Affordable Solar & Wind

A Simple Solar Panel Diagram Is A Great Way To Explain How A Solar Panel Works

A solar panel is the perfect marriage of chemistry and electronics to provide free power from simple sunlight. Even though the Solar Cells that make up these solar panels were discovered over a century ago, they have only gained a wide popularity among homeowners in recent years as they have become less expensive and more durable than ever before. Modern versions of these solar panels can generate several times the power of older versions from the same exposure to sunlight. They are also able to generate this power for a decade or more and represent a very smart investment for most homes.

The Photovoltaic Effect

The basic operation of a solar panel design is based on a scientific principle known as the photovoltaic effect. This phenomenon occurs when certain materials are placed in direct sunlight and are able to produce a small current as a result. Originally the materials used in a typical solar panel design was fairly exotic and expensive, but over the years further testing has produced less expensive compounds that can produce even large amounts of current from sunlight. The most common material used in modern solar panel design is silicon that is grown into crystals. These crystals are electrically neutral when made, but are eventually combined with other chemicals like boron to give them a negative or positive charge. These crystals are then placed in close proximity to each other and set out into the sunlight.

Converting Photons to Electrons

Natural sunlight is comprised of photons and when these photons strike the negatively charged silicon crystals, they act like a solar hammer and knock a free electron loose from the outer ring of this silicon molecule. This electron is immediately attracted to the other positively charged silicon crystal and a small current results. Even though this current is tiny, this type of activity is happening all over the surface of the crystal and collectively it is a fair amount of current. If enough of these individual solar cells are connected together inside of a solar panel, the overall energy production can be substantial.

Improving Solar Panel Efficiency

The science behind improving modern solar panel design is concentrating on improving the efficiency of these panels even more. Even though most modern solar panels are better than 16% efficient, this is still lower than most experts hope this technology can provide. By increasing the efficiency of these solar panels even further, they can supply even more power from these home solar power systems and increase their adoption even further among homeowners.

Modern Panels Are More Adaptable

The modern solar panel design also allows these newer models to generate a larger amount of power from less than perfect sunlight. Older systems could not convert the weaker sunlight found at sunrise and sunset and as a result they were dormant for most of the day. These newer solar panels for homes can utilize this weaker sunlight, and by converting it can generate even more power in a given day for your home. The cumulative effect of generating more power from bright sunlight and converting more of the sunlight that strikes them to useful energy is a result of decades of research that enables a modern solar panel design to be the most efficient ever built.

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