Solar Power Panel

About Photovoltaic Panels

The Solar Power Panel Guide. Solar panels are otherwise called pv or photovoltaic panels. Each is composed of a number of solar cells. Here's what a solar energy panel can do.

One of the premier forms of renewable energy begins with a silicon panel.

Silicon is the semi conductive material that makes pv cells capable of converting sunlight into electricity.

Solar panels are composed of a number of photovoltaic cells to form a unit sized appropriately for light or heavy duty tasks. A solar array is any number of solar panels grouped together.

It turns out that size does indeed matter, at least when it comes to pv panels. The area needed to display a solar array depends on how much energy you need to make and how efficient your solar panels are. Space is one of the major considerations when planning a residential solar power system.

The square footage of rooftop or land required to produce a desired amount of electricity will depend on the amount of energy that each solar power cell is able to generate.

Silicon solar panels are either monocrystalline (one crystal) or polycrystalline (many crystals). Monocrystalline cells are higher quality and more efficient at producing power, they're also more expensive than poly's.

Polycrystalline cells are composed of numerous random sized pieces of silicon. It takes less time to grow small pieces of silicon than one larger piece so the poly's are less expensive to make. The end product is less expensive although a little less efficient and lower in quality.

When you compare the photos below of polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon solar panels the difference is obvious.

Polycrystalline solar cells

Monocrystalline solar cells

The actual number of watts a solar power panel outputs will fluctuate throughout the day, season and life of the panel.

In general, brand new panels often deliver around 10% more than the manufacturer

claims and watt output will slowly fall over the years to somewhere around 10% below the "watts of potential output" stated by the manufacturer when the panel is 10 years old.

It's important to note the use of the term potential output. Output of a solar power panel varies dramatically depending on the availability and intensity of direct sunlight as well as other factors. Promotional materials typically state the highest number of watts a panel could deliver in ideal circumstances (direct, unobstructed, mid-day sun at a favorable latitude).

You can reasonably expect photovoltaic panels to function for upwards of 30 years. (some householders are reporting solar panels that have been functional for 40 years and still going strong)

In order to use this energy in your household it must be altered into the type of electricity that your household appliances recognize.

An inverter converts the solar energy from DC (the type stored in a battery and accessed through cigarette lighter type outlets) to AC current (the type that flows to your household outlets).

Making a Better Solar Power Panel

Most of the focus in the industry is in making a more efficient PV solar power panel. The more energy we can squeeze out of each solar power cell the smaller the area required to collect an adequate amount of sunlight.

Currently researchers are focusing on producing more efficient panels. Using mirrors and other optics to magnify the sun's rays, Xerox's research looks very promising.

Here's a cool video showing how using a mirror can magnify the power a solar panel can output. It's important to note that this video is to demonstrate the correlation between the amount of sunlight striking a panel and the output of energy. High heat can cause a rapid degredation of pv panels and research continues into using mirrors to intensify the light while limiting the damaging effects of the heat.

As silicon and thin film photovoltaic technologies improve, solar will take a huge bite out of the energy market. Grid tied residential solar power systems are a popular compromise in urban areas where space is at a premium.

How Solar Panels Work

Solar panels are made of two layers, the p-layer and the n-layer. When the sun shines on a solar energy panel, it releases photon packets, which are bursts of energy called photovoltaic energy. Some of these bursts are captured by electrons on the n-layer of the panel, while others pass right through the panel or are reflected back to the sun. After electrons capture a photon packet, the electrons are able to travel to the p-layer. Through this constant stream of electron flow energy is produced.

In Conclusion

When considering a solar power system for your home or vacation home, one size does not fit all. There are many variables that need consideration including your geographical area, the amount of electricity your household requires, the orientation of your home and roof and the amount of sunlight that stirkes your location.

We use both Siemens and Kyocera panels and are happy with both of them. The newer the panels the higher the output. Also, newer panels maintain a higher efficiency even when partially shaded as opposed to older panels which have a dramatic drop in output when even a small portion of the panel is shaded.

In remote areas the investment into solar energy can be much more cost effective than bringing grid power to your home, particularly if you've taken steps to build an energy efficient home.

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