What is Solar Energy?

Solar energy is a renewable, clean energy source from the sun. It is the energy used in generating electricity through solar photovoltaic (PV). The sun radiates its energy to Earth, which is captured to generate electricity to power electrical appliances.

Solar energy is gaining ground among property owners for its significant benefits. First, solar energy is renewable and abundantly available, especially in Australia, which receives a huge amount of sunlight.

Second, solar energy is free. The sun’s rays are free for us all to use. Hence, homes and offices that run on solar energy don’t pay to run their solar systems. Once you pay for setting up your solar power system, you only rely on the sun’s energy to run it. Plus, since solar systems don’t have moving parts, they boast low maintenance costs.

It is also worth noting that solar energy is green. Since solar energy is clean and emits no harmful gases into the atmosphere, it is more widely adopted by eco-conscious businesses and homes that cherish climate-friendly sources of electricity.

How Does Solar Energy Work?

We can all see solar panels mounted on roofs generating electricity to power homes and businesses, but not everyone may understand the process of how they work.

Solar panels feature photovoltaic (PV) cells that capture sunlight and convert it to electricity. When sunlight hits a solar panel, the cells generate a flow of electrons, creating an electric current in the panel.

However, the electricity generated is in DC (direct current) and cannot power home appliances until it is converted to AC (alternating current) power. For example, your fridge, lights, and machinery only run on AC. This is why the generated power is fed to an inverter, which converts it into alternating current for home and business uses.

This process similarly applies to other solar products like solar roof ventilation and solar skylights. Each system has an array of solar cells that convert solar energy into electricity.

However, while this explains how solar panels generate electricity and inverters convert it for home use, there is another component in the room that is worth acknowledging: solar battery storage. A complete solar power system extends to battery storage, which is essential for storing unused energy. Excess energy generated during the day can be stored in solar batteries or fed to the grid for money. More on solar batteries shortly.

The beauty of solar energy is rooted in its simplicity and use of green energy, which is evident in its adoption by many countries and governments’ support. For example, Australian governments offer rebates for homes and businesses that install solar panels and also battery storage. These rebates, including STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates), are provided to encourage solar installation in the country to rescue the climate. You might want to check how many STCs your system is qualified for when you decide to go solar using this STC Solar Panel Rebate Calculator.

Modern Technologies that Capture Solar Energy

Solar technology has evolved over the years. At SolarBright, we realise how handy it is to offer our customers products that turn solar energy into practical uses. Here are a few of our solar-based products:

Solar Panels and Inverters

Solar panels and inverters are the most common solar products in the solar industry. Solar batteries are added to store excess energy generated.

How They Work

As explained earlier, solar panels take sunlight from the sun’s radiation to generate DC power. However, since home appliances run on AC, solar inverters are introduced to make the generated power usable.

At SolarBright, our solar panels are built for durability and high efficiency, while our inverters ensure seamless, efficient power conversion.

Benefits

The major benefit of solar panels and inverters is the delivery of clean, silent power. Plus, solar panels and inverters cut energy bills by up to 70%, depending on your system’s size and energy consumption. Other benefits include low maintenance and long lifespans that ensure your system serves you for a couple of decades, commonly 25 years.

Best Suited For

Solar power and an inverter are best suited for homes and businesses looking for a means to reduce energy bills and go independent with power generation to cut reliance on the grid.

MaxBreeze Solar Roof Ventilation Systems

Solar roof ventilation systems are solar-based fans installed in homes and offices to extract heat from the building to keep the space comfortable. At SolarBright, we offer the MaxBreeze roof ventilation system that runs on solar technology with brushless fans for a silent atmosphere.

How They Work

The fans are powered by solar panels installed on the roof of the building. As sunlight hits the panels and the thermostat is activated, the fan spins to extract and divert stale, hot air in the building outside through the roof vents and draw in cooler air.

Benefits

The primary benefit of a solar ventilation system is to lower the indoor temperature. With indoor temperature reduced by up to 10°C, reliance on air conditioning is reduced by 30%. Plus, since no running costs are incurred, solar ventilation systems help save money.

Best Suited For

Solar ventilation systems are a great investment for properties in high-temperature climates. Anyone who cherishes cooling their space with free energy over traditional AC finds value in these systems.

MaxLED Solar Skylights

Generally, skylights are installed in the ceiling to illuminate the space with natural light. However, since traditional and tubular skylights only work during the day, solar skylights feature LED lights and solar panels to brighten the space at night.

How They Work

The major difference between solar skylights and tubular skylights is the adoption of solar panels and LED lights in the solar variant to illuminate the space at night.

Benefits

Solar skylights offer the benefit of illuminating the space with natural light during the day and LED light at night when the sun is no longer around. This ultimately helps cut lighting costs by up to 50% in most Australian homes and businesses.

Best Suited For

Skylights offer impeccable value to renovators, businesses, and homes looking for innovative means to keep hallways, kitchens, or living rooms illuminated without high energy costs.

Can I Use Solar Energy at Night?

One question we have received multiple times over the years of our experience is whether it is possible to use solar energy at night.

Of course, the sun sets, and when it does, the solar panels go idle. However, your solar system doesn’t have to leave you stranded at night when you probably need it the most. With a solar battery storage system, using your solar energy around the clock is achievable. Here is how you can upgrade your solar power system for more hours of use, especially on cloudy days and at night:

Solar Batteries

Solar batteries are connected to solar panels and inverters to store excess energy generated during the day for later use in the evening or on cloudy days. The unused power from the inverter charges the battery during the day. At night, the battery discharges to power your appliances. Investing in solar batteries helps households maximise savings by offering free energy at night when the sun has gone to rest or during outages.

These SolarBright lighting products ensure you can use your solar energy at night:

MaxLED Solar Skylights

As highlighted earlier, solar skylights offer free light at night, unlike traditional and tubular skylights that only function during the day.

Our MaxLED solar skylights illuminate your space with natural light through the tubes during the day and switch to solar-charged LED lights for illumination at night. With the MaxLED solar skylight, you can keep your living room and kids’ rooms glowing at all times.

MaxBeam24

As the name implies, our MaxBeam24 ensures you can give your space maximum beams 24 hours a day. With this, your investment serves you not only during the day but also at night.

Similar to the MaxLED solar skylight, MaxBeam24 features an LED light ring that is fitted in a tubular skylight to provide your living spaces with plenty of light. At night, the sensors switch on the LED lights powered by batteries.

This option is more suitable for DIY enthusiasts craving solar-powered illumination to keep their corners brightened.

Go Solar with SolarBright

Solar energy has been around us for quite a while, but its innovative offerings are reshaping adoption. With offers like solar batteries, solar skylights, and solar ventilation systems, now is the best time to join the train of intelligent property owners and share in the benefits of solar energy.

SolarBright is an award-winning family-owned brand in Australia. Founded in 2008, SolarBright has powered thousands of homes and businesses across Australia, a huge feat that has bagged the brand many awards, such as the Best Rated Solar Installer 2025.

Are you ready to go solar and crush your energy bills? Explore our list of products or pull a call through to our experts for professional guidance on your solar investment.

You can also book a free consultation with us online.