The sun is an enormous source of energy.  All energy on earth begins with the sun. Wind energy exists because the sun heats up certain areas more than others; dams exists because the sun evaporates water to create rainfall and therefore rivers; even fossil fuels exists because plants have the ability to use the sun’s rays in photosynthesis to create energy. But why choose for solar energy in the first place?

It is common sense that tells us that using solar panels would be better for our community and environment than generators, by offering electricity in a silent and clean way. However, few people know that it is also a cheaper way of electrification, due to the rise of fossil fuel prices and new technological advances in the production of solar cells.  Solar panels require a larger initial investment, but because one has to constantly buy fuel the long-term costs far outweigh that of a solar system.We can also use the energy of the sun directly to create electricity using the following components:

Solar Panels
The solar panels are the items that actually convert the sun’s light into electricity. The panels absorb the sun’s rays and transfer this into a direct current. For the best results we advise to place the panels on a roof of a building where they can absorb the maximum sunlight possible. At ecoru we use two different types of solar panels depending on budget and available space, but all panels are of very high quality and are made to last for more than 20 years. They are specially sealed to allow no water or air intrusion helping to ensure this long lifetime, and we offer 10 years guarantee if this seal is intact.

Batteries
Batteries are used to store the energy created by the solar panels. This is needed because we use most of the available appliances at night, such as lighting. For solar systems we use deep cycle batteries that have been specifically designed for these purposes and therefore have a much longer lifetime. Car batteries are cheaper but will need to be replaced far more often, increasing the total price and reducing the aspect of a maintenance free solution to energy.

Regulators
A regulator is a device that ensures that the battery is receiving the charge it needs. If the battery is drained too much it will have a shorter lifetime. The regulator monitors this and cuts of the power to appliances if it notices that the battery is too empty. It also protects the battery from over-charging. The LED indicators, or in bigger systems an LCD display, tell the user if the system is operating properly or not. Connecting a solar panel to a battery without a regulator seriously risks damaging the battery and could even potentially cause a safety concern, so we never install a system without one.

Inverters
The solar panels output a direct current of either 12 or 24 volts. Most appliances, however, are designed to be used with 220V of alternating current. The inverter transforms the direct current into the desired alternating current. Several types of inverters exist, but at ecoru we choose to only use the highest quality inverters that produce power that is exactly the same as what you would otherwise use.