The Science of Solar Panels and How They Work

Millions of people across the globe use solar power on a daily basis to help meet the energy demands of their everyday lives. But how many people ever stop to think about where this solar energy is coming from? Sure, some would say that it comes from the sun. But that is just where it originates. There are still many different stages that the power has to go through before it becomes the usable energy that you’re used to.

In fact there is a whole world of science behind solar power that most people never get a glimpse of. But here I’m offering to give you an insider look at what is really going on with your solar panels. Let me walk you through the science of solar energy conversion.

Solar Power at the Microscopic Level

For a second, I’d like you to think back to chemistry class where you learned about atoms and electrons. Well, the first thing to understand is that at a microscopic level, energy is nothing more than flowing stream of electrons.

Most solar cells are made up of a layer of silicon crystals. And within these silicon crystals there are billions of electrons that are being held in place by the silicon crystals themselves. But these bound electronics are being held very loose and it only takes a little bit of energy to knock them free. And that is exactly where the power of the sun comes in handy.

When you lay these silicon crystals out in the sun, the power of the sun is enough to free these electrons as the photons from the sunlight collide into the crystals. Once free, these electrons then pool together and are able to flow and become usable electricity.

Solar Power at the Solar Cell Level

If you take a step back for a minute, you’ll see that a solar cell is nothing more than a thin wafer of silicon crystals with a couple of metal wires attached to it.

What makes these silicon wafers so special is that they are grown in special laboratories in order to preserve certain qualities of the silicon so that they work as efficiently as possible for solar power applications.

Once the electrons within the silicon wafer are free they begin to pool together but in order to use those electrons as energy, there needs to be a way of moving them from the solar cell to the device requiring power. So, metal strips are attached to the solar cell in order to create a pathway for the electrons to flow.

Solar Power at the Solar Panel Level

A single solar cell by itself isn’t capable of producing a significant amount of power to be of much use to you. So instead, the solution is to connect many solar cells together so that if each one contributes a little, the sum of all can be significant.
So arrays of solar cells are connected together to form one single solar panels. And the energy of all of the solar cells is then pooled together and delivered to the device you want to power in order to supply it with as much energy as it needs to operate.

So as you can see, you’re not really directly using the power (photons) of the sun for energy. Instead, you’re using the photon from the sun to convert the potential energy of the silicon crystals into useable energy.

What you do with that energy is entirely up to you. A single small solar panel can supply enough power itself to do many things around the house from charging a battery to operating power tools. But when you combine solar panels together then you can really generate a lot of energy, enough to power an entire house.

And as solar technology continues to improve we’ll be able to produce more and more power with fewer and smaller solar panels. The potential of solar power really has no limit because the sun generates more energy for the earth than all other energy sources combined. And it’s only a matter of time before we are able to utilize its full potential.
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Hank is an Electrical Engineer and DIY Enthusiast with a passion for using solar power. With his knowledge and skill he creates low cost homemade energy solutions while helping people to understand the importance and potential power of solar energy which anyone can tap into. You can catch some of his work here with: Homemade Solar Panels

The DIY Energy Guy - http://www.thediyenergyguy.com

Storing Solar Energy in Batteries

Solar energy has become one of the most popular alternative forms of electricity used to power up a variety of electrical appliances.  This is partly due to the many benefits that solar energy can provide that other alternative sources of energy cannot.  For one thing, solar energy can be tapped virtually anywhere.  The sun shines approximately 12 hours each day, providing you a constant supply of energy that can be converted into usable electricity to power up your electrical appliances and gadgets.  Even on a cloudy or rainy day, you are still able to tap into the sun’s energy as a source of electricity.

The question that most people have when considering solar energy as a viable source of power for their homes and business establishments is: “what happens when the sun goes down and night falls?”.  Would you still be able to benefit from using solar energy as an alternative source of energy?  The answer is a resounding yes.

The reasoning behind this answer is the way in which solar panels are constructed in order to provide an alternative source of electricity to your home.  For as long as the solar panels are able to tap into the sun’s energy, they will continue to convert this energy into a form of electricity that can be used to power your electrical appliances.  Since many households are empty most of the day with the parents at work and the children at school, the converted energy processed by the solar panels is then stored into solar batteries.  This allows the household to utilize the converted solar energy to power up their home at night.

Solar batteries are described as deep cycle units that are specially designed to be discharged and recharged for hundreds, or even thousands of uses.  These batteries come in a variety of storage capacities.  The storage capacity is dependent upon how much solar energy is used to power up electrical appliances in the home when the sun sets.

If you are considering installing solar panels in your home as an alternative source of electricity, one of the things that you will need to take into consideration is the amount of time that you spend at home along with what part of the day you need this electricity the most.  This will help you determine just how many batteries will need to be installed with your solar energy system in order for you to maximize the overall output.

Solar Power Benefits - 5 Great Benefits of Using Solar Power

If you have never considered using solar power to power your home, you really don’t know what you are missing out on. Solar power would certainly be a great addition to your home in a time like now when many are seeking ways to save on their electricity bill. In this article, we will be looking at five benefits of using solar power that you need to take into consideration.

#1 - The first of the solar power benefits to consider is the fact that you can build your own solar generator for a small investment. This option will eliminate the need to have hundreds, or thousands of dollars available to spend on buying expensive commercially made units. Building your own solar generator can be made easy by purchasing a good do-it-yourself solar energy guide online. These guides are relatively cheap to acquire and also easy to follow, so that even a complete novice can follow without any problems.

#2 - Next of the solar power benefits that needs to be taken into consideration — it is free unlimited electricity that is derived from the power of the sun. This will enable you to have a continuous supply of electricity without interruptions. Having a continuous supply of electricity is important when you consider how susceptible we are to unpredictable power outages, which can be brought about by a system failure affecting your power company, or by natural disasters which are the frequent cause of downed power-lines. Having the capability to generate your own electricity will add to your convenience during those times.

#3 - Solar power benefits the environment as well, in that unlike other sources of electricity, it does not pollute the environment because it is a renewable source of energy. So, if you are someone who is concerned about the environment — generating your own solar power is a big step towards protecting the environment. You will be joining the list of people who have chosen to go green through depending on the natural power source of the sun.

#4 - Another of the solar power benefits that make it such a desirable source of energy — is the low maintenance. Because solar systems are comprised of a few simple parts, they generally won’t require frequent repairs. Many companies that sell and install solar systems often give up to a 40 year warranty on the units they install. And of course, that certainly says a lot about the durability of solar systems. You and your family will be able to enjoy free uninterrupted electricity for many years.

#5 - The last of the solar power benefits that we will be looking at is simply the reduction of your electricity bill.

And there is another added incentive of generating your own electricity.

If you construct a large enough system, and if you should generate more electricity than you need, your electricity company will pay you for the surplus electricity. So not only will building your own solar system help to reduce your electricity bill, but it can also help to put money back into your pocket from selling electricity back to the power utility.

The Benefits of Converting Your Home to Use Renewable Energy

A few years ago having a home off the grid and using renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power was impossible to imagine for many homeowners.  Why? Because if you are going with a commercially installed system it was, and still is, very expensive to convert your home to use renewable energy sources from solar panels or wind turbines. And the fact was it would usually take years to recoup your investment.  But recently all of that has changed.

Both solar power and wind power have become viable renewable energy sources sources in the last few years for the average homeowner. And the best thing is, you can easily build a wind turbine or solar panel for very little cost. This means you will be saving thousands of dollars by constructing them yourself, and then thousands more in energy savings after they are up and running.

Has there ever been a better time to go green? Not only is electricity still very expensive, but our planet is also in the worst shape it has ever been from an environmental standpoint. What do these two things mean to you? It means you should build a small renewable energy system and start generating at least some of your own electricity (even if it’s only 10-20% of your needs).  It is not difficult to acquire the materials, and as long as you have a good guide to follow you should easily be able to implement your own system into your homes energy grid and start saving money on your electric bills.

Solar power is ideal for just about any home in America (and everywhere else). Wind power is also ideal for areas which receive a good deal of wind. You can even install both types of systems to compliment each other. On top of saving a lot of money on your energy bills, you will find that this is a very worthwhile family project which you will take a great deal of pride in.

Get started today and start saving money on your energy costs, and help our fragile environment at the same time.

Is Renewable Energy Really a Good Option for Homeowners?

In a nutshell, alternative energy encompasses all renewable energy sources, but includes things like nuclear power and energy developed from municipal waste. These are carbonaceous examples.

Renewable energy technology is advancing every day. Solar electrical systems have seen advancements  from the huge roof panels to thinner solar arrays that are twice as conductive and work with less sunlight. Thereby being much more efficient.

Many homeowners today are looking into integrating renewable energy sources for a more energy efficient home or business. The other benefit that renewable energy offers is their near zero contribution to the global warming epidemic.

The most popular of renewable energy sources is the sun. Of the renewable sources, solar energy is by far the most popular because it offers more options for use.  Electrical energy is produced from the sun using solar panels which consist of a photovoltaic cell array that converts energy from the sun into usable electricity for your home or business. There are also solar hot water heaters that use the power of the sun to produce hot water. These solar energy sources are readily available and are increasing in popularity as of late, mainly because more and more homeowners are realizing they don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to have a workable solar system to take advantage of lowered utility costs.

The most efficient of renewable energy sources is wind energy. Wind has been used to pump water from the ground for centuries, but has grown in popularity as a way to supplement our electricity needs. Wind is the safest and cleanest of the renewable energy sources because it produces no pollutants and does not contribute in any way to global warming. Wind energy is harnessed by placing a generator on a tower that is powered by the wind, thus producing electricity. Unlike the sun, which is available everywhere, in order to utilize wind as a renewable energy source, you should live in an area where the wind more or less constantly blows.

In summary, becoming energy independent by using renewable energy sources is a real possibility and a very viable and practical solution to meet at least part of the energy needs of the average home or business owner.

Easy Weekend Project - Build a Solar Water Heater

Since about 30% of your energy costs (on average) is for heating water, using the free power from the sun to assist in this task makes perfect sense, and it is a great first alternative energy project for the energy conscious individual.

Solar Water Heaters have been around in one form or another for hundreds of years. The designs built in the late 18th and 19th century consisted of bare metal tanks which were painted black and then placed to face the sun to absorb heat. These types of early solar water heaters took a long time to heat water on a sunny day and quickly lost the heat when the sun went down. Later on, designs were improved upon by putting the tanks inside an insulated box. However, most of the heat gained was still lost at night, just more slowly.

The inventor William J. Bailey created and patented a (passive) solar water heater design in the early 1900’s that took advantage of the fact that water becomes less dense when it is heated. His idea was to make improvements upon the solar collector itself and incorporate a separate insulated hot water storage tank. He redesigned the solar collector and made it very thin.
His system utilized an array of black painted riser pipes that were connected to a header pipe, which were then connected to a black metal plate where the heat from the sun rays were absorbed into the metal.

In summary, there are two basic types of Solar Water Heaters for you to consider:  Passive Solar Water Heaters & Active Solar Water Heaters.  Active systems utilize a circulating pump and some type of temperature control whereas a passive system does not have any moving parts and relies on the basic principle of physics - that hot water rises & cold water falls.

Here are a couple of links to guides for building your own passive solar water heater system..

DIY Solar Water Heater Guide

Simple Heaters

If you aren’t interested in spending the time putting it together from scratch, here is a link to some Solar Hot Water kits and components. Even though this is a much more substantial up front investment, these are more efficient designs which will offer you a considerable energy savings. And the system will pay for itself in a reasonable amount of time.

Great Locations for Solar Panels

The use of solar power is perhaps the most popular alternative source of electricity for home and business owners.  This is because of the numerous different benefits that it is able to provide.

For one thing, solar power is free of charge.  This being the case, tapping into the power of the sun to provide your home with a secondary source of electricity will not add to your monthly electric bill.  In fact, many homeowners using solar panels to convert solar energy into usable electricity have been known to enjoy huge savings from their electric bills.  They are able to save money without having to limit their use of their electric appliances and gadgets at home.
Another reason why solar energy is a popular alternative energy choice for many homeowners is because it only requires minimal investments to get started.  Many commercial solar panels cost thousands of dollars to be purchased and installed in homes and businesses.  However, there are solar panel do-it-yourself kits that work just as well and at a fraction of the price.

Tapping into solar energy as an alternative source of energy helps conserve the environment.  Solar energy will not run out like the petroleum products that are currently used as fuel by electric companies throughout the country.

Selecting where to have your solar panels installed in your home is extremely important in order for you to get the maximum electricity output.  Here are some tips to help you choose a great location where you can have your solar panels, commercial or homemade, installed.

Exposure Factor

The first thing that you will need to do is consider the best place to place your solar panels at your house.  Ideally, the panels should be installed where they will be exposed to the sun’s energy throughout the entire day.  By being exposed to the sun’s energy throughout the entire day, the panel will be able to convert more electrical energy output that can then be used to power the different appliances in your home.

Avoid any Blockages

Many solar panels installed in homes are usually done on the roof area.  Apart from the fact that it is the one location in your home that provides maximum exposure to the sun, it is also the place where there is the least amount of blockage.  Any object that can cast a direct shadow on your solar panels will directly minimize the amount of electrical energy that it is able to produce.  Because of the fact that the sun moves into different positions at certain times of the day, it is important to select a location where the possibility of the panel being blocked by shadows or other objects is minimized.

Why Do I Need Alternative Energy Sources?

Alternative energy has become a hot topic for good reason. We are expending and wasting energy at an alarming rate. This is particularly sad because it is wholly unnecessary. What if you could power your home through nothing more than the use of naturally occurring resources?

Alternative Energy is not science fiction.  Wind power and Solar energy have been around for a long time, and harnessing  this energy is now  available to everyone without having to pay an arm and a leg.

The obvious advantage to using these alternative energy sources is saving money. If you are generating at least some of your own power, then you will see a significant savings on your energy costs over time. Using the free power of the wind and sun to generate electricity is one day going to be the norm, but for now, you can be on the cutting edge.

Another fantastic advantage to utilizing alternative energy sources is to eliminate the huge drain on our energy sources. This idea of generating our own power is a great way to contribute to our economy, and empowering our Country through the savings it creates.
You certainly have heard the term “going green” before, and it gets no greener than the sun and wind. This is a great way to reduce pollution that is generated through other “dirty” energy sources. The wind and the sun are natural resources that are free to each and every one of us. The opportunity to do so is right in front of us, so why not take it?

Wind turbines are a wonderful example of how to use alternative energy. Building your own wind turbine is fairly easy and it can save you a fortune in energy bills. Some people even have a large wind turbine installed on their land to generate all the electricity they need.

Solar energy, or the harnessing of the sun is one of the most popular ways to generate energy. The installation of solar energy panels can truly be a life changing experience. It will help you to learn to conserve energy, while saving you money as well. The panels are available in various wattages individually, or in kits.

If you want to be the envy of your neighbors, save some money, and even help our planet in the process, then browse through this site to learn more about renewable energy sources. The cost is minimal for the incredible returns on your energy costs.

Why Should I Use Solar Energy To Power My Home?

Solar Energy is one of the most powerful forms of alternative energy on the planet. It is naturally successful as an energy source because it draws from the energy source for our entire planet…the sun. The sun is the ultimate power plug, and using it is the most common sense idea of all time. The real question one should be asking is why not use the sun for power?

The power of the sun is collected through solar panels through the use of photovoltaic cells. These cells convert that energy to electricity and deliver it to you. The power of the cells is in direct proportion to the exposure from the sun, as well as the drain on the power source. In other words, if you are careful about your electricity usage to start with, (as we all should be anyway) you will get the maximum benefit from your PV cells.

Solar power is quite simply clean energy. It is directly taken from the sun, and it does not hurt the environment in any way. This clean, green idea is one that is vastly underutilized in our society. The main reason to use the solar energy is to help reduce carbon emissions. This reduction is accomplished by reducing our energy needs from the grid, which reduces the amount of electricity that needs to be generated, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint.

The dangers of pollution and energy waste are killing us every single day. Solar energy is one of the answers to this worldwide problem.

And the kicker is, solar energy will save you money! Solar energy can give you independence from the electric company and that nasty electric bill you get every month. Solar energy can reduce your bill to nothing, and if you create an excess of energy, you might just get a check back for the excess. How nice would that be for a change?

Solar energy is no longer for the rich only. Anyone can afford solar energy if they are willing to study up on how it works. Solar energy can be installed and set up by individuals if they are careful to learn the needed information about safety, etc. This is one of the greatest opportunities that we have as a society to make a difference in the world. It is nice to know that it will help our own wallets while we do it as well.

If you have ever considered solar power in the past, then now is the time to act. Solar energy has never been hotter as a topic, and is going to be one of the leading sources of power in the next decade. Already, you are seeing solar power being used in other Countries on a regular basis. They recognize the incredible power of the sun right under our noses. Updating now means that you can save money, lead the charge, and help to save our planet all at the same time.