Solar Power

Solar energy is renewable and reusable sources of energy that can be easily obtain by getting a solar panel. Solar energy is a form of energy from the sun, the amount of energy that is generated by the solar panel from the sun can power a large area of energy. Hence solar power is a cheap and effective way of providing energy for people.

The solar panel is contains cells that converts energy obtained from photons into electricity (volt). Solar cells were mainly used only in space applications to power satellites and space crafts! As technology advances and private enterprises enter the field, the production of solar cells has become possible. They are now used to power everything from calculators, cars to space crafts.

Photovoltaic cells are made up of special types of materials called 'Semiconductors'. The most widely used semiconductors are silicon and germanium. They are insulators in the natural state. However, they can be converted into conducting materials, by adding small quantities of doped elements. Such doped semiconductors are used in constructing photovoltaic cells.

When photons fall on the surface of solar cells, electrons in the semiconductor are knocked out or freed by the absorption of energy. Every such photon is like a missile dislodging electrons from its orbits around the atom. Every ray of sunlight contains millions of such photons which strike the semiconductor surface of a photovoltaic cell.

Every photon helps in liberating electrons from their atomic shells. This creates a bunch of free electrons in the semiconductor which can be made to flow if an electric field is applied across the solar cell. This gives rise to a minuscule current across the semiconductor, which can be drawn for external use, through the use of metal contacts placed on the surface. Even though 70% of the solar energy which falls on these solar cells is unused, to have electricity generated by solar energy, is a big break through.

To convert this small electric output, into a sizable one, arrays of hundreds and thousands of solar cells are bunched together to create solar panels. The electricity generated by each photovoltaic cell is combined through a series connection of such cells in the panel. The combined electric voltage output of the solar panel is given to a rechargeable battery where it is stored for further use! The best thing about solar cells is that they generate electricity without pollution, unlike other sources of electricity generation.

Article reference: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-solar-panels-work.html