Today we are going to discuss how solar panels work. While we won’t go into to much technical detail or dive deeply into the history of solar energy we will discuss how solar panels work, from the panels themselves absorbing energy from the sun and turning it into electricity, to how this electricity is transformed from low voltage direct current to high voltage alternating current to power your home’s needs. Another aspect of solar energy that we will be talking about is how solar panels work to convert energy to hot water.
So here is how solar panels work for producing electricity. A solar panel is generally a rectangle, usually four to five feet long, and about two to three feet wide. It consists of a sturdy frame with many photovoltaic cells connected together to form a grid. How solar panels work is that the cells absorb the sun’s energy and turn them into low voltage direct current. The more cells that are connected and the more panels that are connected together, the higher the output.
How solar panels work and their output of electricity depends on a number of factors. Where the panels are positioned, if there are obstructions blocking the absorption of light, and how much sun is available during the day all play a part in the output of electrical energy. No matter how much electricity is being discharged, it has to be changed from DC to AC current. Now if you are not aware of these differences, direct current is the electricity put out from your vehicle’s battery. It will drain over time and is not unlimited. AC or alternating current is a low voltage current that is produced by power plants. CLICK HERE for the complete guide on installing solar panels!
Okay so how does the solar panel system work to convert this low voltage to high voltage? Well, the panels themselves don’t invert the current. The wiring from the panels run to a voltage regulator as well as a splitter. The voltage regulator makes sure that the output from the panels themselves remains constant. During peak sunlight, more energy is being absorbed by the solar panels that in the morning or just before sunset. A voltage regulator is an important part of the system and how solar panels work. After the electricity flows out of the regulator, part of it goes to a battery bank, storing any electrical energy for later use, the other set goes to a power inverter. The power inverter converts that low voltage to high voltage. Here another regulator is in place, controlling the amount of AC power going into your home. The battery banks also have wiring going to this inverter. If you experience a power decrease, like when the panels are not absorbing enough energy to power your home, the needed electricity is pulled from these batteries. This is a basic run down of how solar panels work for electrical applications.
While there are many different applications for solar power, another way solar panels work is to heat the water for your home. How high the temperature increase is depends on how much sun you get throughout the day, the ambient ground water temperature throughout the year, as well as other factors. How solar panels work for water heating is instead of photovoltaic cells in the panels, a system of pipes run through the panels. These pipes are made to absorb the heat from the sun. Water is then pumped and circulated through these panels and into a holding tank. The faster the water flows, the quicker and higher the temperature will get.
You can learn much more about how solar panels work, as well as how to make them cheaply and easily as a do it yourself project.
CLICK HERE for the most comprehensive guide for DIY solar panels!