Solar Panels are proven to help the environment by using green energy to help power our homes and help reduce gas and coal usage. On top of this, by using solar panels you can greatly reduce your current gas and heating bills. So why don’t more people use solar panels to heat or power their home?

The main turn off for many in the thought of paying additional money for the panels in the first place. People have it in their minds that solar power is actually very expensive and not very affective, this is simply not true!

A solar panel is a collection of solar cells, since the 70s the effectiveness of these solar cells has soared. On top of this, recent development in technology means that the cost to produce solar cells has also dropped significantly.

A solar PV cell is made up of silicon semiconductors, which release electrons when exposed to light; such as those giving out from the sun. These semiconductors come in two separate layers with one having a positive charge and the other a negative. When these two layers absorb light the layers react off each other, creating opposing forces and making the electrons contained inside to move. The more movement generated by this process, the more energy is produced. This energy is a form of direct current (DC), however, this energy cannot be used within our homes without being converted. This is why an inverter is such a vital part of any solar panel.

The inverter works sort of like a brain for the PV system, converting the DC power supply generated by the solar panels into a useable alternating current (AC) supply. It also helps to draw the maximum power from the solar panels and monitors the voltage generated by the panels on top of monitoring the frequency and the amount of DC power converted. At night-time, when no more energy is being produced the inverter simply turns itself off.

But how much would your typical home solar panel cost you on today’s market? I have good news for you. There has recently been a rise in the number of solar panel auction sites available online. These sites are great as they give you the opportunity to save thousands of pounds by competing against others in price reveal auctions.

Price reveal auctions are a bit different from your typical Ebay auction but are actually a lot simpler then they sound. You pay to reveal the current price of the item, in this case a solar panel. By paying to ‘peek’ at this price you also cause the price to drop by a set amount. If this amount is one that you feel comfortable paying you can then go on to purchase the item by offering said amount. The longer you wait, the more ‘peeks’ occur and therefore the further the price drops. If you can hold your nerve it is even possible to ‘win’ a free solar panel!

Visit Green Deal Auction for more information on the actual bidding process!