homes. Millions of hectares of forests are cleared annually to make more room for dam construction, mining, or the construction of electricity grids. The conventional modes of electricity production are putting a huge cost on our environment. Switching to solar energy is a greener way.
But you need to ensure that you have proper appliances to utilize it to the fullest. If you don’t want to install an inverter, you should get your appliances specially designed to suit DC.
