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10 Fun Solar Energy Facts

10 Fun Solar Energy Facts

Here is a list of 10 fun solar energy facts that you probably didn’t know!

  • As early as 1921, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for experiments solar power and photovoltaics. It was awarded to Albert Einstein.
  • When silicon is taken from just one ton of sand and used in photovoltaic solar power panels, that silicon can produce as much electricity as 500,000 tons of burning coal.
  •  In the U.S., there are more than 10,000 homes that get their energy entirely from solar power.
  • Nearly 200 years ago, a British astronomer by the name of John Herschel cooked food with solar power during a journey to Africa.
  • California opened its first large solar power plant in 1982.
  • Solar power can cut water bills by more than 50 per cent each year in a home where a solar model replaces the electric water heater.
  • The price of photovoltaic (PV) solar power panels has dropped 200 per cent over the last 30 years, according to the Department of Energy. Owners now pay between 10 and 40 cents per kilowatt-hour.
  • A study by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) showed that solar power conditions were close to perfect (99 per cent) in San Francisco on June 14th, 2000. On that day, 100,000 customers in that area lost powerSolar power could have provided all they needed.
  • Another USDOE study showed that the roofs of California’s city and county buildings if covered with solar PV panels, could generate 200 megawatts of clean electricity! Cover California’s school roofs with solar power panels, and you add 1,500 megawatts more to the state’s peak power supply.
  • In California, covering every available commercial and industrial roof with solar power panels could generate all of the electricity needed in that state during the daytime.

 

For more solar energy facts and tips go to solarpowerce.

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Solar Panel

Flexible Solar Panel

What Are Solar Panels?

Solar power is an amazing source of energy. Solar panels are eco friendly. They don’t cause any harmful emissions. Also, they save your money, because you don’t have to pay for electricity anymore. Nowadays, there are also Feed-in Tariffs which mean that the government pays for your electricity. Solar panels create power by taking sunlight and converting it into power. Cells make up the panels. The cells use photovoltaic technology to create power. Each cell has an imbalance of electrons. Then, sunlight causes the electrons to move in a closed loop. This loop creates electricity. Afterwards, an inverter then makes the electricity usable for the home. Alternatively, a battery can store the power. Others can also use your power if you put it in the grid. Many solar panels can’t bend. However, some people need a flexible solar panel. But is it worth it for you?




flexible solar panel

Flexible Solar Panel

Lamination makes the solar panels flexible. However, the panels still don’t fully flex. They are only semi-flexible. The panels are also tolerant to bending and cracking. However, they are not fully tolerant. This is why they are only semi-flexible.

The panels tend to be light weight. This makes installation easy. Flexible panels are ideal for houses with an unusual roof, or for a car or RV. However, many complain about their short life spans and say the panels last only a year. This could be solved by looking at the different solar panels on sale, because some can last for years. Many say the panels have a high efficiency. However, they aren’t as good in temperatures as normal solar panels. Although there are some cons, there are also pros: it is the best option for vehicles. In the end, the decision is yours.



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Solar Panel

Information about Solar Panel

Solar Energy

If you’re looking for information about solar panel power, you’ve come to the right place. Solar panels work by converting sun light into power. They use the photovoltaic effect to do so. Thus, solar energy is both eco friendly and renewable. Renewable means that we never run out of it- because the suns light is infinite. Solar energy is eco-friendly because it causes no bad emissions. The panel produces more power as more sunlight reaches the panel, so it works best in sunny areas. Solar energy is an alternative to sources of energy like coal and fossil fuels. The pros far outweigh the cons, which means that more people than ever are now using solar energy. However, how do solar panels actually work?




information about solar panel

Information about Solar Panel

In reality, solar panels are quite simple to understand. Solar cells comprise the solar panels. There are two layers in the cell which have different charges. The upper layer has a negative charge, while the lower layer has a positive charge. Protons in the sunlight reach the cell. This activates electrons in the upper layer. When the electrons are activated, they begin to move from one layer to the next. The electrons then form a closed loop. The closed loop creates an electrical current.




The closed loop results in direct current electricity. However, direct current electricity can’t power homes or buildings. Thus, an inverter converts the electricity into alternating current electricity. The power that is created can be used, put into the grid, or stored in a battery. When the power is stored in a battery, it can be used during the night.

Solar panels are a great way of saving money. This is because you don’t have to pay for power. As an added benefit, solar panels are also eco friendly.




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Solar Panel

Transparent Solar Panel

The Future of Solar Panels

There are many things that are still to occur in solar power technology- not just the transparent solar panel. For example, solar panels are still not cheap enough to be a source of power for many households. This cost factor is a major reason why solar panels are not yet as used as they should be. Additionally, the panels can still be more efficient. Improved efficiency would get more people to buy solar panels, as they would produce more power.

Another change that could occur is solar panels that provide other functions. The ability to make a roof which is a giant solar panel would completely change the solar panel business. These solar panels would be more cost efficient, as they would be providing two functions in one. Also, it would be much more aesthetically pleasing to have a uniform roof made of solar panels, rather than having a few panels dotting the roof of a home.




Transparent solar panels would provide two functions in one. Firstly, they would be solar panels. Secondly, they could also be windows- which would make them much more practical and less of an eye sore than usual solar panels.

transparent solar panel

Transparent Solar Panel

The problem with creating a transparent solar panel is that solar panels absorb light. For a material to be transparent, the light has to pass through. However, in 2014, researchers at Michigan State University created a glass-like solar panel. It works by absorbing the solar rays we can’t see, while letting the rays we can see go through. The potential for this solar panel is huge. It could be used as a window or as a smartphone screen. Thus, this technology could enable us to use solar panels to charge our phones. This would be revolutionary. As a window, it would mean that every building could have solar panels without owners worrying about it looking ‘ugly’. As a screen for any sort of device, it would be an environmentally friendly way of charging.




Unfortunately, transparent solar panels are not freely available yet. However, transparent solar panels will revolutionize the solar power industry.

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Solar Panel

How Does a Solar Panel Work

Solar Energy 101

How does a solar panel work? Solar panels are photovoltaic (also known as PV). PV means that they convert sunlight into electricity. Also, solar energy is a renewable source of power. The panels have no bad emissions. Thus, they are an eco friendly alternative to sources of energy like coal. There are numerous advantages to solar power which far outweigh the disadvantages.

Nowadays, many governments subsidize costs of solar panels. They have also begun to reward people who use solar panels. These schemes include the Feed-in Tariff. These economic and eco friendly reasons mean that more people than ever are now interested in solar energy. Thus, solar panels are definitely a part of the future. However, the science of solar energy can be confusing. So how do they work?




how does a solar panel work

How Does a Solar Panel Work?

Solar panels work by relying on basic science. Solar panels are made up of solar cells, which have two layers. There is an imbalance between the layers. Protons access the cell through exposure to sunlight. The protons work to activate the electrons in the top layer of the cell. This forms a closed loop, which is when electrons move from one layer to the other, which forms power. This occurs because the layers have different charges. The top layer has a negative charge, while the bottom layer has a positive charge.




Solar panels create direct current electricity. Direct current electricity (DC) has a fixed voltage and current. However, buildings can’t use it. An inverter converts the electricity into alternating current electricity (AC). AC power has a changing voltage and current. AC electricity is what we use in the home and other buildings. Unused power can go into the grid to power other buildings. A battery can also store the power for use during the night.




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