Solar panels

Solar energy is the most available form of energy on earth. It is non conventional source of energy and produces no pollution. Solar energy is being used since the very old times in one way or the other. In the late seventies greater research was carried out all over the world to extensively use this renewable energy. It is expected that in the next few years millions of houses all over the world will be using this source of energy. Solar energy is being extensively utilized using solar panels.

A flat and even solar thermal collector that his utilized to heat water or may be an air panel is called solar panels. Solar panels can also be a photovoltaic model, which generates electricity through assembly of solar cells.

The largest solar panel is being constructed in south of Portugal. It is a fifty two thousand photovoltaic module. It will provide electricity to about twenty one thousand houses. Solar panels convert the solar energy into electricity that is stored in the batteries in the panel. There exist a regulator between the solar panel and the battery which avoids the over charging of the battery. The energy can be taken out of the battery whenever required. The battery is twelve to twenty four volts and a transformer converts it to two hundred and twenty volts as required. The solar panels have a display unit, which show the data about the charge in the battery.

The electricity produced by the solar panel is produced using an array of photo voltaic cells. These cells are made up of silicon and are very thin plates like glass. They produce electricity between the back and front surface when the sun rays falls on the front side of the plates. The visible part of the sunlight is used to produce electricity and not the heating part is utilized. The greater intensity of light produces greater electricity. In the cloudy condition solar panels produce electricity but the quantity of the electricity produced is smaller as compared to a normal sunny day.

There are various types of solar panels available. The three main kinds of solar panels are mono crystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous solar panels. All the solar panels are made up of number of individual photo voltaic cells. In case of mono crystalline solar panel the cell consist of thin slice cut from single crystal of silicon. In case of polycrystalline solar cells the cells are cut from a silicon block that is casted and appears like a shattered glass. Putting a thin layer of active silicon on a solid base makes up the amorphous solar panels.

Normally the solar panels works extremely well for twenty years after procurement. The maintenance cost of solar panels is almost negligible. The batteries used in most of solar panels are lead acid batteries. Regular maintenance of the batteries is required. The level of acid in the batteries is to be checked every six months and the distilled water is to be added as required.