Luminalt offers two types of solar technologies:
- Solar Electric systems
- Solar Hot Water systems
Solar Electric (Solar PV)
Solar PV systems use the sun’s energy to generate electricity and offset your electric bill. Solar panels, generally mounted on the roof or ground, produce Direct Current (DC) electricity which feeds your electrical loads via an inverter (which converts the DC electricity to Alternating Current (AC) electricity, the type used in most buildings).
If the Solar PV system produces more energy than you need at any given moment, that energy is fed back to your utility’s power grid through your meter and you receive credits (analog meters will actually spin backward). You can use these credits at night or on rainy days, when you need more energy than the system can produce. This process of generating and using credits is called Net Metering.
Solar Hot Water
Solar Hot Water systems use the sun’s energy to heat water. Solar collectors, generally mounted on the roof or ground, heat either the water itself (Direct system) or a heat transferring fluid such as glycol, a food safe antifreeze (Indirect system). The heat is transferred to your domestic hot water and stored in insulated storage tanks.
The pre-heated water in the storage tanks is pumped to the hot water heater or boiler, so hot water is available when you need it. By pumping pre-heated water into the boiler, rather than cold water from the street, Solar Hot Water systems can significantly reduce the amount of fuel used to deliver hot water, without affecting the temperature or availability of hot water. Solar Hot Water systems generally offset the property’s gas bill (or whichever fuel is used to heat hot water).