Photovoltaic Panel
The science behind photovoltaics is simple. These panels convert solar energy by converting protons to electrons which are basically electricity ready for use. The main idea has been to either charge a battery with this flow of current or power buildings and the equipment within them.
Despite their considerable cost, photovoltaic panels have become increasingly popular since 2015 due to the fact that they can be moved around easily and have versatility of use. For large buildings there is nothing better than a photovoltaic panel which can be used to back-feed a grid or become a grid on its own. In most cases an inverter will be attached to the panel to convert the rays of sun into electricity to be stored. The inverter can be for the whole panel or for each module or cell within that panel.
Power Generation Using A Photovoltaic Panel
A panel made of solar cells is used and these cells can be made of a number of materials like polycrystalline silicone, cadmium telluride, copper sulfide and so on. Copper cables usually connect these panels to grids or power lines. Although photovoltaic systems have had a slow awakening, they have garnered a great deal of popularity in the last few years due to their sleekness of design.
A glass sheet keeps the cells intact and also protects them from rain or snow or windstorms. The glass rarely ever breaks and can be kept going for years with basic maintenance. An array is made up of many cells and can power large equipment while modules on their own might be good for a small device such as a telephone.
Recent Advancements
The most recent improvement to the system has been for the panel to deviate direction according to where the sun is moving. This means it can accumulate more energy in the same space of time. Solar trackers are used for this purpose as they chart out the movements of the sun.
Furthermore in order to make photovoltaic panels more affordable, scientists are experimenting with newer and cheaper materials like Perovskite to make solar cells. Perovskite is more readily available then crystalline silicone.
The Difference Between Thermal Solar And Photovoltaic Panels
Thermal Solar panels can be used to create by-products of heat such as steam but photovoltaic panels can be directly linked to an electricity grid to power it. Solar powered calculators are a good household example of a photovoltaic concept in which electricity is the direct result of the sun’s rays hitting the panel.
There are widespread uses for photovoltaic panels in which they can be used to supply electricity to small villages with negligible infrastructure or to get water out of wells by powering turbines. Furthermore photovoltaic panels have a future as a backup energy source and because the scope it operates in is much larger than solar panels it can be a source on its own.
Last but not least with photovoltaic panels it is possible to charge batteries which can store power to be used during an emergency.