What Are Solar Panels?

A solar cell is a device that converts light into electricity.  They are called "solar" panels because the most powerful source of light available is the Sun, called Sol by astronomers. ­­Solar cells are also called photovoltaic (PV) cells, meaning "light-electricity"; converting sunlight directly to electricity.  A cell is a small disk of a semiconductor like silicon.

A solar panel or solar module is a collection of solar cells connected electrically and packaged into a frame.  Lots of small solar cells spread over a large area can work together to provide enough power to be useful. The more light that hits a cell, the more electricity it produces.

Solar cells are attached by wire to a circuit to make solar panels.  As light strikes the semiconductor, light is converted into electricity that flows through the circuit. As soon as the light is removed, the solar cell stops producing power.

Solar panels (arrays of photvoltaic cells) make use of renewable energy from the sun, and are a clean and environmentally sound means of collecting solar energy.  Three types of commercially available solar panels are:

Thin film solar panel technology often uses non-silicon semiconductor materials including copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) or amorphous silicon to create photovoltaic cells. Without the expensive and often sparse silicon, the cells are cheaper in terms of materials costs. The non-silicon materials can also be printed on flexible or light substances, which can create new applications for solar. Thin film are not yet as efficient as silicon-based solar, and can remain pricey due to their high production costs.

Monocrystalline silicone solar panels are made from a single silicon crystal, also called monocrystal, is a crystalline solid in which the crystal lattice of the entire sample is continuous and unbroken to the edges of the sample, with no grain boundaries.  Monocrystalline solar panels have efficiencies up to 18%.

Polycrystalline silicon solar panels are solar panels consisting of multiple small silicon crystals. Polycrystalline cells can be recognized by a visible grain, a “metal flake effect”.  Polycrystalline or multi-crystalline solar panels have efficiencies as high as 14%

Solar panels can help reduce green house gas emissions, reduce your electricity bills and provide power in regions where power grids are unavailable.

 Click HERE to watch this video for an introduction to Solar Photovoltaics and Solar Panels.