| You have surely heard about solar panels and other | | | | the form of electricity that we use in our homes. |
| forms of alternative energy before. But how exactly | | | | When people speak of new discoveries or advances |
| does solar energy work? What type of solar panels | | | | in science generally they referred to the discovery or |
| exist and how do they convert the suns power to | | | | development of new and better materials to make a |
| electricity? We will try to give you a brief introduction | | | | more efficient solar cell. |
| to the world of the energy from the sun. | | | | A solar cell works basically in the following form: the |
| Two main forms exist to use solar energy. One uses | | | | photons, that come from the solar radiation, hit the |
| a heat source for a thermal Solar System, the other | | | | surface of the cell and there they are absorbed by |
| uses a source of electricity for photovoltaic Solar | | | | semiconducting materials, such as silicon. The photons |
| System. We will concentrate on this last application. | | | | strike the electrons, releasing them in the form of |
| In principle the light of the sun is captured by the | | | | atoms to which they belong. Thus the electrons |
| solar panels (also known as photovoltaic cells) in order | | | | begin to circulate around the material, and produce |
| turn it into electricity. These panels are specially | | | | electricity. |
| programmed to operate as single cells so that they | | | | This basic operation works the same for any material |
| can individually grab sunlight and transform the energy | | | | that they choose to place in the solar cells, as long as |
| they receive from the Sun (photons) into electrical | | | | it has conductive properties and is able to absorb the |
| energy (electrons). | | | | light. |
| These cells are connected to each other like a circuit | | | | The solar cells that make up the solar panels that are |
| in series in order to increase the concentration of the | | | | available on the market right now are made with |
| incoming electricity, which will be in the form of 12 | | | | silicon, a semiconducting material that very abundant, |
| volts or 24. At the same time several networks of | | | | but is also difficult to extract and to synthesize. |
| parallel circuits are connected to increase the capacity | | | | Consequently the resulting solar paddles usually are |
| of electrical production that will be able to be | | | | expensive, heavy, and difficult to install. |
| provided by the panel. | | | | Therefore scientists all over the world work |
| These panels convert photons into electrons and the | | | | continuously in the search of finding new materials |
| output is in the form of a DC current. These panels | | | | that will make the solar panels cheaper, more |
| often require a separate converter that will change | | | | efficient, more sensitive to light, thinner, and better |
| the power from DC current into AC current, which is | | | | able to be used in more applications. |