How Solar Panels Work

Solar panels are technically any kind of panel that uses solar thermal energy to produce electricity. There are a variety of panel types, from those used to heat water as with solar hot water panels, to those which are used to store solar energy, such as solar thermal energy panels. Furthermore, a solar panel can be described as a photovoltaic panel, which is what is used in the professional solar power industry to generate electricity from the rays of the sun. Despite the type of solar panel being discussed, almost all solar panels are flat. This is due to the fact that the surface needs to be at a 90 degree angle from the suns rays for optimal configuration.

Photovoltaic panels, the most common form of solar panels in the professional electrical generation industry, are able to absorb energy from the sun through a variety of smaller solar cells on their surface. Much like how a plant is able to absorb energy from the sun for photosynthetic purposes, solar cells behave in a similar fashion. As the photons from the sun's rays hit the solar cells on a photovoltaic panel, the energy is transferred to a silicon semiconductor. The photon is then transformed into electricity and then passed through connecting wires to finally enter a power generation facility or battery.

The solar cells on calculators and satellites are photovoltaic (PV) cells or simply a group of cells electrically connected and parceled in one frame. Photovoltaics, where photo means light and voltaic means electricity, transforms sunlight directly into electricity. ¬Photovoltaic cells are prepared with particular materials called semiconductors such as silicon, which is presently the most generally used. When light hits the ¬Photovoltaic cell, a specific share of it is absorbed inside the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is given to the semiconductor. The energy unfastens the electrons, permitting them to run freely. ¬Photovoltaic cells also have one or more electric fields that act to compel electrons unfastened by light absorption to flow in a specific direction. This flow of electrons i¬s a current, and by introducing metal links on the top and bottom of the -Photovoltaic cell, the current can be drawn to use it externally.

The Future of Solar Panels

The current generation solar panels are extremely inefficient, and can really only harness as much as thirty percent of a sun ray's power in the form of usable electricity. This problem is partly due to the materials used in the design of the solar panel as well as the size of solar panel itself. Because of the relatively small range of wavelengths of light that can be harnessed by solar panels, much of the energy which could be gained from the sun's light is simply left to waste. Furthermore, if a photon of light hits the solar panel at too high of a speed, the energy will not be properly transferred to the solar panel as usable energy.

Modern materials and new techniques for designing solar panels are on the horizon, but promises of increased efficiency have yet to be delivered. The newer silicon crystals that are cheaper to manufacture have the downside that they are not as efficient as the original crystal silicon, but larger panels are cheaper to produce giving a similar or better amount electricity for the same investment.

For more information on solar power, visit Solar Energy Overview.