PV Panels - All About Photovoltaic Panels

The Benefits Of Installing Photovoltaic Panels

Today more and more people have started using renewable energy and of all the forms of renewable energy, solar power is very popular and well-liked by the people. Scientists have projected that if we make use of just 0.02% of solar energy, which is available to us, then we can completely substitute fossil fuels. To use the power of solar energy, Photovoltaic Panels are used. A photovoltaic cell is used for converting the sun's energy into electricity, which can then be utilized by home appliances.

Photovoltaic Panes - A Brief History

In 1839, the procedure of creating electricity from solar radiation was discovered by a scientist named Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel. The name of this process is photovoltaic effect. Following its discovery, over the next century, many people experimented with this process. Two researchers who were working in Bell Laboratories developed the first photovoltaic cell in the early 1950's. This technology has since been gaining popularity gradually and it is presently being used in a variety of electronic devices from simple calculators to hi-tech satellites.

It is widely accepted that photovoltaic cells can offer a lot of benefits. These panels were even installed on the Whitehouse in 1979 by Jimmy Carter, who was then the President. However, Ronald Reagan who was his successor, later took them off.

Solar panels operate on the exact same principle as common batteries. The goal is to cause electrons to move through a circuit. When sunlight hits a photovoltaic panel, it absorbs photons from the sunlight through a layer of semi-conducting material, which is usually silicon. As soon as the photons pass on the energy to electrons, they begin moving. When the free electrons move through the material, electricity is developed. If the intensity of light is good, the electrons can move freely and greater current can be developed. What the majority of people don't realize is the fact that the heat of the sunlight is not important to generate electricity, what matters is the intensity of sunlight.

Benefits

The usage of solar panels to produce electricity helps with sustaining the environment. Governments all across the globe and researchers are trying really hard to encourage people use renewable forms of energy.

The Photovoltaic Panels will allow you to produce electricity at your home, which is another significant advantage of using them. This means that you won't have to get electricity from electricity companies. Given that the electricity companies keep on raising the price of electricity day after day, using solar panels for generating electricity for your use will save you a large amount of money in terms of reduced energy bills.

Today, it is much easier to install photovoltaic panels due to the advancements in technology. The costs of installation have also reduced for the very same reason. Even though the installation and purchase cost of photovoltaic panels is a little high, the investment pays off in the future because of the costs saved on energy bills.