Solar energy is the most abundant energy source on the planet. At any given time, over 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strike the earth, which is more than 10,000 times the world’s entire energy needs.
Solar energy is an important solution to solving the present climate crisis, as it converts solar energy into electricity that you can use in your home and office.
Image Source: Luminous
What are Solar Panels?
Individual solar cells make up solar panels, which are also known as solar modules. The light energy from the sun is converted into electrical energy by these cells. This can then be saved or utilised right away. Each cell can produce roughly 5 watts, which is enough to power a smartphone charger. However, the cells must be linked together to form a solar panel to power almost anything else.
The cells are almost always constructed of silicon, and many of them are single crystals. A huge cylindrical crystal of silicon is cut into these monocrystalline silicon cells. As a result, the edges are smoothened to maximise the size of solar cell that can be cut from a round slice.
Types of Solar Panels
The most popular type of solar panels are polycrystalline and monocrystalline PERC solar panels it is what most people think of when they think of solar panels. As previously stated, the solar cells of these solar panels are constructed of silicon. Monocrystalline PERC solar panels are made using single silicon crystals, whose appearance is in a uniform black shape. They come with an additional back layer behind the solar cells, which is used for capturing the reflected or scattered sunlight. Polycrystalline solar panels comprise of several silicon crystals, and their color is in a shade of blue with a pattern that is distinctive and unique from the monocrystalline PERC panels.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
So now we know what a solar cell is made up of. What happens inside the silicon, though? To answer this, we must first recognise that silicon is neither a highly conductive material like metal nor an insulator like rubber that is completely ineffective at conducting. Instead, it’s someplace in the middle.
Silicon is a semiconductor, which means it has a low conductivity under normal settings but jumps to a considerably higher conductivity under particular situations, such as when a voltage is applied. Therefore, it can be utilised in integrated circuits as a switch.
Here’s an example of how a household solar energy system works. The sun shines on a solar panel on the roof first. Next, the panels convert the energy into DC (Direct Current), which is then sent to an inverter for conversion. Finally, the inverter transforms DC (Direct Current) to AC (Alternating Current), which can then be used to power your home. It’s elegantly simple and clean, and it’s becoming increasingly efficient and cost-effective.
What happens, though, if you’re not at home to take advantage of the electricity that your solar panels generate every sunny day? What happens if your solar system isn’t generating power in real-time at night? Don’t worry; you may still be able to save money by. including solar batteries in your solar system.
When combined with storage, solar energy can help lower electricity costs, contribute to a more robust electrical grid, create jobs, stimulate economic growth, supply backup power for nights and outages, and operate at equivalent efficiency on small and big sizes.
What Effect Does the Weather Have on Solar Energy?
The amount of power produced by a solar system is affected by weather conditions, but not in the way you imagine.
Of course, the ideal circumstances for creating solar energy involve a clear sunny day. Solar panels, like most electronics, are more efficient in cold weather than in hot weather. The panel can produce more electricity in the same period as a result of this. However, the panel creates less voltage and produces less electricity as the temperature rises. Therefore, solar panels are more efficient in cold weather, but they don’t necessarily produce more electricity in the winter than they do in the summer.
During the summer, the weather is usually brighter. Aside from less clouds, the sun is usually out for a longer period. So even if your panels are less efficient in hot weather, they will almost certainly produce more electricity in the summer than in the winter.
Solar energy holds the key to a sustainable energy future. Every day, the sun produces significantly more energy than we require to power the entire planet. It is a smart decision to utilise and harness this energy to produce electricity. You must invest in solar panels from reputed brands like Luminous. Check out their website and know more about their products.
