How Are Solar Panels Designed

Solar photovoltaic system or solar power system is one of renewable energy system which uses pv modules to convert sunlight into electricity.

How are solar panels designed.

The electricity generated can be either stored or used directly fed back into grid line or combined with one or more other electricity generators or more renewable energy source. Solar panel output is expressed in units of watts w and represents the panel s theoretical power production under ideal sunlight and temperature conditions. Solar cells are made out of silicon wafers. Simply put a solar panel works by allowing photons or particles of light to knock electrons free from atoms generating a flow of electricity.

First there s the panel itself. These individual cells are connected together to make one solar panel. When light passes through these solar cells they set the electron present in them to move this effect is known as a photovoltaic effect. All solar panels are rated by the amount of dc direct current power they produce under standard test conditions.

A solar or photovoltaic pv module generally consists of 36 interconnected cells laminated to glass within an aluminum frame. In turn one or more of these modules may be wired and framed together to form a solar panel. Solar panels consist of silicon cells connected in an array mounted on a rigid metal frame. According to solar world a leading manufacturer of solar panels its process involves soldering six strings of ten cells each making a rectangle of 60 cells.

These are made out of the element silicon a hard and brittle crystalline solid that is the second most abundant element in the earth s crust after. Typically solar panel systems are designed to cover 100 or less of annual usage to maximize the financial benefits but if you are planning to increase your energy use in the near future for example if you are planning to buy an electric car or converting from oil to electric heat pumps you might consult with your solar consultant to estimate your expected energy demand in order to design a system that better matches that use profile. Solar panels actually comprise many smaller units.