How Does Sun Exposure Affect Solar Panel Efficiency
It is important that your solar panel array are installed in areas that receive good insolation throughout the day, free from as much shading from trees or neighboring obstructions as possible. This will ensure your system is as productive as possible, given the site conditions.
More sun exposure means more photons hit the solar panel, thereby freeing more electrons and creating a stronger current, meaning more power for your home.
How Are Solar Panels Made
Basic solar panel constriction hasnt changed much in recent decades. Like the arrays that first started showing up on houses decades ago, most modern solar panels are still constructed of a silicon matrix between a front glass plate and rear polymer sheet.
Solar panels have to stand up to severe weather conditions over the course of their 25-plus year lifespan. The best solar panels are engineered to stand the test of time, which requires a few basic materials and meticulous manufacturing standards.
Solar Cells: How Solar Panels Work
Solar cells use sunlight to generate energy. Proper placement of solar cells maximizes energy productivity.
Grades
Idea for the Classroom
Introduce students to the science behind solar cells and how they work. Then, using the infographic, ask students to answer the questions below:
After students have discussed the answers, present them with this situation : A homeowner decides to have solar panels placed on their house. Imagine you are the engineer determining where to place the solar cells. Ask: Where would you place them? Why would you place them there? How would you determine this? If your budget was limited, what are some other investments you might make to reduce the overall cost of installing solar panels?
Recommended Reading: How Much Power Does A 100 Watt Solar Panel Produce
Basic Steps In Solar Energy Generation And Transmission
Now that we have a basic idea of the generation and flow of solar electricity, lets take a deeper dive into the science behind the solar photovoltaic panel.
Impact On Electricity Network
With the increasing levels of rooftop photovoltaic systems, the energy flow becomes 2-way. When there is more local generation than consumption, electricity is exported to the grid. However, an electricity network traditionally is not designed to deal with the 2- way energy transfer. Therefore, some technical issues may occur. For example, in Queensland Australia, more than 30% of households used rooftop PV by the end of 2017. The famous Californian 2020 duck curve appeared often for a lot of communities from 2015 onwards. An over-voltage issue may result as the electricity flows from PV households back to the network. There are solutions to manage the over voltage issue, such as regulating PV inverter power factor, new voltage and energy control equipment at the electricity distributor level, re-conducting the electricity wires, demand side management, etc. There are often limitations and costs related to these solutions.
When electric networks are down, such as during the October 2019 California power shutoff, solar panels are often insufficient to fully provide power to a house or other structure, because they are designed to supply power to the grid, not directly to homes.
Don’t Miss: How Often Do Solar Panels Need To Be Replaced
How Do Solar Panels Cells Work
A solar panels photovoltaic cells are sandwiched layers of semi-conducting materials, usually made of silicon. Each layer has different electronic properties, which energise when hit by photons from sunlight, to create an electric field. This is known as the photoelectric effect, and this creates the current needed to produce electricity.
One solar panel typically consists of around 30 cells . It can generate around 300W of power in full sunlight, depending on brightness, size of panel and other things like temperature.
The panels generate a direct current of electricity, which then passes through an inverter to convert it into an alternating current. This charge can then be funnelled into the National Grid, or used by any home or business with solar panels.
Types Of Solar Panels
The three types of solar panels. Each of these types of solar cells is made in a unique way and has a different aesthetic appearance.
Each module is rated by its DC output power under standard test conditions and hence the on field output power might vary. Power typically ranges from 100 to 365 Watts . The efficiency of a module determines the area of a module given the same rated output an 8% efficient 230 W module will have twice the area of a 16% efficient 230 W module. Some commercially available solar modules exceed 24% efficiency. Currently, the best achieved sunlight conversion rate is around 21.5% in new commercial products typically lower than the efficiencies of their cells in isolation. The most efficient mass-produced solar modules have power density values of up to 175 W/m2 .
Scientists from Spectrolab, a subsidiary of Boeing, have reported development of multi-junction solar cells with an efficiency of more than 40%, a new world record for solar photovoltaic cells. The Spectrolab scientists also predict that concentrator solar cells could achieve efficiencies of more than 45% or even 50% in the future, with theoretical efficiencies being about 58% in cells with more than three junctions.
Read Also: How Does Residential Solar Power Work
Guarantee Major Savings With Solar Panels
If you want to start saving money on electricity, the first place to start is comparing solar panel system quotes. Thats where EnergySage can help: when you sign up for a free account on the EnergySage Marketplace, we provide you with custom quotes from installers in your area. So what are you waiting for get started with your own clean energy journey with EnergySage today!
Why Renewable Energy Is Important
Before we look at why renewable energy is important, it is important to know exactly what renewable energy is. It comes from nature and can be provided by things like the sun, wind, and water. It can even be made from poo! It is also called green energy or clean energy because it does not cause any pollution when we use it to power our homes.
At the moment, we rely on energy made from the Earths resources. These are things like coal and natural gas. We call these fossil fuels because they started forming during the age of the dinosaurs, and are even made from plants and animals from that period.
The problem with fossil fuels is that they wont last forever and we are already starting to run out, which is why renewable energy has started to become so important. Once they are gone, they cannot be replaced at least not for another million years or so. Plus, they cause a lot of pollution, which is damaging our planet.
Sadly, we cannot store renewable energy yet. Things like wind and solar power only work when there are wind and sun around, and we have not found a way to store the power they generate yet. They also cost a lot more money to install at the moment, but governments around the world are introducing new ways for people to get renewable energy at a lower price or even for free.
Recommended Reading: How Many Pool Solar Panels Do I Need
Where Can I Buy Solar Panels
Well, right here on this website, of course!
Our solar panel brands include the most respected manufacturers in the solar panel business. These brands include such names as BP Solar, General Electric, and Sharp, among others. We feature only the highest quality solar panels from manufacturers with a proven track record in solar panel technology. With over 30 years in the solar panel business, you can be sure that at MrSolar.com, we know solar panels!
Save
Implication Onto Electricity Bill Management And Energy Investment
There is no silver bullet in electricity or energy demand and bill management, because customers have different specific situations, e.g. different comfort/convenience needs, different electricity tariffs, or different usage patterns. Electricity tariff may have a few elements, such as daily access and metering charge, energy charge or peak demand charge . PV is a promising option for reducing energy charge when electricity price is reasonably high and continuously increasing, such as in Australia and Germany. However, for sites with peak demand charge in place, PV may be less attractive if peak demands mostly occur in the late afternoon to early evening, for example residential communities. Overall, energy investment is largely an economical decision and it is better to make investment decisions based on systematical evaluation of options in operational improvement, energy efficiency, onsite generation and energy storage.
Also Check: How Much Do Solar Tubes Cost To Install
The Uses Of Solar Power
- Solar energy can also be sold to power grids when an excess of electricity is produced. This means that should the sun be shining brightly, you can make use of solar cells to power your devices and even make some money should you generate an excess of energy. Similarly, should the sun not be shining, you will still be hooked up to the main utility grid which would allow you to buy energy from them should you not want to rely on batteries or generators.
- Solar panels are also common in spacecraft to generate electricity for on-board computers and other electrical appliances. This is due largely to the fact that the effectiveness of solar panels is not diminished in space, and the sun is always shining which means that the craft have a reliable source of energy without needing to carry heavy fuels or batteries with them. These panels are often found on satellites and discovery craft such as shuttles and crafts such as the Mars rovers.
Why Use Solar Panels
Weve looked at solar panels & how they work, now lets look at why use solar panels.
You should use solar panels because they are an excellent alternative to traditional energy sources that operate on fossil fuels. With power prices steadily rising for some time now, using the sun’s free resource is a natural choice for many people looking for secondary systems on their property. Solar energy harnesses the conversion of sunlight into electricity with photovoltaic cells which produce no pollution or carbon dioxide gases in order to make electricity. Generally speaking, a solar panel is placed where it will receive the most amount of sunlight throughout the year to generate the most power.
Another major benefit is that a home or building using a photovoltaic system can actually sell any excess electricity they produce back to their local utility company which, for those who live in high population areas, means you could recoup your initial investment almost immediately.
Solar energy has become a big part of the renewable energy discussion which is why many homeowners and businesses want to look into them as a viable option to power their property.
You May Like: Is Solar Power Worth The Investment
What Is The Main Purpose Of Solar Panels How Do They Work
Solar panels have been transformed to be an efficient and profitable renewable energy choice for people along with being highly useful to the environment. The process of changing sunlight to electrical energy has enhanced in recent years and is more efficient than ever. While solar energy has been used for many years, its recent transformation has helped in a large way to power businesses and residences with the use of panels.
How Much Will Solar Panels Save Me
The exact amount you could save depends on several things, including the size of your solar installation and the way you use the energy you generate.
Calculations can be a bit tricky but lets assume that the average UK home has a 3.5kW installation on its roof. This will cost around £4,8005 . We estimate that a 3.5kW panel in southern England will return about £290 to your hip pocket in the first year, and deliver an approximate 5% rate of return over the 25 year lifetime of the installation.
The amount you save will depend on where you live in the UK , how much generated electricity your home uses, and how much you pay for electricity. Many suppliers offer calculators to help you do the maths. Just remember, solar panels last for 25 to 30 years, so theyre a great investment!
Typically, the more electricity the system can generate, the more it costs but the more it could also save. Larger systems are usually more cost-effective than smaller systems, generating up to 4kWp .
Also Check: How Much Do Solar Panels Cost In San Diego
How Does The Photovoltaic Effect Work For Solar
For solar panels, the photovoltaic effect occurs when photons from the suns rays hit the semi conductive material in the cell of the solar module. The photons activate electrons, causing them to free themselves from the semiconductive material.
Due to the structure of a solar panel, the free electrons move in a single direction through the junction of the panel. This movement creates an electrical current that is then sent to an inverter to be harnessed by your home.
How Do Solar Panels Work On Houses
Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight with photovoltaic cells, usually after being placed on the roof of a house. The panels convert this sunlight into direct current energy which travels inside the house to an inverter, which in turn converts it to alternating current energy, which then flows through the homes electrical panel powering any appliances with electricity. Any excess electricity will be sent off to the electric grid, which in turn provides you with the electricity needed if you use more than the panels create.
Thats a lot to take in all in one go, so heres your four-step overview:
Don’t Miss: What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of Solar Panels
What Are Solar Panels
In order to answer the question: solar panels & how they work. We must first define what solar panels are.
Solar panels are devices that convert sunlight into electricity. They typically consist of solar cells contained in an aluminum frame, which is why they’re often called “solar modules.” These cells use the photovoltaic effect to generate energy. Solar modules can be installed individually or linked together as arrays to produce large amounts of power over time.
Solar panels work by converting sunlight into usable energy through the photovoltaic effect, which means that when light shines on them, they create electric currents. This process generally occurs with or without any direct input from humans – for example, during daylight hours when there’s plenty of natural illumination available for conversion to electric current.
The Science Of Solar Panels In Depth
Silicon solar cells, through the photovoltaic effect, absorb sunlight and generate flowing electricity. This process varies depending on the type of solar technology, but there are a few steps common across all solar photovoltaic cells.
First, light strikes a photovoltaic cell and is absorbed by the semiconducting material it is made from . This incoming light energy causes electrons in the silicon to be knocked loose, which will eventually become the solar electricity you can use in your home.
There are two layers of silicon used in photovoltaic cells, and each one is specially treated, or doped, to create an electric field, meaning one side has a net positive charge and one has a net negative charge. This electric field causes loose electrons to flow in one direction through the solar cell, generating an electrical current. The elements phosphorus and boron are commonly used to create these positive and negative sides to a photovoltaic cell.
Once an electrical current is generated by loose electrons, metal plates on the sides of each solar cell collect those electrons and transfer them to wires. At this point, electrons can flow as electricity through the wiring to a solar inverter and then throughout your home.
You May Like: Do You Need Insurance For A Sole Proprietorship
When Was Solar Power Discovered
Solar energy was used by humans as early as the 7th century B.C., when humans used sunlight to light fires by reflecting the suns rays onto shiny objects. Later, in 3rd century B.C., the Greeks and Romans harnessed solar power with mirrors to light torches for religious ceremonies.
In 1839 and at the age of just 19, French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with a cell made of metal electrodes in a conducting solution. He noted that the cell produced more electricity when it was exposed to light.
In 1954 photovoltaic technology was born when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller and Gerald Pearson developed the silicon PV cell at Bell Labs in 1954 the first solar cell capable of converting enough of the sun’s energy into power to run everyday electrical equipment.
Today satellites, spacecraft orbiting Earth, are powered by solar energy.
