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Solar Panels Energy Information
How Solar Panels Work?
Solar panels use radiations of the sun and convert it into electricity and other forms of heat. Solar panels are becoming popular because their costs are low and a vital source of energy the sun is being used in this process. You can get instructions from a book or website to construct your own solar power house or to get knowledge about the solar panels. There is a large variety of solar panels that you can purchase easily. You need to know your requirement while choosing a solar panel and should have knowledge about the solar panels. Solar panels not only reduce your costs but save environment from pollution.
Silicon is the most important element of solar panels. Silicon and other materials make a platform for the transmission of electrons. In natural state it can carry eight electrons in its shell but it carries only four electrons. It means four more electrons can be carried by silicon atom. When an atom of silicon comes in contact with another atom of silicon, each atom receives four electrons of the other atom. An atom needs eight electrons to complete its orbit. When two atoms of silicon meet the requirement to fulfill an orbit is completed. A strong bond is created without any charge on them. Silicon atoms are combined to form a large piece of silicon to form plates. This material is very useful and used on the plates of solar panels. Solar panels can also be created by combining silicon with positively or negatively charged element.
We take the example of phosphorus which has five electrons to offer to other atom. If both silicon and phosphorus are combined then there are eight stable electrons with an addition of free electrons. Silicon atom doesn’t need free electrons but these electrons are bonded to another phosphorous atom so it can not leave them. So this plate of silicon and phosphorus is negatively charged.
If we want electricity to flow then we need to create positive charge. Positive charge is created by combining silicon with boron because boron has only three electrons to offer. A plate of boron and silicon has one spot available for another electron so the plate has positive charge on it. These two plates are combined together to make solar panels having conducting wires in them. These charged plates and conducting wires are very important to generate electricity.
Photons strike at atoms of silicon / phosphorus when negatively charged plates are pointed and exposed to the sun. In this way the 9th electron is knocked off the outer shell. The positive plate formed with boron / silicon draws it in its outer band. So this electron does not remain free for more time. When more electrons are produced then electricity is generated. When all conductive wires draw free electrons away from the plates then enough electricity is produced to power low voltage motors or other electronics. Those electrons which are not used are returned to the negatively charged plates and the entire process starts again.
The quantity of electricity generated by one solar cell is not enough or impressive. On space stations solar panels generate energy using similar process of electronics. The electricity produced through solar panels is very small in amount because electricity produced from a cell is enough for a calculator. But in order to run a solar power car, a large number of cells are required to produce required electricity. So in order to get more and more electricity large solar panels are required to generate required electricity. It would be useful to convert the energy of sun in electricity so it requires research and effort to work on this project.
Solar Panels a Source Of Energy / Solar Panels and Their Types
Heat and light are the forms of solar energy obtained from the sun. The sun is a vital source of energy on earth to fuel life. This energy contributes a lot in the environment, weather and climate of the earth to support life on the Earth. Wave and wind are the secondary resources of power. These primary and secondary resources of energy provide a great amount of energy on Earth. Light and heat of the sun is converted into useable forms of energy such as lighting, heating and electricity by using some specific solar energy techniques. Chinese, Greeks and Americans use these technologies to warm their buildings. Solar energy is also called solar power which is used mostly for the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Photovoltaic panels are used for this conversion process. The stores and flows of solar energy are greater as compare to human energy needs.
Solar Panels are devices that collect and convert solar energy into a useable form of energy such as electricity or heat etc. In 1839 Antoine-Cesar Becquerel, a French physicist discovered photovoltaic effect. In this experiment an electrolytic cell made up of two metal electrodes was used. He noted that the amount of electricity generated was increased when his device was exposed to light. Solar panels are made in such a way that the energy of the sun excites atoms of silicon layer between two protector panels. Electric current is generated from electrons of these excited atoms.
The use of solar panels is very old when hundreds of years ago they were used to heat the water in homes. Solar panels can contain a special shaped mirror which can focus light on a tube of oil. This oil heats up and travels through a container of water due to which the water boils. The steam which is created in this process turns a turbine for power.
Solar panels are a great source of energy because the sun transmits a huge amount of energy which is greater than the requirements of human beings. The panels differ from one another due to the type of photovoltaic cell used in them. These panels are manufactured differently and have their own merits and demerits. Crystalline Silicon material is used in the cells of solar panels. Other panels depend on amorphous silicon and Group III-IV materials. These panels can be enhanced to improve their efficiency and versatility. Following are different types of panels that are used for different purposes.
Mono-crystalline Silicon Panels
Multi-crystalline Silicon Panels
String Ribbon Panels
Amorphous Silicon panels
Group III-V Technologies
The efficiency of mono-crystalline silicon panels is 15% to 18%. These panels use large sheets of crystalline silicon. These sheets are cut according to the size of the panel and integrated as a single cell. Conductors of metal strips are used to capture electron. These are costly but efficient panels.
The efficiency of Polycrystalline Silicon Panels is 12% to 14% which is less than mono crystalline panels. A series of cells are used in these panels instead of one cell. The costs producing wafers and sawing can be higher but the panels are inexpensive.
String ribbon panels or Thin-Layer Silicon Panels use variation of multi crystalline material with thin strip of crystalline material. These strips are assembled to produce electric current. The efficiency level of these panels is higher but the costs are lower.
Amorphous Silicon or Thin Film Panels are different from crystalline panels. In these panels silicon material is applied directly because it has no crystalline structure. Semiconductors of cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide are used in it. The manufacturing cost of these panels is very low. These panels are flexible, easy and have no complex structure. There is a major drawback that the efficiency of these panels is very low.
Group III-V Technologies have high efficiency and a variety of material is used in them. The material is categorized in Group III and Group V of periodic table. Gallium arsenide is a typical material used in these panels. This technology is very efficient, effective but its use is limited due to high costs.
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