Facts About The Solar Panel
Sunlight energy is slowly becoming more popular as an alternative source of electricity. It is good for the environment, and is a potential answer to the problem of fossil fuels running out. But few people really know much about how it works, other than being powered by the sun. This article will give some information on the solar panel, how it is made, and its various uses. Hopefully after understanding a bit more about it you will be better able to decide if it may be worth your investment.
What They Are
To break it down, solar panels are many photosensitive cells put together to form a large grid capable of collecting energy from the sun and making it into electrical energy. The most common material to make them out of is crystalline silicon and gallium arsenide. While more efficient solar cells can be created using only gallium arsenide, these require a great deal of time and money to produce. Because of this it is highly impractical for regular use, and is only used in high profile situations such as NASA projects. They are made by dividing a solar cell into parts, each of which is specifically designed to absorb one part of the spectrum.
How They Function
Every cell basically functions as a semiconductor of electricity. When hit by the sun, particles of light called photons bang against the cells. The resulting energy is able to knock electrons out of their normal orbit inside atoms. This is similar to the way bouncing a ball against a wall can make something fall off a shelf. Once the electrons are knocked out, the atoms become unstable, creating their own electrical field which then forces the loose atoms into a new directional orbit, which generates electricity when they hit the meal conductors.
Factors Affecting Output
There are certain obvious factors that will make solar panels less efficient. These include bad weather, panel size, or the number of cells inside the panel to collect the energy. But there are also other things that will affect performance. The most simple is just the quality of the panel. Similar to anything else, they are made in various degrees of efficiency and cost, and using slightly different materials. Another factor is where you live. Certain areas of the world are hit by more direct sunlight than others, and with more solar radiation. This is partially affected by how close you are to the equator, but also by your horizontal positioning. New Mexico, for example, is hit by much more direct radiation than the south of Florida.
This was a quick look at the solar panel and how it is made and works. In general they are environmentally friendly, run efficiently, and as time goes on they are becoming cheaper as they become more popular. But they are not without limits. For example, if you are located in a place that tends to be rainy or has little solar panel radiation you may not want to use this energy. Hopefully the information here will inform you better and make you more able to make a good decision if it is the thing for you.
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