What You Need To Know About Solar Power Systems
Solar power is one of the most important forms of renewable energy, and is becoming ever more crucial being a resource in our changing world. Scientists estimate when we were to harness just 0.02% of solar power available to us each year, it would generate enough electricity to completely replace fossil fuels and nuclear energy. So how do we harness this incredible resource? The answer lies with photovoltaics. Solar power systems (also known as PV panels) convert sunshine into usable electricity which can then power homes and appliances.
History of Photovoltaics
The word ‘photovoltaic’ gets its name from the Greek ‘phos’, meaning light, and ‘voltaic’ from the 19th century Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. The entire process of creating voltage from solar radiation (known as the photovoltaic effect) was initially recognised by Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel in 1839.
A variety of people experimented with this technique over the next century, but it wasn’t until 1954 that scientists employed by Bell Laboratories invented the first photovoltaic cell. The technology behind this gadget has been steadily advancing since, and has been applied to everything from satellites to calculators.
The merits of photovoltaic technology haven’t always been universally acknowledged. In 1979, environment friendly President Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House, just for them to be torn down in 1986 by his successor, arch-climate change sceptic Ronald Reagan.
How Photovoltaic Panels Work
Generating electricity through photovoltaics works on the similar principle as a battery or perhaps a standard electrical outlet, as it is all about instigating the free flow of electrons through a circuit. When sunlight hits a photovoltaic panel, photons within the sun’s rays are absorbed through layers of semi-conducting material (such as silicon) in the panel’s cells. The photons then spread their energy to electrons, causing the electrons to be released. This frees the electrons to move through the material, generating electricity as they go. The more the intensity of the lighting, the more the electrons can move, and therefore the greater the current generated.
Benefits of PV Panels
Getting photovoltaic solar panels fitted in your home contributes to our struggle against global warming, which is likely to become a major concern in a long time to come as the world shifts to some greater focus on renewable energy sources in place of traditional fossil fuels.
More immediately though, solar power systems allow you to create your own electricity, and that means you won’t be beholden to energy companies who keep enhancing the prices of electricity. Installing photovoltaic solar panels has become more and more popular in recent years, as advances within the technology has made prices less prohibitive and installation much easier. With cheaper purchase and installation costs, many homeowners now feel that Solar panels are a good investment, as the initial outlay will be more than made up for by savings later on.
Just thought you might be interested in reading this guide: photovoltaic solar panels and solar panel rebate.
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