To make a solar panel, you need solar cells.
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But what are solar cells?
Solar cells are those little squares and rectangles that cover the surface of your solar panels – and they hold the most important materials necessary to generate electricity.
This article will explore the most frequently asked questions about solar cells we hear from homeowners today.
What does a solar cell do?
If you asked a solar cell what it did for a living, it wouldn’t stretch the truth too far if it claimed to be a magician. Using a process known as the photovoltaic effect, solar cells convert sunlight into electricity – which, on paper, can sound almost like sorcery. In performing this “trick” over and over again, however, solar cells do not use magic so much as they use reliable scientific processes to convert energy found in sunlight into electricity that can be used in your home.
Learn more: What is Solar Energy?
How do solar cells work?
In solar energy systems with rigid, rooftop solar panels, as well as thin-film solar panel sheets, solar cells work through the same three steps, converting sunlight into electricity and generating emission-free power.
How solar cells work, step by step, is as follows:
- Capture sunlight: From tens of millions of miles away, sunlight reaches the earth in the form of “photons,” which are essentially tiny particles of pure solar energy. Solar cells absorb these photons with their semiconductor materials.
- Get energized: When these semiconducting materials (such as silicon) absorb the photons, negatively charged electrons are dislodged or “freed” and then move around inside the solar cells towards positively charged protons.
- Export power: These flowing electrons create an electric current that exits the solar cell, joins production from adjacent panels, and is exported to your home, a battery, or the power grid.
Learn more: How Does Solar Energy Work?
How many solar cells are in a solar panel?
Solar panels designed for homes usually contain 60 solar cells, and solar panels designed for commercial buildings typically have 72 solar cells. Of course, in the wide world of solar energy products today, there are also panels manufactured with 32, 36, 48, and 96 solar cell configurations, and even modules with 120 or 144 “half-cut” cells that effectively double the solar cell count of a 60 or 72-cell solar panel.
When designing your solar energy system, remember that a higher solar cell count doesn’t necessarily translate into more efficient electricity generation or a larger amount of electricity. Instead, cell count has much more to do with the physical size of each panel for the sake of production, transportation, the manufacturing process, and installation feasibility.
For example, while large solar farms with ample ground space can theoretically use panels with as many solar cells as possible, a residential roof with multiple faces and obstruction will likely require smaller, 60-cell solar panels to fit into the usable installation space.
Learn more: How Much Roof Space Is Needed For Home Solar Panels?
What are solar cells made of?
Silicon solar cells are one of the most popular types of solar cells, and represent approximately 95% of the solar panels installed today to generate photovoltaic solar electricity. Produced with the second most abundant element on earth, silicon solar cells are categorized as either monocrystalline or polycrystalline, both of which can deliver multiple decades of efficient solar power generation.
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of solar cell materials:
Although CdTe and Perovskite materials only make up a small fraction of the US solar market today, they are among the two most popular solar cell technologies currently in research and development for higher efficiency materials.
With worldwide efforts accelerating solar cell efficiency significantly over the last several decades, solar cell technology only stands to continue its trajectory upward toward higher efficiencies, lower costs, and increased sustainability, helping to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels.
Solar Cells: Summary and Key Takeaways
In summary, solar cells may come in a wide variety of sizes, types, and packages, but they are all designed to do one simple thing: save you money with green energy. While most homes today utilize high-efficiency 60-cell monocrystalline solar panels (and will likely do so for some time), continuous improvements in the industry may diversify the solar cell technology available to consumers in the future.
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- Solar panels are constructed with dozens of solar cells to capture sunlight and produce electricity.
- Silicon semiconductors power most solar cells today in monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV panels.
- Solar cell efficiency has been increasing steadily for decades and will likely continue to improve with new technologies and breakthroughs.
Harnessing renewable sources of energy has always been a popular idea on a commercial level, but the good news is that it is slowly becoming a viable option at an individual level too. You can install a solar panel on your roof and take the advantage of solar energy, thus reducing your dependence on an electrical system or power grids. If you are planning on installing solar panels on your roof, keep the following points in mind.
1. Determine if Solar Panels Would Benefit your House
Before you even begin the process of choosing and installing solar panels, you must determine if it is indeed beneficial for your house to have a solar panel installation. Analyze the requirements and parameters before you install anything. If the required parameters are not met, it would defeat the purpose of installing the solar panels.
Consider your roof structure, its direction and the kind of shade it receives throughout the year. If your roof receives a good amount of direct sunlight for the most part of the year, it would be a good idea of install solar panels. If you have huge trees surrounding your roof, there will be a lot of shade, thus preventing the panels from harnessing solar energy even if there is good sunlight throughout the day. Make sure that panels are placed in a manner that they do not accumulate any debris that would obstruct the panels from receiving proper sunlight.
2. Determine the Consumption Rate
A quick study of your energy bills will help you determine how much electricity you consume. If the consumption is less, a small solar system would suffice and vice versa. Monitor your electrical consumption carefully and set the solar harnessing plan accordingly.
An average solar cell approximately provides 0.5 volts and an entire solar panel generally consists of 36 - 72 solar cells. Estimate the number of panels you would need to meet your total electricity consumption per day, month or year.
3. Types of Solar Panel
Two dominant solar technologies available in the market are
a) Photovoltaic - Uses arrays of cells to convert sunlight into electricity
b) Thermal - Uses sunlight to heat air or water for use
Based on whether you need to generate electricity or need to heat water or air, you can choose either of the solar technologies.
Next comes choosing the solar panels, which are mainly categorized into two types-
• Mono crystalline which has a blackish tinge
• Poly crystalline which has an overall bluish hue, with the shades of blue differing from cell to cell.
Examine each option carefully and measure solar panel’s efficiency to determine which solar panel would benefit you.
4. Warranty Details
Generally, solar panels can last up to 25 years under ordinary circumstances. Make sure you purchase from a reputed supplier as you can be guaranteed of long lasting performance without too many problems down the road.
Go for a solar set-up which is secured under a warranty period. Don’t forget to ask for a warranty certificate so that you can be assured of being insured in case there is any kind of malfunction or issue with the solar panels.
5. Cost of the Setup
Determine how much it would cost you to purchase and install the entire solar set up. The more powerful the panel is, the more expensive it would be per panel, however, they may prove to be cheaper overall if you consider the installation and output that they would produce. Solar panels help in reducing your dependency on electricity from the power grid, which helps in saving money in the long run. Set aside a budget, request your suppliers to outline all the possible options for you and get several quotes from various companies so that you can have a better understanding of all the available options.
Choose the solar panel that is best suited for your home instead of opting for the popular ones. Look at various options before finalizing one.
Author Bio: Jeson Pitt works with the marketing department of D&F Liquidators and regularly writes to share his knowledge while enlightening people about electrical products and solving their electrical dilemmas. He's got the industry insights that you can count on along with years of experience in the field. Jeson lives in Hayward, CA and loves to explore different cuisines that the food trucks in the Bay area have to offer.
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