Being dependent on a central power source is not very powerful at all, especially as costs of centralized large-generation capacity gets ever more expensive, while the costs of solar energy continues to fall. 

Recently, in South Africa the centralized electrical grid is unstable and has led to the current reality of regular power outages; subsequently many people are considering solar as an alternative. We are blessed with abundant sunny days making solar very reliable without the need for a lot of backup storage in the form of batteries. These equations shift depending on where you live, however even countries like Germany which is not as blessed with as much sunshine, place a large emphasis on solar technology as part of their energy solution. Whether you live connected to the electrical services grid, or off-the-grid, there are compelling reasons to use alternative sources of energy.

This post will give you a basic understanding of how solar energy works and the components of the system. If you have no experience in electrical energy at all it may seem a little daunting, however the math is really simple and with a little practice it’s as easy as ABC.

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