Solar Panels 101

Jan 19
11:32

2010

Jakob Jelling

Jakob Jelling

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When it comes to choosing renewable energy resources, there is so much information available, and it can be quite confusing. If you want to commit to a solar energy solution, then you want to read this article, which will give you a solar panels 101 quick course!

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Solar panels are arrays of photovoltaic cells that represent an environmentally safe and clean way to harness the energy from the sun and use it as a source of energy. The first step in learning solar panels 101 is to find out a bit how solar panels are made. The primary medium for creating solar panels is crystalline silicon.

Crystalline silicon cells are the most popular medium because of their durable nature and they currently are the medium that can convert the most amount of energy from the sun into usable energy. Generally a block of crystalline silicon is cut into discs smaller than a centimeter in thickness,Solar Panels 101 Articles and then polished to remove scratches from their surface. These cells are laid in a grid and covered with a protective layer of glass. Thermally conductive cement is used to bond the cells to a board and assists with preventing them from overheating.

One additional thing to note is that overheating can occur should you keep your solar panel on the ground. You don’t want to potentially destroy your panels, so ensure you invest in a good solar mount and airflow can get under your panel and stop it from overheating.

There are other technologies out there that are used in creating different solar panels; one is amorphous silicon which deposits a super thin layer of silicon used in the solar panel. Another emerging technology is polymer solar cells. Polymer solar cells are thin sheets that can be used to attract and retain energy as a renewable source. Scientists are discovering new ways daily to use different materials. Currently the areas of research involve finding less expensive materials that can be used for solar energy generation, consumers will start buying more renewable resources if the prices come down, and the efficiency of power conversion goes up.

Sunlight has been recorded to have conversion rates from 5-15%. If you want to purchase a solar panel, you want to assess your energy needs. If you are converting your entire home, you want to choose a solar panel with a high efficiency rate, other electronic devices you might be able to get away with a less expensive panel.

Products are coming out almost daily that involve solar panels and renewable energy sources. These might be car battery chargers, battery chargers, laptop solar panels, solar water heaters, solar ovens. Now with the emergence of smaller and more flexible solar sheets, the limitation on solar products is in the inventor’s imaginations. Every year there is new information showing that someone has had a breakthrough in solar energy research, and within three years costs are going to come down, and energy production increase.