How do solar panels work Solar radiation is the light that the sun emits, commonly known as electromagnetic radiation. The amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface varies, even though every location receives some sunshine during the year. This radiation is absorbed by solar technology, which transforms it into solar energy.
In essence, a solar panel generates electricity when photons, or solar particle waves, cause electrons to be released from their atomic bonds and start moving. Solar panels collect this flow of electrons and convert it into an electrical current. The fundamental chemical and physical factors that involve the great majority of solar technology are known as the photovoltaic effect.
How Solar Panels are made of?
The core of solar panels is solar cells. A solar panel makes up millions of cells. Soldering, encasing, mounting on a metal frame, testing, and other processes are used to connect these Solar cells to create Solar Panels. Solar energy efficiency and solar cells are correlated. The overall effectiveness of the solar panel is influenced by the price and performance of solar cells.
What are the Key Components of a Residential Solar Panel System?
A solar panel is an electrical device that consists of a layer of glass, multiple solar cells, encapsulation, a back sheet, and diodes. Seven primary parts make up a solar PV module
1- Aluminum Frame: The strength of the solar frame plays a vital role to protect the solar panel. It just serves as a security guard, by providing mechanical properties such as resilience, creep, and fatigue. The aluminum frame of the solar panel provides resistance against load during handling, storage, grounding, and installation.
2- Tempered Glass: Glass is a highly transparent material made up of crystalline elements called silicon. Glass allows radiation to pass through its material and store it in solar cells as thermal energy. If the glass will be clear, more stable sun radiation will transmit into the solar cell hence more energy will be generated by the panel. It also keeps the solar cells safe, from humidity rain, and dust which increases the life of the panel by more than three decades. Most of the companies are using tempered glass which is stronger than ordinary glass and causes little damage in case of breaking because it breaks into sharp less small pieces.
3- Encapsulant: EVA is a thin sheet made of chemical ethyl vinyl acetate that is used as encapsulating material during panel assembly. This thin sheet has to insert between the photovoltaic cells and the tempered glass (top surface). It improves the optical performance of cells, saves them from humidity, and keeps them dry.
4-Amorphous Silicon: Amorphous panels or Thin solar panels are made up of 30 to 70 number square cells, located below a blue and a few millimeters thick, gray glass sheet. They are quite flexible just like paper and can absorb sunlight with an efficiency of 6-8%. But it gives better results in dim sunlight as compared to monocrystalline and polycrystalline.
5- Solar Back Sheet: The most sensitive material of a solar panel is the back sheet. It's made of a chemical called Polypropylene or thermoplastic polymer. The main role of the PV back sheet is to act as an electrical insulator to protect the inside components of the panel, for example, photovoltaic cells and junction box from external jerks and humidity.
6- Junction Box: The junction box contains both bypass diodes and blocking diodes. A diode allows the flow of current in one direction only.
Bypass reduces the power loss of solar panels occurring by shading. Due to shading the solar panel heats up, and become consumers of electricity instead of producers. So bypass diodes give them a separate path to flow and charge the battery.
Blocking diodes keeps the current in the battery and does not allow it to go back into panels at night.
7- Interconnectors: Solar panels can connect to one another with the help of interconnectors. These must support secure connectivity and be incredibly weather-resistant.
How does a Residential Solar Panel System work?
There is no burning, no moving parts, and no noise. Only the surface of your roof is the requirement for solar panel installation. It only needs sunshine as fuel. Despite all of that, it can still power your complete house and generate extra energy that you can sell back to the grid through Net Metering.
A home solar energy system works in four simple steps including:
- Solar panels generate DC electricity
- A solar inverter converts power into usable AC electricity
- The solar inverter supplies power to the home
- Excess solar power is exported to the grid
Do Solar Panels Work at Night?
YES! We all know that the sun doesn't shine at night, yet solar panels still need sunlight to produce power. A grid-tied solar panel system, which is the most common type of solar system, depends on the power supplied by your utility provider to service your electrical requirements after dark.
Fortunately, there's a strong possibility you won't have to pay for much of the electricity you consume at night—or any of it. If you reside in one of the 38 out of 50 states that currently allow net metering, then this is the situation. Your system's excess power from the day is used in this instance to offset the expense of the electricity you imported at night.
Do Solar Panels work on Cloudy Days?
The question that arises in the mind of every solar system buyer is, do solar panels work on cloudy days? The weather condition can't remain the same for the whole day. It is a natural process of different seasons. In summer, the cloud formation is less as compared to winter. The presence of clouds directly affects the performance of solar panels but you cannot say that they are not working or producing zero volts. It depends on the number of solar rays that are passing through clouds and hitting the solar cells.
The solar panel will produce 5% to 20% of its rated power during cloudy weather due to the phenomena of irradiance. Thick clouds mostly reflect the incoming solar radiation and keep the earth's surface cool or at a low temperature while the thin or less dense clouds transfer the incoming solar radiation to the surface.
Solar panel installation is not just a one-day task. It takes a complete step-by-step solar panel installation process before the solar panels are installed on your roof and can power your home. There is much of it happening behind the scenes. Likewise, if you're thinking about going solar, you surely want to know about the solar installation process.
So, Let's go solar with Solar SME, Inc. and reshape your home energy system with lots of savings. Just give us a call at 214-556-8288 or Request A FREE Quote to help us promote a Green & Clean Energy Environment.
Originally Published on: https://solarsme.com/how-do-solar-panels-work/
