The Use of Photovoltaic Cells in Solar Power and Solar Panels
Sunlight is a great source of energy that is nearly limitless. When sunlight is
used to produce energy, though, you may not be exactly sure how it happens.
Sure, you may have seen the panels on the side of a house or two. You may have
even looked closely once or twice at the panels on your calculator at home, but
do you know what those panels are and how they work exactly? Here is a little
bit about those cells and how they are used to produce solar power in everything
from calculators to homes.
How Sunlight is captured as Energy
The panels you see when solar energy is being captured actually have a name.
They are called photovoltaic panels. Each panel is made up of a number of
photovoltaic cells. These cells are made up of a type of silicon that has been
treated. The treatment that has been made to it causes it to make an electric
charge when sunshine hits it.
Since the photovoltaic cells each only produce a small amount of electricity,
they have to be used together. They are generally wired together to form the
panels you are likely accustomed to seeing when you think of solar energy. Each
panel, then, can be used to produce more energy and more electricity to run
household items, homes, and even large buildings in some cases.
The Types of Photovoltaic Cells
There are actually a number of types of photovoltaic. However, most can be
categorized in three ways. There are the monocrystalline, the polycrystalline,
and the amorphous cells.
The most expensive, but the most efficient types of photovoltaic cells are the
monocrystalline. They are made up of a single crystal. The crystal is cut from
what is called an ingot of silicon.
Slightly less efficient, but much more affordable are the polycrystalline cells.
Instead of using on ingot of silicon, these cells are made up a little
differently. The silicon actually has a number of small crystals. This makes
them more affordable even if they do lose a little of their efficiency.
A step down even from the polycrystalline cells in price, but also significantly
less efficient, the amorphous cells are made a lot differently. They are made by
taking the silicon and actually spreading it over an alternative substance. In
most cases, stainless steel gets the nod as that alternative material.
How to Decide
If you are going to be making use of solar energy, you have to decide which of
these cell types would be best for you. The biggest factor you should consider
is how much space you have for solar panels. If you don’t have a lot of space,
you will probably need to invest in the polycrystalline or monocrystalline
panels. However, if you have plenty of space for your panels, you can go ahead
and use the cheaper but less expensive amorphous cells to get the same amount of
energy.
What is Made?
When the current is produced from these photovoltaic cells, it is generally
Direct Current (DC) power, but with the addition of a converter, it can just as
easily be made into Alternating Current (AC). That will allow you to do
virtually anything you need or want to do with your solar energy.
Hopefully you now understand a little better the photovoltaic cells you see used
with solar power. These are what allow people to power their homes and business
using little more than the power of sunlight. With that knowledge, now you can
hopefully make the best decision about which type of photovoltaic panel will
work best when you decide to make the leap to solar power.
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