How Do Solar Cells and Solar Panels Work?
As more people get interested in solar power, more people are asking "How do solar panels work?" Here is the shorts answer, for those who are curious.
A conductive material, usually silicone with additives, is placed under a non-reflective glass in the form of a "solar cell".
The cells are linked to produce a certain voltage, and placed on a "solar panel".
The cells on the panel the collect photons from the sun and seamlessly converts it to DC electric current.
Here is a formula for figuring how many cells you need to put on a panel to achieve certain results.
Watts = Volts x Amps Each solar cell will put out a certain voltage, usually about.
5V, with a wattage of 1.
8, and around 3.
0 amps current.
These are just averages.
The reality is that each cell will vary a little and there are many different kinds and manufacturers of PV cells.
What if you want to build a solar panel of 60 watts.
You know that your cells are.
5 volts, 3.
5 amps.
So you take 60 watts and divide it by the amperage, in this case 3.
5 amps.
, and find it takes about 17 volts worth of cells to produce the required wattage.
Double the voltage required and you come up with the number of cells required to make you panels output what you want it to be.
If you want more wattage, you just add more panels.
It is important that each of your panels have the same voltage and amperage.
You can then wire them in sequence to increase the wattage while leaving the voltage and amperage the same.
You can get enough cells to build a panel like the one described above from eBay for about 50 bucks plus shipping.
Many come with the wiring accessories you will need to complete the panel.
The "solar cells" are very fragile, so always keep that in mind when handling them.
The rest of the PV panel is nothing more than a piece of plywood and some plexi-glass screwed together to protect the cells from the elements.
Solar panels themselves are quite easy to build.
Solar cells, not so much.
If you think you can build solar cells, not gonna happen.
Actually you can build a very crude one with copper sheeting, but you can buy much more efficient cells for far cheaper than you could build a crude one.
In a nutshell, that is how solar cells and PV panels work together for you to generate electricity from the sun.
You don't need to understand the science behind solar cells in order to build a solar panel.
You just have to know how to solder and cut wood.
That is all it takes to achieve energy independence.
That, and some money to invest in it.
A conductive material, usually silicone with additives, is placed under a non-reflective glass in the form of a "solar cell".
The cells are linked to produce a certain voltage, and placed on a "solar panel".
The cells on the panel the collect photons from the sun and seamlessly converts it to DC electric current.
Here is a formula for figuring how many cells you need to put on a panel to achieve certain results.
Watts = Volts x Amps Each solar cell will put out a certain voltage, usually about.
5V, with a wattage of 1.
8, and around 3.
0 amps current.
These are just averages.
The reality is that each cell will vary a little and there are many different kinds and manufacturers of PV cells.
What if you want to build a solar panel of 60 watts.
You know that your cells are.
5 volts, 3.
5 amps.
So you take 60 watts and divide it by the amperage, in this case 3.
5 amps.
, and find it takes about 17 volts worth of cells to produce the required wattage.
Double the voltage required and you come up with the number of cells required to make you panels output what you want it to be.
If you want more wattage, you just add more panels.
It is important that each of your panels have the same voltage and amperage.
You can then wire them in sequence to increase the wattage while leaving the voltage and amperage the same.
You can get enough cells to build a panel like the one described above from eBay for about 50 bucks plus shipping.
Many come with the wiring accessories you will need to complete the panel.
The "solar cells" are very fragile, so always keep that in mind when handling them.
The rest of the PV panel is nothing more than a piece of plywood and some plexi-glass screwed together to protect the cells from the elements.
Solar panels themselves are quite easy to build.
Solar cells, not so much.
If you think you can build solar cells, not gonna happen.
Actually you can build a very crude one with copper sheeting, but you can buy much more efficient cells for far cheaper than you could build a crude one.
In a nutshell, that is how solar cells and PV panels work together for you to generate electricity from the sun.
You don't need to understand the science behind solar cells in order to build a solar panel.
You just have to know how to solder and cut wood.
That is all it takes to achieve energy independence.
That, and some money to invest in it.
