Green Energy – How do the Solar Energy Panels Work?
A very common thing that most people hear today is about using solar energy as an alternative energy source or “green energy”, but few know how the solar energy panels work. The working of the solar panels is extremely simple. As these panels are very flexible, it rolls up for storage in a small space and then unrolls itself for placement in the bright sunlight if you require power to run some device.
The solar collection cells that may be large or small are known as the photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic in other words means “light” and “electric” or light that generates electricity. The photovoltaic cells are used to power the satellites and the other devices in the space and are now used in most households all over the world to obtain solar power.
PV panels or solar energy panels are made out of materials that concentrate on the rays of the sun. They absorb a bit of the heat from the sun rays hitting on it. This energy is then used to warm the water that goes through the solar energy panel’s pipes. This in turn gets absorbed by a semiconductor material and is then used for generating electricity.
The PV cells collect electrons from the light that is being absorbed. The electrons move in a single direction due to the electric field. This flow is controlled by the means of metal contacts at the top and the bottom of the solar energy panels, which allows for extraction of the current for running some appliance or to power the entire house.
The solar energy panel is usually made out of a black metal or wooden box that is specially designed for placing on the roof of the house. The box is well insulated and is black on the inside which actually helps it to focus the energy of the sun and absorb it efficiently. In the inner portion of the box there is a piping or semiconductor material. When hot water is generated, it passes through a zigzag pattern of copper piping and then passes into a well insulated storage tank. This hot water can be used by turning on the water tap in the bathtub, sink or washer.
If the solar energy panel is used to create electricity, the energy is stored in batteries which are placed inside the house. The batteries look like car batteries. Usually a large number of batteries are used to store the electricity. There is a control unit which ensures that the right amount of voltage and amperage goes into the wires if the switch is turned on for lighting or heating the house or for some other use.
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