How Does Solar Work?

We are NC Solar Now, the premier installer for NC Green Power, and we’d love to answer your questions.

If you’ve been thinking about adding a solar system to your home, you probably know that solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, helping you save on home energy costs. We think it’s pretty cool to turn your rooftop into an electricity-producing device! But, have you ever wondered how they actually work? We are NC Solar Now, the premier installer for NC Green Power, and we’d love to answer your questions. Below are some common preliminary questions!

Q: How do solar panels work?

In four simple steps:

Step 1 – Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity.

Step 2 – Inverter turns Direct Current electricity into Alternating Current electricity.

Step 3 – Alternating Current runs into your home via breaker.

Step 4 – Excess power feeds back to the power grid.

Q: How do solar panels save you money?

The difference between the amount of solar power you generate in a given month and the total actual power you consume gets fed back to the grid to offset your next bill.

Additionally, residents can use credits from excess electricity from higher production months to draw energy back from the grid during lower production months like fall and winter when their system isn’t producing as much electricity. Keep in mind that, in most cases, you’ll never have to pay another power bill again!

Contact Us To Find Out How Much $ You Can Save With Solar!

Q: How much sunlight do solar panels need to work?

Residential solar panels typically require unobstructed access to sunlight for most – if not all – of the day to reach their full conductive potential. Any shade on the solar panel system can limit the amount of light penetrating the solar cells, which could significantly reduce the amount of electricity the system can generate. Remember, we have options for placement other than your roof so do not fret if your home has some shading!

Q: When and where do solar panels perform best?

Solar energy depends less on temperature and more on access to sunlight. That being said, North Carolina’s moderate climate makes it an ideal state for solar energy because we tend to enjoy steady sunshine year-round. And, while there is more daylight in the spring and summer months compared to fall and winter, there is no particular time of year in which solar panels will perform drastically better.

Q: How do solar panels generate electricity?

Solar panels are collections of photovoltaic cells (or solar cells) made from silicon and other conductive elements. Each of these cells have positive and negative layers to establish an electric field. Light hitting the cell releases electrons from their atoms to flow through the electric field, which creates electricity. Photovoltaic (PV) is the method used for converting sunlight into direct current electricity. PV modules are made up of small solar cells that are wired together and sealed between a plastic backing and a tempered glass cover, which is wrapped in an aluminum frame to allow for safe mounting.

When those solar cells are struck by particles of light from the sun, or photons, the cells generate an electrical charge that moves electrons in a steady current from one side of the cell to another. Multiple panels are connected together, creating an array, to maximize their hours of exposure to direct sunlight. The solar modules create direct current (DC) power that is converted to alternating current (AC) power (which is used by the appliances in your home), helping to offset your electric bill.

Q: How do solar panels connect to the power grid?

During installation, NC Solar Now will connect your solar panel system in parallel with your home’s electrical system. Your solar system will also be connected to the utility company through your home’s connection to the utility grid. Most North Carolina homes have net metering. That means homeowners can send any excess power back to the grid when their system overproduces in exchange for credit on their next utility bill. Conversely, NC residents can use those credits to draw energy back from the grid in times like fall and winter.

Download Your Free Solar Info Packet

Start Saving with Solar

Your solar panel array will make kilowatt hours of power every month, and the amount of kilowatt hours you create will be subtracted from the amount of kilowatt hours you consume. In some situations, the amount of power created is enough to eliminate all the kilowatt hours used by the home, reducing your power bill. In many cases, our customers won’t see a power bill for years to come! Don’t forge the financial benefit of an increased home value, too.

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have as you explore your solar options. Find out how much you can save. Give us a call or schedule your free solar system analysis today!

sampath reddy

Excellent service by NC Solar and very smooth process with install and setup.

Tom DeMichael

NC Solar provided me with a fantastic experience throughout the process of installing my solar and powerwall battery system. Crews were considerate, efficient, and did an A+ job. Communication and responsiveness with all the contacts (each one specialized in something) were excellent. They managed literally everything with the city and electric company. Awesome job.

Robert Lacasse

NC Solar provided an excellent service all the way from quoting to installation. Their sales team (Brittany in my case) were informative, patient with millions of questions, and transparent when discussing the quote and competitors. While not the absolute lowest price, we felt the expected service and past customer reviews gave us confidence to proceed with them. Now that the project has been completed, we can say that we made the right decision and NC Solar provides an excellent service at a great value. And to be clear, while not the lowest, they were still competitive against most local competition. Throughout the entire application/preparation/permitting process, the NC Solar team was responsive and "on-the-ball". Installation went perfect as well. They had one team begin installing the panels on the roof. The electrician team talked through the exact location of all items including conduit runs. After install was done they ran through everything again, answered questions, and stepped us through app control. The install of everything was clean (straight runs, hidden boxes, no "unsightly" connections). The details are what make a good experience great, and NC Solar pays attention to them! We will definitely recommend NC Solar to any friends and family looking to dabble in the solar world!

Mike Shaw

I am very pleased with our recent installation of a NC Solar Now system. The entire process from beginning to end was professionally handled. Each stage of the operation was completed quickly and successfully. All employees involved were friendly, courteous and extremely knowledgeable. The lead installer, Vinh Ngo was informative and helpful. He came immediately back to address inspection issues and had a great attitude. The panels are working perfectly and the app is easy to use. Our first month's energy bill with the new panels was $0.00.

Hussam Abid

We’ve now had enough time with our system to see how it performs, and I’m very happy with our experience with NC Solar Now. The installation was done very well, including our solar panels and Tesla battery storage. Everything is now fully operational and working as expected. More importantly, we’re seeing the results in our energy usage and Duke Energy bill — our solar credits are coming through and the system is delivering the savings we were hoping for. Our project manager was excellent throughout the process — proactive, responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful from start to finish. As with any solar installation involving the utility company, the final meter replacement and Permission to Operate stages required some patience, but NC Solar Now continued to support the process until everything was completed. Now that the panels, Tesla batteries, utility connection, and credits are all working as intended, I’m very satisfied with the final result. The installation also looks clean and professional. I would definitely recommend NC Solar Now to anyone considering solar and battery storage.

John Pflug

If you are looking into solar power, NC Solar is well worth contacting. Very professional and friendly.

Rick Niswander

Team is great. From installers, to interconnections, to answering numerous questions. Top notch work with an Enphase system and batteries. New build so the process was longer and they stayed engaged and on top of it. We love to sell power back to Greenville Utilities.

Dorothy Raynes

Our experience has been five star and can’t thank NC Solar enough for the incredible job that they did. Every employee that we worked with couldn’t have been more professional, knowledgeable and provided excellent answers to our questions. The system is working perfectly and we love the reduction in our Duke bill. Thank you so much to everyone at NC Solar for a job well done. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

MARTIN JENKINS

I WANT TO TAKE TOMMY SERVICE TEC AND THE STAFF FOR GREAT SERVICE AND HELP IN GETTING OUR DEVICE BACK ON LINE.. GREAT SERVICE AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Verified by Trustindex

Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more

What Do Our Clients Say About Us?

“NC Solar Now was nothing short of amazing! They truly partner with their customers to ensure that they understand your goals upfront, communicate openly and excellently throughout the planning process, execute on time, and continue to support you and ensure you are aware of how to take advantage of new tax credits and rebate programs that you are eligible for. I am very happy with my 10KW system and the quality of the install, but above all, the ongoing support and customer service I receive from this company. I am endorsing them because they worked very hard to earn my trust and business and I know they will do the same for others. They have set a gold standard in my book!”

– Blake Shiver

Our staff is NABCEP Certified!

Furthermore, we are certified by all major brands, including Tesla, Enphase, SolarEdge, Fronius, REC, QCells, Ironridge, and others! Check us out on Facebook or Instagram. Visit us online at NC SOLAR NOW, send us a message, or call us at 919-833-9096.

Ready to Get Rid of Your Power Bill?

Contact us for a FREE Solar Savings Analysis! We’ll help you calculate how much your investment in solar will save you over time.

Want to Learn More About Solar?

Interested in a solar panel installation, or maybe you just like to keep up with the latest developments in green technology? Check out our blogs to learn answers to common questions, the latest news in the industry, what our friends are up to and how they use solar power, and how our team is saving the environment one installation at a time.