Understanding Solar Panels For Dummies

Panels wired into the same inverter are known collectively as a string of panels.

Understanding solar panels for dummies.

A collection of panels in your system is called an array. They are the units that trap the sun s solar radiation and converts it to electricity. The photoelectric effect was first noted back in 1839 by a french physicist named edmund bequerel. This is the principle used by pv solar panels.

It takes multiple panels to provide power to a typical home or office. Even without major advances in solar panel output solar has become a cost competitive energy source. Pv solar panels produce your electricity using something called the photoelectric effect. The dc signals are fed into an inverter which converts the dc into grid compatible ac power which is what you use in your home.

Powering your home with solar is now cost competitive with energy produced from your coal powered utility. How to plan your rv solar system how many solar panels you need for an rv to how to build an rv solar battery bank. He discovered that certain materials would produce a small electric current when you exposed them to light. The words solar power often bring to mind solar panels and photovoltaic pv solar systems but you can harness the sun s energy in a number of smaller ways.

Solar energy is free and it is located everywhere where the sun is shining. The solar cell is wired together to form a module and the module is then wired together to form a solar panel. The main building blocks of a solar energy power system are solar panels. A solar panel consists of an array of pv aka photovoltaic pv photo light voltaics electricity cells which consist of a positive and a negative wafer of silicon placed under a toughened layer of glass.

Solar panel cost has plummeted 70 in the last 5 years. Understanding solar panels for dummies. Solar power your home for dummies cheat sheet. First there are panels which collect the sunlight and turn it into electricity.

The job of the inverter is to convert the dc electricity solar panels produce into 230v ac electricity which is what everything in your home uses. This is because they work hard all day and they do wear out. This electricity is then used to supply electrical loads as well as stored in batteries for stand alone systems. The inverter is the component most likely to fail in a solar power system installation in the first 10 15 years.