What are solar panels and how do they work

Photovoltaic solar panels adopt a technology where they collect solar radiation from the sun and convert that energy into electricity. Solar panels for the home are made up of individual photovoltaic cells that act as large semi conductors which absorb sunlight. The semi conductor materials are composed mostly of silicon atoms which form two layers. One is the N-layer that has freely wandering electrons and the other is the P-layer that has holes which attract free electrons. This produces an electric field across the layers creating a renewable energy source that can power lighting and house hold appliances. More electricity is produced the stronger the sunshine, but photovoltaic solar panels still produce adequate energy even on cloudy days.

PV panels produce solar energy by using the Photovoltaic Effect which was discovered by 19 year old Edmund Becquerel in 1839. He revealed that the photovoltaic effect is the action where particular materials produce an electric current when exposed to sunlight. “Photo” in Latin refers to the word light, and “voltaic” refers to electricity. Solar cells can be seen at work in simple mechanisms such as watches and calculators, but are produced on a much larger scale for a solar panel.

Solar photovoltaics panels produce a direct current (DC) which must be converted to an alternating current (AC) by using an electronic inverter. The inverter converts the energy and maintains a higher quality of power than a utility can give.

Solar powered homes are a more environmentally friendly and financially saving proposition to consider. Solar panelling creates a greener and healthier planet as they emanate no carbon dioxide and reduce our carbon footprint. Then while you’re saving the planet you’re also saving the pennies as you benefit from the Government’s feed in tariff scheme. A system that makes you money while you sit back and let your solar panels do all the hard work for you.