Solar panels are of two very different types. Photovoltaic solar panels trap the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity and solar thermal panels, or solar thermal collectors, trap the sun’s energy and turn it into heat. Here we will look at photovoltaic solar panels or PV solar panels.
Photovoltaic solar panels are made up of a number of photovoltaic or solar cells connected together to make a solar panel. Typically this solar panel includes a frame to hold the solar cells and a glass cover to protect them.
A photovoltaic cell or solar cell generates an electric current when light energy strikes it, described as the photovoltaic effect. Photons hit the substrate and knock electrons off, which is an electric current. A PV cell generates an electrical potential in the region of half a volt, so if as an example, 18 cells were connected in series, a potential of about 9 volts would result. This is akin to connecting batteries end to end. To develop more power, that is to power more appliances, we need to add more cells connected in parallel (side by side).
How Much Power Can We Generate from a Domestic Installation?
The answer to this is along the lines of ‘how much do you want’ and ‘how much money do you have to spare?’ To give a very rough idea for the UK, spending in the region of £7,000 should provide a 1kW(p) system and generate about a quarter of the household’s annual needs. If the aim is to generate all the electricity needed, the cost is heading to the very rough region of perhaps £25,000. The electricity may be free, but the large initial costs mean that solar power generation doesn’t sound like a very attractive financial proposition.
Is this the time for dark despair? Well no, because if you head over to eBay, you should find 5kg of solar cell pieces, which should be more than enough for a 1kW(p) installation. The price? £200. What’s going on?
Find out now with the full details!
