Solar 101
Solar energy
Solar radiation is light – also known as electromagnetic radiation – that is emitted by the sun. While every location on Earth receives some sunlight over a year, the amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth’s surface varies. Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy.
There are two main types of solar energy technologies—photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP).
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Photovoltaics
You're likely most familiar with PV, which is utilized in solar panels. When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel. This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing electricity to flow.
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Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power
Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it to heat, which can then be used to produce electricity or stored for later use. It is used primarily in very large power plants.
Systems Integration
Solar energy technology doesn’t end with electricity generation by PV or CSP systems. These solar energy systems must be integrated into homes, businesses, and existing electrical grids with varying mixtures of traditional and other renewable energy sources.
Soft Costs
A number of non-hardware costs, known as soft costs, also impact the cost of solar energy. These costs include permitting, financing, and installing solar, as well as the expenses solar companies incur to acquire new customers, pay suppliers, and cover their bottom line. For rooftop solar energy systems, soft costs represent the largest share of total costs.
going solar
Solar energy can help to reduce the cost of electricity, contribute to a resilient electrical grid, create jobs and spur economic growth, generate back-up power for nighttime and outages when paired with storage, and operate at similar efficiency on both small and large scales.
30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT
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30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT -
We’ll walk you through tax credits, financial incentives, installation costs, potential savings, environmental impact and more.
Our innovative solar calculator allows you to estimate your home’s energy production.
Simply answer a few questions about your home and you’ll receive a free analysis that reveals how much power you can generate annually, how quickly you can recover your investment, and what those savings would look like over time.
Need a new roof?
If your Roof requires repairs or replacement, now is the best time to consider solar.
We have several programs available that can provide up to $1,000 to assist with those necessary upgrades. This is our way of expressing gratitude for choosing to join the Easyco Solar family.
Depending on finance needs and roof condition, we work closely with the most reputable local roofing companies. We're committed to ensuring your transition to solar is smooth and beneficial from the start.
