If you are interested in having solar panels installed on your home, here are five things you need to understand about home solar electricity.

#1 Solar Panels Are Attached To Your Roof

Generally, solar panels are attached to your roof. Solar panels can be attached to a wide variety of roofing materials. If you have a really old roof that you know needs to be replaced soon, you may want to replace it before having your solar panels installed. If your roof is in good condition, you have nothing to worry about. Installing solar panels on your roof can actually protect your roof and extend its life as well.

#2 Shade Affects Performance

It is important to note that solar panels are designed to work the most effectively when they are being hit with direct sunlight. Although they may still generate some power if the panels are shaded, they will not generate as much power since they rely on sunlight to create it. Try to place your solar panels in locations where they will get as much sunlight as possible. 

#3 Solar Panels Create DC Energy

The solar panels on top of your roof are designed to collect energy from the sun. The energy that they collect and create is direct current electricity or DC power. Your home cannot use DC power. Most homes are designed to use AC or alternating current power. All of that DC power is sent to an inverter, which changes the DC power to AC power that your home can use. 

#4 Energy Goes Directly To Your Home

The energy that is created goes directly to your home and replaces your previous source of power. During the day, while the power is being created, your home will use that energy instead of energy from the local power grid. 

#5 Extra Energy Can Be Used Different Ways

Oftentimes, especially when you get sun the entire day, your solar panels are going to generate more electricity than you could immediately use. What you do with that energy depends on where you live. In some places, you can send that energy back to your local power grid and essential get credits for that energy on your account. Those credits could be used to pay for power when it is not light outside and could even generate you a little income if you create more power than you use overall. 

You can also have batteries set up so that the extra energy is stored on-site. This would allow you to use your solar energy at all times, even when the sun is down. A battery system could also help you completely decrease your reliance on the local power grid.