Posts Tagged ‘solar cell efficiency’

Efficiency of Solar Cells

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

The silicon solar cell has been around for more than half a century, and in that time it has made significant steps in terms of efficiency. Bell Labs released the first silicon solar cell on April 25, 1954. This solar cell was able to convert about 6% of the solar energy it collected to electricity.

This was a major improvement over the selenium solar cell, which had been the standard ahead of the introduction of the silicon solar cell. Selenium solar cells only converted around 0.5% of the sun’s energy.

Most research on solar cells since that time has focused primarily on improving efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs. Cells with as much as 40% efficiency have been created using rare materials. However, using such materials substantially increases the cost of producing cells; these high-performance cells can cost over 100 times as much as ordinary 8% efficient cells to produce. In order to encourage the use of solar power, reducing production cost might be an even more important goal than improving efficiency.

The total amount of power provided by the sun under ideal conditions is about 1,000 watts per square meter. This figure is the standard for defining the output of a specific solar cell. Sunlight intensity can be affected by things like dust, pollution, elevation, and weather. Sunlight intensity can even be reduced on a worldwide scale and over extended periods of time due to events such as volcanic eruptions. Elevation has an effect on solar cell efficiency in that higher elevation actually leads to greater efficiency. This is because, as elevation gets higher, the air gets thinner, and the effects of dust and pollution are reduced.

Currently, multicrystalline solar cells produce at approximately 14-19% efficiency. However, as mature technology, this kind of cell is thought to be near its maximum in terms of output capability. Amorphous silicon cells, on the other hand, although presently around 8% efficient, are generally thought to be the next big thing in solar cell technology.

Even without any huge improvements in solar cell efficiency, the goal of replacing fossil fuel-based energy production with solar power isn’t unthinkable. To supply all of the electricity currently produced in the US, it would take a little more than 10,000 square miles of solar panels. Even now, there is enough unused desert in the US to accomplish this purpose.

Solar power also requires power storage in order to work in an acceptable way, as a source of power that can be used at night is also necessary. This requirement is usually satisfied through the use of batteries. Even during the day, when solar panels are generating electricity, batteries can help with the task of meeting increased demand, at times when many people are using their air conditioners.

Since they were first introduced, solar cells have improved substantially in terms of efficiency, from 0.5% to as high as 40%. Although the efficiency of mass-production solar cells is not expected to improve significantly in the short term, solar cell prices continue to decrease.

If you want to install your own solar power system, you must think about the kind of roof panel that you are going to utilize. For further info about roof solar panels, kindly visit Roof Solar Panels.

If you are interested in building your own solar panel, check out these step-by-step guides Build Solar Panel and GreenDIY Energy Review.

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Solar Panels For Your Roof

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Before you make the jump to a solar power system, there are a few important things to consider.  The sheer variety of roof solar panels available today can be overwhelming. Roof solar panels can offer a number of different benefits, and it’s worth getting to know some of the different kinds that are available.

All roof solar panels have a transparent exterior which allows sunlight to pass through and strike the solar cells inside.  DC electricity is produced by these solar cells when they’re struck by sunlight.  It’s possible to generate any amount of voltage you’d like by wiring together the right number of solar cells.  The DC electricity is then sent to an inverter, which is in most cases located in the vicinity of the home’s electrical panel, where it is then turned into the AC electricity used by appliances in the home.  Power that isn’t needed can then be sent back to the grid.  When this happens, the electric meter is reversed, and the power company will provide a credit for the power provided.  For the times at which the roof solar panels aren’t generating electricity, such as in overcast conditions, the homeowner has a couple of options.  One solution is to have batteries, which are charged by the system during the day and then take over as the main power source when the sun goes down. To know what type of solar power battery is the best to use, visit Solar Power Battery.

 

Otherwise, it’s possible to use power from the grid whenever the solar power system isn’t generating enough.  The cost of installing a battery bank is almost always recouped before too long, as it provides significant savings. If you are interested to learn about the different types of power inverters, check out Solar Power Inverter.

It’s important to pick the right roof solar panels.  Some work more efficiently than others.  With the same amount of sunlight exposure, two different roof solar panels can produce vastly different amounts of power.  A system with efficient solar panels will be able to produce the same amount of power with fewer panels.

Durability is also important.  For one thing, the durability of the enclosure is crucial.  The solar cells inside the enclosures are very fragile and require protection from the elements.  If the enclosure isn’t well made, it won’t be able to guard the cells from all of the dangers it will likely be exposed to.  If cells are damaged repeatedly, the cost of replacing them can quickly snowball.  The reliability of the solar cells themselves is also something to consider.

Solar cells differ in how they’re built and, as a result, the benefits they offer.  The two main types of solar cells are monocrystalline cells and polycrystalline cells.  The superior of the two in terms of quality is the monocrystalline solar cell.  Their durability and performance are greater than those of polycrystalline cells.  Monocrystalline cells are worth the increased cost for these reasons.  If you want to learn about solar cell efficiency, check out Solar Cell Efficiency.

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New Breakthroughs in Home Solar Panel Efficiency

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

The average homeowner can reduce or eliminate their annual electricity bill by installing a solar power system. They will never again have to worry about another electric bill if they install a properly sized solar panel array. Though easily installed, some homeowners can have problems that prevent them from getting the most return on their investment. However, many of these issues can be overcome with recent innovations and improvements in solar technology.  These innovations can be useful whether you are using purchased solar panels or a Do It Yourself solar panel.

Their home’s orientation to the sun is probably the largest concern for most homeowners. Homes must have a side that faces south in order for solar panels to operator at peak efficiency. This ensures that the solar panels have a good amount of sun exposure throughout the day, as the sun travels across the sky. In years past, this was a major concern as the older panels had a very specific need for constant sun exposure. Power output could be significantly affected if positioning was just a little off.

Modern solar panels solve this problem by using more efficient solar cells in their construction. Besides producing more electricity with similar amount of sunlight, these newer solar cells can also tolerate a more severe angle relative to the sun. Many locations that were not good choices for solar power before can now be used because of this wider tolerance. So, these newer solar cells are ideal for installations there is less than perfect alignment. These newer solar panels can still generate a lot of power even when they are out of a traditional alignment with the sun and also do a great job in periods of diminished sunlight as well.  Because these newer solar panels don’t need to pointing directly at the sun all the time, they don’t need to be turned during the day like a lot of older panels.  This makes them well suited to a homediy solar panel project.

This is a vast improvement over older cells that required a strong consistent amount of sunlight to produce power. Because of this, older panels were inactive when the sun was rising in the morning and setting in the late afternoon. Even though there was sunlight, they could not produce power because the sunlight was not of a sufficient level to get them started. Newer panels will produce power proportional to the amount of sun even during these periods of lower amounts of sunlight. This means they will produce their maximum output during the day when the sun is brightest and will still produce power in lesser amounts when less sunlight is present. So, these more modern solar panels can produce more average power per day and therefore more total power through the year. The additional power this will provide can add significant savings and allow the homeowner to justify a solar power system for their home.

Among the many ways to increase the resale value of your home, a solar power system is one of the best.  A solar power system is sure to increase the value of your home whether it provides all of the power needs for your house or only provides a supplement to power provided by the electric company.  A simple diy solar charger can be a great first solar project.

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Recent Home Solar Panel Breakthroughs

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Many homeowners can save a lot of money each year by using a solar power system to reduce or eliminate their electricity bill. If they install a properly sized solar panel array they can easily generate all of their power from sunlight and never have to worry about another utility bill again. Though easily installed, some homeowners can have problems that prevent them from getting the most return on their investment. However, many of these issues can be overcome with recent innovations and improvements in solar technology.  These innovations can be useful whether you are using purchased solar panels or a DIY solar panel.

Their home’s orientation to the sun is probably the largest concern for most homeowners. For solar power systems to operate at peak efficiencies, a home has to have a roof that faced south if they were located in the northern hemisphere. This ensures that the solar panels have a good amount of sun exposure throughout the day, as the sun travels across the sky. Older panels had a very specific need to constant sun exposure for most of the day. If their positioning was even a little bit off, it could have a major impact on the amount of power they could generate

More efficient solar cells in modern panels solves this problem. Besides producing more electricity with similar amount of sunlight, these newer solar cells can also tolerate a more severe angle relative to the sun. Many locations that were not good choices for solar power before can now be used because of this wider tolerance. This makes them a perfect fit for installations that have a lees than perfect alignment for maximum solar power generation. These newer solar panels can still generate a lot of power even when they are out of a traditional alignment with the sun and also do a great job in periods of diminished sunlight as well.  These newer panels don’t have to be rotated during the data to point directly at the sun.  This makes them well suited to a homebuild solar panel install.

This is quite an advantage over older panels that had to have a lot of consistent sun in order ot produce electricity. Because of this limitation they were inactive in the early morning and late afternoon hours when the sun was rising and setting. The amount of sun at these times doesn’t cross the electricity production threshold required by these older panels. Newer panels will produce power proportional to the amount of sun even during these periods of lower amounts of sunlight. This means they will produce their maximum output during the day when the sun is brightest and will still produce power in lesser amounts when less sunlight is present. Because they are able to produce more power for a longer time each day, these newer solar panels can produce more total power each year. The additional power this will provide can add significant savings and allow the homeowner to justify a solar power system for their home.

One of the best ways to increase the resale value of your home is with a solar power system.  A solar power system is sure to increase the value of your home whether it provides all of the power needs for your house or only provides a supplement to power provided by the electric company.  A simple diy solar charger will get you started in the right direction.

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