How Solar Power Can Help Create a Sustainable Future
Solar energy is a renewable energy source that comes from the sun. It’s also an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to fighting climate change. Solar panels work by using the sun’s rays to generate electricity that can be used to power your home. Because they don’t rely on fossil fuels, they’re an eco-friendly way to provide electricity for your home or business. And because they convert solar energy into electricity, solar panels are also a great way to save money on utility bills over time.
Why Install Solar Panels?
The solar panel is a device for converting sunlight into electricity. It consists of a thin wafer of a semiconductor material such as silicon or gallium arsenide, coated with conductors and placed in an electric field. The simplest type of solar panel, the crystal silicon photovoltaic cell, is also the most efficient and durable.
The electric field causes electrons to be knocked from the silicon atoms, leaving positively charged ions that remain stuck in place. The result is a layer of negatively charged electrons at one surface and a layer of positively charged ions at the other surface. This creates an electric current when wires are attached to the surfaces.
Solar panels are used to power calculators and watches and to provide electricity for homes not connected to utility grids. They also supply power for satellites and unmanned space vehicles. A typical solar panel can convert 15-20% of the energy in sunlight into electricity, but there is room for improvement. In addition, they are expensive to manufacture and difficult to install.
The Difference Between a 240W; 200W and a 180W Solar Panel
A popular option for homeowners is to use a 180W solar panel, but depending on your needs, you may also be interested in 200W solar panels or 240W solar panels.
180W
The 180W solar panel provides you with a cost-effective way to reduce your home’s energy consumption by storing energy from the sun. It is suitable for a wide range of applications, including residential and commercial rooftop systems, industrial and agricultural applications, off-grid power systems, multiple solar panel systems and more.
200W
The 200W solar panel is a great addition to any camper van, motor home or caravan. It is ideal for charging your leisure battery and provides an external power supply when you are away from home. This solar panel is part of a range of high-quality products that are available in a variety of sizes to suit your needs.
240W
These solar panels boast high conversion efficiency and low power tolerance, which means that they can produce more than expected output during sunny days and less than expected output during cloudy days.
Learn About Solar Energy Technologies
Solar energy technologies include solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture, which can make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent problems the world now faces.
Solar technologies are broadly characterised as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favourable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
What Are the Different Kinds of Solar Panels?
There are now two types of solar panels available in the market: monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon panels.
Monocrystalline
Monocrystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency rates, since they are made out of the highest-grade silicon. They are also space-efficient since you need fewer panels to produce power for your home compared to other types of panels. These solar panels perform well even in low light conditions, and they do not need to be cleaned as often as others, so maintenance costs are lower.
Monocrystalline solar panels have a sleek, black look that makes them attractive to homeowners. They are also one of the most durable options on the market, able to withstand extreme weather conditions, including hail storms.
Polycrystalline
Photovoltaics (PV) is a term that covers the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. A typical photovoltaic system employs solar panels, each comprising a number of solar cells, which generate electrical power. PV installations may be ground-mounted, rooftop-mounted or wall-mounted. The mount may be fixed, or use a solar tracker to follow the sun across the sky.
Polycrystalline solar panels are made out of silicon ingots as well, however, they are made using cast square technology or ribbon technology. In both processes, molten silicon is poured into square moulds or thin ribbons to cool instead of cylinders like in monocrystalline solar panels. Polycrystalline solar panels have lower efficiency ratings than monocrystalline ones, but their efficiency ratings have been improving significantly and are now only about 4% lower than monocrystalline solar panels. Polycrystalline solar panels also cost less to produce than monocrystalline ones because the manufacturing process is simpler.