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Installing Solar Panels to Generate Electricity

Photovoltaic panels are being installed on the roof. Bob talks with Jeff Wolf from groSolar about the photovoltaic panels. As sunlight hits the panels, electricity is generated from the photons. That direct current comes down through a wire into the house and is channeled into an inverter. The inverter is in the basement of the home. The inverter converts the direct current from solar power into an alternating current. That alternating current is fed into the main electrical panel and feeds the house with solar power. When the house is not using its electrical energy generated from the panels, the electricity is fed back into the utility grid and spins the meter backwards, creating a credit for the customer. The photovoltaic panels are a clean way of generating energy for the household. Many states have programs to help subsidize the cost of installing solar panels to make them more affordable for homeowners. Many parts of the country are seeing electricity costs escalate by as much as 80 percent so this is a good idea. groSolar operates throughout the country and has a website at www.grosolar.com where people can find out how to work with them to install solar panels on their home anywhere in the U.S. This installation in Norwell is about a $15,000 project and considering the amount of equity it builds in the house, it is something worth considering. With assistnace from state programs, the cost can come down to half that figure, making it a very affordable investment for a homeowner.

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Clip Transcript For:

Installing Solar Panels to Generate Electricity

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Anyway the other panels that we have on the roof are photovoltaics. And Jeff Wolfe is witness to explain how photovoltaics work. It's solar energy right brave -- to develop a solar electricity. And the -- that the panel working very easy the sun rays come down the photons hit the panels. The four times make electricity flow through the panels needed that direct current solar power comes down through wire into the house. He whose murder so that's what you have in the in the basement the other component to -- very individually had then murder which converts the direct current solar power. Into alternating current. AC power that's used in every house in the states right that power is Fed into the main electrical panel and feeds the house with solar power. And also when the house is not into eternity sunny day feeds power back in the utility grid and spins the meter back which making a credit for the customer that's."

" The amazing part -- all of a sudden you're in the business of generating electricity and selling it back to the utility. That's -- that's what people really love the seemingly to spin backwards now people always used to talk about pay backs with any kind of energy related materials and I think it's a little bit less relevant nowadays than it is. Green the big buzzword is green and what we're doing -- it's written essentially conserving energy right."

" Well it's worth conserving energy it's green it's clean. Reliable it's US needs provides independence every dollar we spend for electricity and it costs more power replaces a dollar we send overseas. So that money stays here. That clean green reliable is what people really buying today and different states are helping people find that in Massachusetts they renewable energy trust. Actually subsidizes and applied on this -- making it more affordable for people most states have a program like."

" That yes and it is an important thing especially in places where the utility rates the electricity rates have gone up. By as much as 80% -- is -- that we're seeing utility rates escalate we will be seeing more of that in the near future. Grow solar up -- that the country at WWW -- dot com. People can find us and find how to work wood that's anywhere in the country we have deals and partners. To put solar energy like this on their house anywhere in the US now you were saying this is close to 15000 dollar investment though. And I think the point there needs to be made is that when you're doing a major rehab and refinancing the equity and -- et cetera. It's something worth considering and I hardly worth considering as part of that rehab even without we have. With the state programs buying down that 15000 on investment can become as little half of that. -- very affordable for the average homeowner thanks Jeff -- thank you."

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