Solar Panels
Solar panels are arrays of photo-voltaic cells that harness the energy of the sun and turn it into electricity. Although it requires some technical knowledge to understand the process, with a little effort it's not too difficult. The requirements of the user dictate the size and number of panels for a particular purpose along with the geographic location and features that affect the availability of sunlight. Examples are the proximity of hills and mountains, and even trees.
Some of the requirements for having solar panels work properly are that they need to be connected together with a special wiring system designed to produce the desired outcome in power terms. Whether they are connected in parallel or in series will have totally different results.
Because solar panels tend to be rather fragile they need to be protected from the harsh extremes of the environment including hail, snow, heavy rain and strong winds. This is especially the case if the panels are made from wafer based silicon cells that easily become brittle. Protecting solar panels from moisture also avoids the risk of corrosion of their metal parts and so maintains their performance and useful life span.
Other features of solar panels are that they can be made of flexible thin film material for special applications or rigid sturdier panels for normal use. Potential problems from overheating are addressed in the design of the solar panels by including both ventilation and diodes to automatically reduce the temperature if required.
Current technology for solar power electricity generation optimizes solar energy conversion by combining mirrors and lenses to concentrate the sun's rays. You may have played with magnifying glass as a child and be familiar with how hot this can make the sunlight at the point of focus. The depletion of fossil fuel sources of energy and their well documented negative environmental impacts have resulted in a leap in resources being applied to renewable energy sources.
With the expectation that solar electricity can provide eighty percent of domestic needs it's not surprising that widespread innovations are occurring. Applications are many and varied, from water heating and powering small appliances to outdoor uses like heating pools and lighting.
For more information see our beginner's guide to solar panels
