The first type of solar panels takes the sun? s thermal energy to heat water or oil through thermal collectors. Plastic piping and coils are usually used in these panels, and the sun heats the liquid that runs through the coils to pass on energy. These panels are generally used to heat swimming pools, spas, Jacuzzi, and hot tubs at home or work. When coupled with hot water flooring systems and baseboard units, they can also be used to heat the interiors of buildings. Once you have installed this type of solar panel at home, you can confidently get rid of any additional heating sources. Bear in mind, though, that a motorized pump is often required to help the flow of the liquid in the system.
The second type of solar panels (often called photovoltaic cell system) typically uses silicon as a semi-conductor material, and DC (direct current) electricity can be generated when silicon interacts with sunlight. Based on this working mechanism, these panels only work in the day time when sunlight is available. Dependent on the size of your solar system, the electricity produced can be used to power general house appliances or even the entire house.
In case you also would like to power your house with the photovoltaic cell system at nights or on unpleasant days, you will need to have batteries to store the excessive electricity. A cheap option is to use the lead-acid batteries that are commonly used in cars, but always remember to fill them with distilled water so that they will not lose their charge. You may also opt for more expensive batteries, such as the absorbent glass mat batteries. They are sealed and hence does not require distilled water to retain their charge. If you live in a cold area, gel batteries are good choices as they do not freeze in low temperature.
Both types of solar panels use a glass frame to hold the collection cells, and both require direct sunlight to function at their maximum capacity. Hence, the solar panels are usually placed to face south in order to gain the greatest exposure to the sun rays throughout the day. Although solar panels can be used anywhere to tap the sun's energy, they obviously do not work effectively in places where cloudy weather dominates throughout the year!
The above is just a brief introduction on how solar panels work. If you really like the idea of getting solar energy for your home, you might also like to consider keeping a generator as a backup. Even if you live in a sunny area, there might be unexpected spells of rainy days, or your batteries may occasionally fail to store the electricity. You can run your generator on bio-fuel to ensure a complete green life.
How Solar Panels Work
In today's market driven economy, eco-friendly products are the buzz. Even electricity, the most commonly used form of energy, needs to be produced without adding to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Traditional sources of energy -- coal and oil, as well as modern sources like nuclear power, release a diverse range of pollutants and gases into the environment. This has an adverse effect and contributes to the phenomenon of global warming.
The Sun, which is the nearest and most powerful source of renewable energy, can help in producing electricity without causing pollution. This can be done by tapping the Sun's energy. This can be done with the help of photovoltaic cells, many of which comprise a solar panel. There are, however, drawbacks to the installation, use and maintenance of pv solar panels. The biggest of these drawbacks are the costs of setting up these systems and dealing with the whether, specifically rain and snow.
In the beginning, the way a solar panel works may seem complicated to you, but with a quick lesson in chemistry and chemical reactions, you will soon be able to figure out how it functions.
The main component of the panel is silicon (the element Si on the periodic table) or in purely non-scientific terminology, sand. In its natural form, silicon has four electrons but has the capacity for accommodating double that number, that is, eight electrons. One silicon atom can combine with another to form a strong bonding. In this case both atoms share each other's potential capacity for eight electrons. The electrical current however can be produced only by one negative and one positive charge.
Here, you need some knowledge of chemistry! You add a negative charge to be introduced to the silicon atoms. Usually it is phosphorus, which has five electrons. Once combined with silicon, it lends a negative charge, that is, there is an extra electron that the silicon atom doesn't need, which floats around. A positive charge is created using boron, which has three electrons. When these positive and negative charges react, electricity flows!
Well, now comes the most important part of the chemical reaction! The sun's rays are made up of various particles of energy, the photon being one of them. The photons, when they hit the silicon-phosphorus atoms, knock off that extra electron which is attracted by the positive silicon-boron atoms, to compensate for the 3-electron structure of boron. As those electrons continue to be attracted and flow, electricity is produced.
To produce an adequate quantity of electricity for daily consumption, several solar panels will be necessary. In addition it is important to install back up power source to store the electricity produced. This dual installation is likely to be quite expensive. When it is all said and done, it is worth the trouble and expense to shift to cleaner energy sources. In the long run, installation and maintenance can actually work out to be cost effective.
Don't worry if you didn't follow the chemistry. The point is that the solar is a much cleaner way of meeting our electricity needs and can help us save our environment and the world.
Both Pam S Eisenberg & Erick Hanifeld are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Pam S Eisenberg has sinced written about articles on various topics from Ezine Articles, belly fat and Family. Click here to check out various hot discussions about usingalternative energy power for home power supply.Think about DIY your home solar system? Click here to. Pam S Eisenberg's top article generates over 49500 views. Bookmark Pam S Eisenberg to your Favourites.
Erick Hanifeld has sinced written about articles on various topics from Science. Erick Hanifeld decided to install solar panels on his home and is now an advocate for solar power. As a result, he researched How Do Sola. Erick Hanifeld's top article generates over 18100 views. Bookmark Erick Hanifeld to your Favourites.
