Saturday, November 5, 2011

What You Need To Know About Solar Panels

Solar power is one of the most important forms of renewable energy, and is becoming ever more crucial as a resource in our changing world. Scientists estimate that if we were to harness just 0.02% of solar technology available to us each year, it would generate enough electricity to fully replace fossil fuels and nuclear energy. So how do we harness this incredible resource? The solution lies with photovoltaics. Solar power systems (also known as PV panels) convert sunlight into usable electricity which can then power homes and appliances.

Reputation Photovoltaics

The word 'photovoltaic' gets its name from the Greek 'phos', meaning light, and 'voltaic' from the 19th century Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. The whole process of creating voltage from solar radiation (referred to as photovoltaic effect) was first recognised by Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel in 1839.

Many different people experimented with this method over the next century, nevertheless it wasn't until 1954 that scientists working for Bell Laboratories invented the first photovoltaic cell. The technology behind this gadget has been steadily advancing ever since, and has been utilized on everything from satellites to calculators.

The merits of photovoltaic technology have not 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 Taxation.

How Photovoltaic Panels Work

Generating electricity through photovoltaics works on the similar principle as a battery or perhaps a standard electrical outlet, because it is all about instigating the free flow of electrons via a circuit. When sunlight hits a photovoltaic panel, photons inside the sun's rays are absorbed through layers of semi-conducting material (including silicon) in the panel's cells. The photons then pass on their energy to electrons, inducing 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 sunshine, the more the electrons can move, and so the greater the current generated.

Great things about PV Panels

Getting photovoltaic solar panels fitted in your home contributes to our struggle against java prices, which is likely to become a major concern in a long time to come as the world shifts to a greater focus on alternative energy in place of traditional non-renewable fuels.

More immediately though, photovoltaic panels allow you to create your own electricity, which means you won't be beholden to energy companies who keep helping the prices of electricity. Installing photovoltaic solar panels is now more and more popular in recent years, as advances inside the technology has made prices less prohibitive and installation much easier. With cheaper purchase and installation costs, many householders now feel that Solar panels are a good investment, since the initial outlay will be more than made up for by savings in the foreseeable future.

Just thought you may well be interested in reading this guide: photovoltaic solar panels and solar panel rebate.

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