Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Find Out How Solar Panels Make Electricity

A lot of individuals understand that solar panels generate electricity, but somehow, the procedure by which this happens is a little unclear. The process is actually rather simple to understand. Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells, also called as solar PVs. Each of these cells are made up of two or more layers of materials that act as semi-conductors. Silicone is the most utilized semi-conductor found in PV cells.

Several these PV cells are then joined together to make a single solar panel. This means that each solar panel has a number of semi-conductors within it. Exposing silicone to sunlight creates an electrical charge, equal to that of a direct current, or DC.

This direct current must be converted into alternating current to make it usable in homes. An inverter is then used to convert the direct current into alternating current. The amount of electricity that is then produced depends on the number of PV cells in each solar panel and the number of panels you have in your solar power system.

You will find that the most basic solar power systems could produce around 1-1.5 KW.

Keep in mind that the above values denote the maximum power output that your solar energy system could generate. Your solar power system would neither achieve this output all the time, nor would it be the regular output.

Because a solar panel converts the sun's rays into electricity, solar electricity production would be reliant on the amount of sunlight that the solar panels obtain. Every day, the sun’s rays are at its most powerful for only a limited period of time. And, it is also during sunny days only that your solar panels would get a lot of sunlight.

This brings people to ask if solar panels are viable at any location. The response is on the positive, but, there are areas where the energy generated by the solar panels would be significantly higher than others. So if you are located in an area where you usually experience cloudy days, rain and snow, then a solar power system would create less power compared to areas that acquire plenty of sunlight.

Nonetheless, a solar power system could still offer you financial savings on your monthly electricity bill even if you are residing in a place that obtains very little sunlight. Their savings may not be as large as those countries that get sunshine 300 days out of the year. Of course, the geographic location of your home itself will have a lot to do with the amount of electricity your solar panels can provide as well.

So if you reside in the woods where trees surround your home, then solar power might not be that viable considering that you would need your roof or wall to be expose to lots of sunlight.

Indeed, solar panels are very effective when it comes to converting the sun’s rays. Just keep in mind that in order for them to generate the electricity that you need at home, they should be exposed to a lot of sunlight.

Explore the potential of solar power and the way it's getting used in lessening pollution levels and conserve money all through Australia. Get 3 free estimates on a solar system or solar panels for use in your dwelling or business.