When you’re considering installing solar panels on your home, it’s natural to want to understand the science behind it. The good news is that the Science Behind the Technology has remained relatively unchanged since its development in the 1950s. And it’s now a powerful and growing source of renewable energy.
Solar panels
Solar panels (sometimes called photovoltaic modules) are actually a series of small silicon cells. That capture the sun’s radiation, converting it to Science Behind the Technology.
STEP 1: When sunlight hits the silicon semiconductor in a PV cell. Electrons nocked loose and drift away.
The cell is specifically design to force electrons to flow conductive metal plates.
Inside the cell that are also negatively charge, creating an electric field.
The amount of electricity generated by each solar panel depends on the number and size of these negatively charged electrons. As a result, some solar cells are more efficient than others.
Generally speaking, solar panels come in two types: monocrystalline and polycrystalline.
The difference is monocrystalline cells of single silicon crystal.
And polycrystalline cells consist of a number of fragments of silicon.
In general, the higher the number of positively charged electrons in a PV cell, the more electricity it can generate. But this is not a fixed rule, and it depends on the quality of the silicon.
It is also worth noting that a solar cell’s efficiency can affected by the temperature of its junction.
If the junction gets too hot. It can cause the absorbed photons to diffuse more quickly. And the cell’s ability to generate electricity will decrease.
There are many different materials that used to make a solar cell, but the most common is silicon.
Other material types include cadmium telluride (Cadet), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and gallium arsenide (GaAs).
Once the energy from the sun’s rays is absorb by a solar panel, it flow through the wires of inverter. The inverter takes the DC (direct current) electricity produced by the solar panel.
And turns it into AC (alternating current) power, which is what most homes need to run their electrical appliances. Once the inverter receives this alternating electricity, it sends it to your home’s electrical panel.
STEP 2: The excess electricity that not used in your home is send back to the power grid, which a great way to earn money from the utility company!
This policy known as net metering.
you draw on the stored energy to power your home until it’s nee again.
The process of turning the free energy from your solar panels into usable electricity can be quite simple. Whether you’re going solar on your own or using a third party, it is an excellent choice to help lower your carbon footprint, cut your power bills, and create a cleaner, greener future for our planet.