Solar Panels

Solar panels are special devices that harvest the sun’s light and turn it into energy that can be used for a lots of things. They are also referred to as active solar power producers. The solar panel is made of a lot of solar cells. These solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells are arranged on the panel’s surface in a grid like pattern. During the day if exposed to sunlight these solar cells will collect the energy that comer from the sun and transform it into electrical power that is stored in special batteries attached to the solar panel.

Solar panels are usually made of crystalline silicon that is used for the microprocessor industry and of gallium arsenide which is used only for making the solar cells. Modern solar cells are recently made of amorphous silicon alloy and this is why you might find them under the name of A-si. Using the amorphous silicon technology in building up a solar panel will make the new product be more durable, thinner than the older ones and more efficient.

Solar panels are not used only by regular people for day to day activities; they are also used in space for the solar projects. These solar panels are made up of gallium arsenide through the molecular beam epitaxy process. P-n junction diodes are implemented to the solar cells included in those solar panels making the whole system working at higher standards that we could ever imagine. Due to the high costs that are involved for building such a great solar panel they are not rentable for the everyday activities.

New solar panels can be made of plastics. What is more amazing is that they can be overlaid onto a laptop screen and provide enough energy for its well functioning. Scientists are trying to make these plastic solar panels work at a light outside the visible spectrum of light. If succeeding, the operational efficiency of these solar panels could rise up to 30%.

People often wonder how much energy a solar panel will produce as they want to know if their needs will be covered by the solar panel they want to buy. It seems that exposed to a direct sunlight a solar cell of about 1/5m in diameter will create a current of 2 amps at 2 volts. We must consider that solar panels situated on earth will never produce the same output as the solar panels exposed directly to the sunlight due to the Earth’s atmospheric interference.

Solar panels are expected to live 20 or 25 years. In time they get exposed to overheating and get physical worn and their output will decrease. When going to buy solar panels for your property do not look that much at their size, try to look at the dollars/watt ration first and that is how you will best determine their efficiency.

It is best to talk with a specialist before buying solar panels. Do not trust solar panel dealers as they might try to convince you to buy something that will not cover your electrical needs, or something that will produce too much energy for your daily activities.