A Brief Overview of Solar Energy

You have surely heard about solar panels and other forms of alternative energy before. But how exactly does solar energy work? What type of solar panels exist and how do they convert the suns power to electricity? We will try to give you a brief introduction to the world of the energy from the sun.

Two main forms exist to use solar energy. One uses a heat source for a thermal Solar System, the other uses a source of electricity for photovoltaic Solar System. We will concentrate on this last application.

In principle the light of the sun is captured by the solar panels (also known as photovoltaic cells) in order turn it into electricity. These panels are specially programmed to operate as single cells so that they can individually grab sunlight and transform the energy they receive from the Sun (photons) into electrical energy (electrons).

These cells are connected to each other like a circuit in series in order to increase the concentration of the incoming electricity, which will be in the form of 12 volts or 24. At the same time several networks of parallel circuits are connected to increase the capacity of electrical production that will be able to be provided by the panel.

These panels convert photons into electrons and the output is in the form of a DC current. These panels often require a separate converter that will change the power from DC current into AC current, which is the form of electricity that we use in our homes.

When people speak of new discoveries or advances in science generally they referred to the discovery or development of new and better materials to make a more efficient solar cell.

A solar cell works basically in the following form: the photons, that come from the solar radiation, hit the surface of the cell and there they are absorbed by semiconducting materials, such as silicon. The photons strike the electrons, releasing them in the form of atoms to which they belong. Thus the electrons begin to circulate around the material, and produce electricity.

This basic operation works the same for any material that they choose to place in the solar cells, as long as it has conductive properties and is able to absorb the light.

The solar cells that make up the solar panels that are available on the market right now are made with silicon, a semiconducting material that very abundant, but is also difficult to extract and to synthesize. Consequently the resulting solar paddles usually are expensive, heavy, and difficult to install.

Therefore scientists all over the world work continuously in the search of finding new materials that will make the solar panels cheaper, more efficient, more sensitive to light, thinner, and better able to be used in more applications.

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