What is a Photovoltaic Solar Cell?

Solar Power How It Works To Power Your Home

There are two main types of solar power, solar thermal and photovoltaic. Solar thermal uses the sun light’s infrared energy to either heat a liquid or to warm a mass of material that will later on release its stored heat. Harnessing solar thermal energy involves building a house in such a way to collect the sun’s heat during the day and radiate it into the home during the evening. However, in the summer time the house’s construction uses mass to keep the sun’s heat out of the home.

5 kw residential photovoltaic systems

Solar photovoltaic energy converting sun light into electrical energy. The most commonly associated component are the photovoltaic panels or solar panels that you see mounted on roofs.

This article will be focusing on how photovoltaic solar power (solar panels) and systems work.

Why are solar photovoltaic panels always on the south (or north) side of the roof?

In order to get the maximum electrical output from photovoltaic panels they need to be oriented to solar south in the northern hemisphere and solar north in the southern hemisphere. Solar north and solar south are the same as magnetic or compass north or south. There is about a fifteen degree difference between them.

Most solar photovoltaic panels are set at home latitude plus fifteen degrees or home latitude minus fifteen degrees. Depending on if you want a summer or winter bias to the angle of the solar panels. In higher latitudinal areas it makes more sense to have the photovoltaic panels set on a winter bias, so that during the winter the solar panels still get enough sun light to produce electricity.

How does a photovoltaic cell produce electricity?

A solar panel consists of a collection of photovoltaic cells. Each photovoltaic cell is made up of silicon wafer. Silicon in its pure state is a poor electrical conductor. During the manufacturing process, an impurity is added to the silicon so that when the photons (light) strikes the wafer electrons are released and create electrical current.

The type of electrical current produced by a solar panel is a low voltage direct current, or DC, typically in the range of six to twenty four volts. Photovoltaic panels have a nominal output voltage of 12 volts and an effective operating voltage of 17 or more volts.

A solar panel’s electrical output is affected by several factors. They are angle of the photovoltaic panels to the sun, time of day, time of the year and weather conditions. Solar photovoltaic panels produce more electricity during the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead compared to the early morning and late evening when the sun light is striking the solar panel at a shallow angle.

Components of a residential solar power system

A residential solar power system consists of four components are: photovoltaic panels, charging controller, battery pack and an inverter. The photovoltaic panels convert sun light into electricity. The electricity is sent to the charging controller who keeps the battery pack fully charged, but not over charged. The battery pack sends the electricity to the inverter who converts the DC voltage to household AC at 120 volts and 60 hertz.

Photovoltaic panel

The output of a solar panel is stated in watts. The wattage is stated is typically for peak sun hours. Since the amount of sun light varies through the course of a day, to level out the variations the peak sun hours has been adopted by most manufactures to help installers and customer’s compare different solar panel models.

Suppose a solar panel is rated for 100 watts and an average of six peak sun hours is available per day. Then the solar panel would produce 100 watts * 6 peak hours = 600 watt hours of electricity or 0.6 kilo watt hours (KWh).

Charging controller

Charging controller or charge regulator controls the charging of the battery pack. It continually monitors the battery pack’s charge state. If the batteries are low, it will send electricity from the solar panels to the batteries. It also prevents over charging of the battery pack.

Don’t allow someone to convince you that a charging controller is not really required. Directly connecting the photovoltaic panels to the battery pack can permanently damage the batteries and possibly cause them to explode.

Battery pack

The battery pack’s purpose is to store electricity generated by the solar panels during the day and then at night or during extremely cloudy days provide electricity to the inverter.

The battery pack typically consists of lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries are relatively inexpensive and readily available. There are many different types, sizes and capacities of batteries available. The most popular are gel cell and AGM deep cycle batteries because they are maintenance free and last a lot longer than wet cell lead acid batteries.

The most important thing to remember about the batteries is that the need to be deep cycle. Deep cycle batteries are designed to be discharged then recharged hundreds if not thousands of times. A deep cycle battery is designed to discharged to nearly empty, but not completely and then be slowly recharged over time. A common mistake for home owners is to think that they can use automotive batteries instead of deep cycle batteries. Car batteries are shallow cycle batteries. They are designed to discharge a lot of current quickly and then be immediately recharged.

Inverter

An inverter converts the DC electricity stored in the battery pack into household 120V AC. Almost everything in your home is powered by 120V electricity. Things like table lamps, freezer, lights, motors, dishwasher, and so on.

There are two main types of inverters sine wave and modified sine wave. The power company provides electricity as a sine wave. The electricity’s charge value goes smoothly from positive 120V to 0V to negative 120V and then back up to 0V and finally up to positive 120V. Then the cycle begins all over again. The time it takes to go through the entire cycle is one second.

Modified sine wave is also known as a square wave. Here the electricity’s charge value goes from positive 120V to negative -120 volts in effectively zero seconds.

Most household devices will function on a modified sine wave power. Light bulbs and motors will work, just not quite as efficiently as they would on sine wave electricity. However, there are some electronic devices that will not work on square wave electricity. It will be necessary to check with the manufacture to determine if the device will work on square wave electricity.

Now you have a basic understanding of solar power how it works to power your home. Now you have enough information about how solar power works to determine if it is a technology that you would want to invest in for your house.

By: Wilhelm Williams –

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Want more information on solar power installer? Try visiting www.homesolarpowerguide.com, a popular website that offers tips, advice and resources related to solar power. By Willhelm at homesolarpowerguide.com

photovoltaic installation procedures

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Answers to “What are the benefits of using solar power?”

Solar Power
by: Andrew Palmer 7eb

Solar power is becoming more and more popular as the oil prices keep increasing. Our demand on our natural resources such as coal, oil and gas continues to grown on a daily basis worldwide. Not to mention what these types of fuels are doing to global warming and air pollution. So, and maybe even save our earth.

Solar power is known to be one of the cleanest renewable energies around today. How solar power works is by photovoltaic tiles. These tiles change the sunlight into a form of electricity that can be used to heat our homes and even help our gardens grow.

What happens in essence is that the tiles are created with pieces of positive and negative silicon that is place under a thin piece of glass. The sunlight hitting the tiles causes the neutrons to move off of the silicon. The neutrons that are negatively charged are stuck to the silicon by the magnetic field that is caused because of the reaction. Then an electric current is formed. Then this current is passed to the area in which we wish to heat through as inverter which converts it to electrical power for us to use in our homes. This solar power can be used just like electricity for lamps, televisions, and of course heat.

Many people in the United States are now adding solar power to different areas of their homes, such as basements, sunrooms, or their entire home. These solar panels are not very hard to install but may be expensive according to how large the panels need to be and how they need to be installed.

Many states throughout the United States are now giving tax incentives to individuals and companies that wish to covert to solar power. You can find out more by talking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Energy.

Many schools throughout the national are now converting to solar power. This is a great way to save money for our school systems. Many schools have very high electric bills, due to the electricity that is being used on a daily basis to light the class rooms, keep our children warm during the winter and cool during the summer. This money that is being spent on electricity can soon be spent on better educating our children.

About The Author

Andrew Palmer maintain http://www.solar-panels.cc, an online source of information about solar power and renewable energy.

renewable energy sources over the years

Solar Power for Everyone

Our friend Ben has ranted about this before, but having just received an e-mail from the Mother Earth News with the subject line “Is solar power right for you?” has inspired me to rant about it again.

Growth of solar power for homes

One of the most frequently touched upon news subjects recently has been the extent to which solar power for homes has been growing.

Is Solar Power Right for You?

Would solar power be a good choice for your home? In some cases, purchasing solar panels now can add up to big savings over time. But whether solar makes sense for you depends on a lot of different factors, including how sunny your house is.

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Solar Energy What Does It Mean?

ho Uses Solar Energy? A Look At The New Faces Behind Solar Energy Usage

Solar power has received a warm reception since the turn of the century, becoming one of the most popular ways to help save the planet by finding alternatives to the use of precious, limited natural resources, as well as to cut conventional energy costs.

cost of solar to power all of us

Most of us are familiar with the dark blue and silver solar panels found in industrial or civic applications, such as atop radio towers or highway call boxes, or those used to power a local university research laboratory or rural telemetry device.

While industrial applications continue to comprise a large percentage of modern solar panel use, there are a variety of applications that have emerged within the pubic sector and are gaining momentum for their convenience, cost saving efficiency, and environmental friendliness.

Many private home owners are adopting solar power, which is attractive for its ability to significantly reduce monthly energy bills in a time of rapidly rising rates, and for its statement about the owners’ commitment to a greener earth. For modern homeowners, a set of solar panels and accompanying components can perform a variety of functions, from powering a specific item such as a pool heater or mechanical well to serving as a substitute for conventional electric power.

This latter application is enjoying a widespread popularity these days, allowing homeowners to kiss costly energy bills goodbye and in some cases even add their own generated power to the city’s grid, resulting in profit.

Many recreational vehicle owners find that installing solar panels not only saves on energy costs but helps to ensure uninterrupted service.

Following this trend, many mobile devices such as cell phones have spawned solar accessories like solar powered battery chargers to help consumers take advantage of natural, abundant sunlight to make their lives easier and more affordable.

On a larger scale, modern real estate developers are turning to solar panels to help attract conscientious renters; "green" buildings are becoming a popular incentive for many urbanites who wish to reap the benefits of modern city living while working and playing day to day without pollution, waste, and expensive electric bills.

While there are a vast number of applications for solar panels and accessories, you can determine whether solar energy is right for your project by considering your daily load requirements and spending a little time to get familiar with solar energy system components. Chances are, if your application sees sunlight, it can function efficiently, cleanly, and cheaply with the use of solar power.

By: Andy Bauer

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Andy Bauer is a tech writer for West Florida Components, a retailer of electronic components, solar panels, and supplies.

Use Solar Energy

The sun’s amazing power is waiting to be tapped. You can find detailed information on homemade solar energy at W3Reviews. This online guide can help you build your own solar panels and reduce your energy bills.

How do Solar Panels Save Money

The less energy you use, the greater impact your solar power system will have on your wallet and the planet. This article will teach you about energy efficient lighting and appliances.

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U.S. Could be Fossil Fuel Free in 10 Years

Gore Says U.S. Could be Fossil Fuel-Free in 10 Years

During a speech given this week in Washingon, Al Gore said that America must end its dependence on fossil fuel, and soon….or else.

By Anastacia Mott Austin

“I don’t remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously,” said Al Gore in a speech this week in Washington, in which he urged political leaders to lead the way in eliminating America’s dependence on carbon-based fuels.

Comparing the goal to completely get rid of the country’s dependence on fossil fuels to President John F. Kennedy’s vow to get America to the moon, Gore said he believes it is possible to accomplish a carbon-free country within 10 years.

He proposes to do this by changing our focus to alternative sources of fuel, such as wind or solar power. During the speech, Gore claimed that the wind that blows across the prairies of the Midwest United States every day could provide enough power to fuel the country’s energy needs, and that enough solar power hits the surface of the earth in 40 minutes to power the entire world for a year.

Sounds good, but can we accomplish this? Gore seems to think so. We just need to change our way of thinking about energy. “This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative. It represents a challenge to all Americans, in every walk of life, to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and to every citizen.”

He points the finger at politicians. “We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet,” said Gore, criticizing defenders of the status quo. “Every bit of that’s got to change.”

Citizens who may have ignored Gore even a few months ago are starting to sit up and take notice, as the effects of soaring fuel prices and food costs, combined with increasing unemployment and the crash of the housing market are making themselves felt in many households.

Gore said that focusing on non-carbon sources of fuel like solar and wind power would return energy costs to the equivalent of $1.00 per gallon of gas.

Senator Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, had words of praise for Gore and his speech. “For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat,” said Obama.

Gore cited the recent report on fuel and food costs sparking a worldwide crisis, which would imperil national security and create international wars over food and water.

Gore said that his idea for non-carbon energy concerned not just the issue of global warming, but of the future of our nation as an economic and policy leader, something which has been seen as increasingly shaky. Changing our national focus on energy to sun and wind power is imperative, he said.

Indeed, he used no less than dramatic terms to describe his view. “The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. The future of human civilization is at stake.”

By Buzzle Staff and Agencie

Global Warming

Gore told us that more CO2 in the atmosphere meant higher temperatures. That was the huge technical error in his movie. More recent Antarctic studies, on more refined time scales, have shown that instead of causing warming, the CO2 levels … We must face the fact that the earth is now cooling, and any drastic actions to reduce fossil fuel emissions are premature.

Free us from our addiction to oil

What Al Gore is doing is tremendously important and not juist for his country, even tho it is the biggest oil addict in the world. the whole world needs to get off its oil addiction and also fossil fuel profligacy.

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How Much Does Solar Power Cost?

Solar Energy Costs

There is an ever increasing need for solutions to the energy demands of our day. Solutions that will require more efficient, environment friendly, and cost effective energy. Solar energy meets that criteria and should be considered by every homeowner, old and new.

Affordable Solar Energy

The cost of obtaining solar energy is decreasing. The cost of solar energy systems and the cost of solar energy panels is more reachable than ever before. Essentially, the cost of solar energy panels is less in price and produce more electricity. This is only natural to occur seeing the trend of technology. Things such as the cost of installing solar energy starts off expensive and then gradually drops. The cost of solar wind generators can be found for less than $800.00, while an the cost of an entire solar energy system can be purchased for less than $12,000.00.

how is solar energy renewable

The years of the big spenders having the solar energy is pretty much over. Prices of solar energy have come down to earth so that even the normal everyday homeowner can get it on it.Residential solar energy costs are getting lower all the time.

Costs of solar energy will involve the purchase of solar energy panels which can generate 50-500 watts a piece, the solar energy generator for transforming solar energy into electricity usable by the homeowners. Solar energy panels can power many things in your home. Think about all your lights, and their individual wattage. Calculate the watts generated by a solar panel. These are some of the things you need to think about. A home solar energy system can be explained by a professional, as they assess your needs.

Their are many things you can do to put into practice for saving energy. If you do not have a home yet, pick up some of the energy saving light bulbs that all utility companies offer for free! Leave your AC on when needed, and program it in cycles when you’re not at home. There are appliances, lights, computers that can be turned off or on low to conserve energy. When you do get that dream home, your mindset will be energy saving and hopefully by using solar energy!

y joseph young
Published: 7/29/2008

approximate cost of solar energy plants

Electricity Saving Tips

Probably the easiest and most cost-efficient is DIY Solar Power. You can pretty easily make a solar power system yourself, so the price is not too high. And it will pay back for the costs in no time!

California Solar Power

Although it is expensive to set up solar panels, the state government provides a 30 percent tax credit for new systems. There is only a $5 to $10 utilities charge per month, and the costs of connecting to the power grid are included in cost.

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Howto Build Your Own Solar Energy

Build Your Own Solar Panels and Start to Make Free Energy

With ever decreasing energy resources such as oil, natural gas and coal, changing climates and global warming, more and more people are looking for alternative fuels and renewable forms of energy to help them save money and reduce their personal carbon footprint. When you build your own solar panels to provide power for your home you not only help the environment but you also make free energy which can save you a fortune on utility bills.

Solar power for homes used to be very expensive, and getting a professional installation could still cost you thousands of dollars and take years to see a return on your investment. However it is now possible to build your own solar panels and provide homemade solar power for far less than it would have previously cost you in the past. This is thanks to solar panel kits and the detailed instruction guides that are now widely available.

Homemade solar power used to consist of small panels that did not produce the wattage necessary to power more than a few lights or some of the smaller appliances around the home. These days with the improvements in the whole solar power systems the most effective way to provide solar power for homes (if you can’t afford a professional installation) is to build your own solar panels with the aid of a solar panel kit. These homemade solar power kits come with everything you need to successfully build your own solar panels so that you can make free energy for your home.

how to generate solar energy

These solar panel kits are easy to find thanks to the internet, companies like GE are producing these kits and the build your own solar panels sets are very affordable and will help you to see a quicker return on your initial outlay, as well as allowing you to make free energy for your home in a very short time. With just a few minutes surfing of the internet you will be able to find dozens of kits available at differing prices.

You can also find detailed guides and instruction manuals on the internet that allow you to build your own solar panels from start to finish. With these guides to follow you can produce solar power for homes by making your own personalised solar power system with parts that you can buy at local hardware stores.

This way may take you a little longer as you have to buy all the parts you will need but it can work out even cheaper than the kits, and as they are very easy to follow anyone can put their own system together quickly and easily. Plus at the finish you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have produced your very own homemade solar power.

So if you want to make free energy for your home as well as doing your bit for the environment by reducing your personal carbon footprint you should build your own solar panels. By producing your own homemade solar power you will soon be saving a fortune as well.

Discover how to Make Free Energy for your home with detailed guides that show you exactly how. http://homeenergysecrets.com/reviews.html

By mike legg
Published: 2/13/2009

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Dollars to Power All of United States With Solar

Save a Ton of Cash With Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is great for the environment. But did you know that you can also save a ton of cash as well? And you can start using renewable energy for less than $200. How? Let’s find out…

The market of renewable energy has shown tremendous growth during the past few years and for good reason. Green energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels not only help the environment, but they can also save you a lot of cash. The reason why these forms of energy have grown in use is because they have become much more affordable. But there is just one catch. If you want to use renewable energy for an affordable price then you have to make it yourself. This may seem like a daunting task but it can actually be very simple. Read on and I guarantee you will agree with me!

So you think that making your own natural power is basically impossible? Then be my guest and spend anywhere from $20,000-$30,000 on professionally installed solar panels. Or if you are lucky maybe you can find a wind turbine for $15,000. My point is that you need to have an open mind when it comes to using renewable energy or you will never be able to use it yourself.

costs fo solar energy

With the help of a DIY homemade green energy guide you can build you own natural power source for as little as $200 in just two days. A guide will allow you to follow detailed instructions and diagrams making the building process very easy. A guide will also tell you how to obtain many necessary materials for free. Talk about easy!

In only a month your new natural power source will pay for itself. After that you will be saving hundreds of dollars every single month! Going green has never been so cheap and easy. What are you waiting for?

Is it the fact that you don’t know where to get a reliable DIY homemade green energy guide? If this is the case, don’t worry about it! I’ve done the hard work for you. All you have to do is click here!

By Max Loodlin
Published: 8/11/2008

DIY Solar Power

One of the big benefits of solar power systems is their diversity. You can apply Solar power in many different ways in and around your house, or even your company if you like. Some you may have heard of, while others you probably never heard of.

Solar and Wind Power Can Save You Money

Every person that uses residential solar power also reduces the demand on our non-renewable resources which will make them last longer. A good solar powered home is also more valuable.

Solar Power, How You Can Save Power At Home

Nowadays the economy is down the drain, and energy prizes are unstable. What better time than this to get a big cut back on you electricity bill.. Or even make money selling your surplus energy back to the power company!

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Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding the content in this website, about the products that are mentioned, or just any questions at all don’t hesitate to contact me at the following address. I’d also love to hear any feedback on the site if you’ve found it helpful or have some ideas about how I can improve the site in some way.

Please contact me at admin@affordabelsolarpower.org!

I will reply to all messages as soon as possible.
The Affordabel Solar Power Team

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About Us

Affordable Solar Power .org is dedicated to providing quality information on the subject of solar power and products that are affordable for residential or business use.

Here you will find helpful reviews, informative information and tips and much more. This site is in the format of a ‘weblog’ so that each time I post new information, it will come to the top of the front page. This means that you can check back here frequently to see new updates to the information found here.

You can navigate through the site by using the menus on the sides of the page. Also don’t hesitate to follow the links you see in bold throughout each post to learn more about the product being spoken about.

I hope you find the information I provide valuable and helpful.

All the best,
The Affordable Solar Power Team