The benefits of solar energy are known worldwide and that is the reason that governments of many nations are interested in finding the most efficient ways of using it.
It is inexpensive, clean and technological advances in photovoltaic energy are growing.The way the solar power is collected is from the radiant heat of the sun.
The function of solar panels is to gather that energy and convert it to electricity to bring power to industry, homes and small businesses. The function of solar panels occurs because of the components of what makes up a solar power system. It is made up of the solar panels, inverters, batteries, and a charge controller.
The basis for every solar panel system is the solar or photovoltaic cell. To understand the function of solar panels, it's important to understand the how the solar cell works.Each solar cell has layers. One layer is positive and one is negative. This helps to create a field of electricity. Photons from the sun which are also known as sunlight particles enter a cell and the electrons are set free. There is a wire that is connected to the photovoltaic cell and the electrons are able to travel freely.
The movement of the electrons is what makes up the electricity that is produced. It is with the help of the semiconductor that this occurs. The semiconductor material most often used in panel systems today is silicon which is a big part of the earth is crust.
It is extremely available and relatively inexpensive. In order to capture the sunlight, solar panels are located in places that are at the right angle for the right exposure.An inverter is needed to take this electrical current that runs in one direction or is called direct current and to change it to alternating current which can be used as electricity inside structures. It is most often fed into the grid or is part of the photovoltaic solar energy system and is used to get the most required voltage. The function of solar panels needs inverters.
Next a battery or battery system is needed. Sometimes this is referred to as a battery bank. Its purpose is to store energy from the sun for those times when there is less production of electricity. It is most often used at night or it can be used during days of less sun. The final component needed for the function of solar panels is the solar power charge controllers. It is a regulator that helps save the batteries. If there is too much voltage being produced, the power charge controllers offer regulation and the same is. true when there is too little voltage. Energy systems with solar panels are being used in more homes today than ever before.
A solar panel system function starts with the photovoltaic cell which gets light from the sun and turns it into electricity. In order for that to happen the function of a semiconductor must take place. The most common semiconductor used today is made from silicon which has as its source, the crust of the earth surface where it is found in large amounts. The semiconductor’s job is to take the sunlight and to turn it into a direct current. Their source is the electrons that begin to move in one direction once they are energized by the light. When the silicon is processed for use in a panel system, formed into thin wafers which are put between two small plates. One plate has been positively charged and the other negatively. This is also called the P-N junction and it is the place where the electrons begin to move.
The way that solar panel systems function begins with sunlight hitting the photovoltaic cell. Electrons are knocked away from the atoms in the silicon semiconductor. Then the electric circuit begins which is a direct current as the electrons are moving in only one direction. Actually, there are no moving parts in the solar panel systems function that causes this electric current to take place. When these photovoltaic cells are placed together in groups of six or eight, a module is then formed. In order to keep as much of the light as possible rather than have it be reflected away, an anti-reflective coating is applied. This way the energy is not being sent back into the earth atmosphere.
The next piece of the solar panel systems function has to do with a transparent adhesive that is applied over the modules in one panel. This is to keep the glass in place that is put over the entire panel. The amount of energy that is able to be absorbed is astounding. One square meter of the earth has enough energy hit it in one hour to supply the people of the earth with enough solar power to live on for at least one year. This is the equivalent of 1000 watts of electricity.
A group of photovoltaic panels is considered a solar panel system or a solar array. They are wired to the utility grid where there may be an excess of electricity. That is more is collected than is being used from a particular solar panel system. The surplus of electricity can help an entire area during the times when energy is most needed such as in hot summer months. These times are considered peak. This is when states that have metering laws allow solar panel owners to subtract unused energy from what they owe utility companies. This is quite a savings on electric to those who own solar panel systems.