How do solar panels work? by ClickGreen staff. Published Thu 18 Apr 2013

How do solar panels work?

by ClickGreen staff. Published Thu 18 Apr 2013 14:41

Understanding the science behind solar PV

As a means of providing your home with electricity or hot water, while reducing your home’s carbon emissions, solar panels represent an incredible piece of technology, but how do they work? The two different kinds of solar energy, solar PV and solar thermal, and they each have different types which vary according to solar panels cost and efficiency.

How do solar PV panels work?
Solar photovoltaic panels work by collecting radiation from the sun and converting it into electricity. A panel is made of different cells which have what is called a p-n junction diode. This works rather like a semi-conductor, and when the cell is exposed to daylight the diode converts the energy from the sun into usable electrical energy.

There aren’t any moving parts in a solar PV cell, but there are different kinds of cells: amorphous, monocrystalline, polycrystalline and hybrid. Amorphous cells are the cheapest and least efficient, and they can lose effectiveness over time. Polycrystalline cells are sliced from a block of silicon which is made from a large number of crystals. They are about 13% efficient (the amount of the sun’s energy which used by the system per unit area) and a little cheaper than monocrystalline cells, which are cut from a block of silicon made from a single crystal and have an efficiency of around 15%. The most expensive kind of cells are hybrid cells, which have an efficiency of at least 17%. If you are getting local quotes for solar panels, make sure you know which type of cell you are being quoted for.

How do solar heating panels work?
Solar heating harnesses the sun’s energy and convert it into heat energy which is then carried via a heat transfer liquid, which is either water or anti-freeze to a hot water cylinder, where it is used to heat water for the home. There are two kinds of panels for solar heating: flat plate panels and evacuated tube panels. In flat plate panels, the liquid collects heat energy while moving through the absorber plate. In evacuated tubes, the absorber is contained within the tubes - this type is considered slightly more effective over the course of a whole year and is consequently a little more expensive. Again, make sure you know which type of panel you are being quoted for.

Solar Panels UK: Okay?
In order to make sure that you get the most out of solar panels, homeowners need not worry about the comparative lack of sunshine in the UK. The panels require daylight, not necessarily direct sunlight, in order to work. It is important however to make sure that the roof or building solar panels are positioned on is within ninety degrees of south and isn’t obstructed by any other buildings or trees.

Article provided by localquotes.co.uk