Photovoltaic solar panels are panels that channel solar power into energy. These panels are made of silicon materials including monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, and amorphous silicon. Other materials include cadmium telluride and copper indium selenide. These panels are in increasing demand because of public interest in renewable energy....
Category Archives: Solar Energy Articles
What are Photovoltaic Solar Panels?
Sunday, November 14th, 2010How to Build Your Own Solar Panel
Saturday, November 13th, 2010Although the process by which you can build your own solar panel may seem daunting, it is certainly not an impossible task. Solar panels are becoming an increasingly popular investment among those who wish to make their home “greener”, or environmentally friendly....
Home Solar Panels and HOA Rules that Affect Them
Saturday, November 13th, 2010When thinking about home solar panels and HOA rules, the homeowner must consider several factors. First, will the solar panels be supplying electricity, or hot water. The use of solar to produce electricity requires the homeowner to discover the amounts of electricity that each of the appliances, and various types of equipment use. Due to the cost, and amount of space required, the typical homeowner can expect to replace only a fraction of what their total electrical needs are. However, the use of solar panels for the production of hot water is different. The amount of space required for these types of panels is considerable less, and because they contain standard, common components, they are less costly. Indeed, with very limited roof coverage, a typical solar powered hot water system can produce enough hot water to supply the needs of an average family. Second, the homeowner must consider the rules and regulations of the HOA, and lastly, the logistics of installing solar panels must be considered....
What is a Solar Generator?
Friday, November 12th, 2010The Overwhelming Consumption of Nonrenewable Energy is Creating a Demand for Solar Generator Use....
How to Compare and Choose Between Solar Panels for Sale
Friday, November 12th, 2010How to compare and choose between solar panels for sale is becoming more important since a wide variety of prices and styles now exist for these renewable sources of energy. Each type of panel will vary greatly in how they were manufactured. This many include such things as size of the panel, the technology used to make it, how old the unit is and the efficiency rating that is assigned to it....
Why Use Solar Electricity?
Friday, November 12th, 2010Solar electricity has become one of the most talked about alternative energy options in the world today. Individual homes and businesses alike have striven to make their buildings and workplace safer for the environment, thereby minimizing their personal “carbon footprint”. The desire to prevent the increase of global warming is one such way in which individuals and business have united in a fight to increase the availability and use of “green” energy. One such alternative energy option which has undergone much research and applause is that of solar electricity....
Understanding Sunpower and Solar Panels
Thursday, November 11th, 2010Understanding Sunpower and Solar Panels is a common quest among power engineers. The cleanest, most reliable form of energy that is readily available on planet earth today comes from the sun. It has been speculated that more than enough sunlight strikes the surface of this planet every day to provide the energy necessary for every civilization on Earth. As costs continue to dwindle for production technology, and the outlay for energy continues to rise, it makes sense for this type of application to proliferate. There are a number of ways in which engineers have devised to capture the sun’s rays. One of these is Photovoltaic cells, which is the most common type of solar panel that is being produced today. When sunlight strikes the surface of the panel, it is converted into electricity of the direct current type....
Energy Saving Guide
Thursday, November 11th, 2010Energy saving is a key activity whether one is trying to save money or save the planet. Understanding your energy usage is the first step to decrease your energy use, and following tips for large and small scale energy saving activities can help lower bills and do good for the environment....
BP Solar Guide
Thursday, November 11th, 2010If you are considering installation of a Solar Power system for your home, the type of solar system, its design, and the choice of panels and supplier will become a prime concern. BP (previously British Petroleum) is not a name one associates with solar power; however, BP Solar began in the 1970′s and in recent years has made significant advances to panel efficiency and production costs.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels convert light into electricity and most panels are constructed of either mono-crystalline or multicrystalline silicon-based cells. Beginning in the 1990s, BP Solar has introduced unique innovations to solar power technology and today BP Solar modules are a leader in home system applications.
The manufacture of all cells begins with doping of silicon with a gas at high temperature, which slightly alters silicon’s electrical properties, producing a silicon semiconductor that incident photons of sunlight can “excite” to liberate electrons. The electron flow from each cell combines in the panel’s electrical circuit, whose design has been improved by BP solar technology, and passes on to the solar system’s down line equipment for conversion to current suitable for use in a home electrical system.
In 2006, BP Solar announced a new process for silicon crystal growth that significantly increased cell performance compared with previous manufacturing methods for multicrystalline silicon-based solar cells. This new Mono2TM crystal growth process significantly increased cell efficiency over traditional multicrystalline cells.
The BP Solar Mono2TM process produces these high efficiencies equivalent to most mono-crystalline cells while retaining the benefits of multicrystalline casting technology; specifically, high silicon yield and low capital intensity. As a result, producing less expensive solar panels the chief benefit compared to similar efficiencies in expensive mono-crystalline panels.
Other improvements have included the use of an anti-reflective glass top layer, proprietary BP Solar screen printing technology for embedding the necessary circuitry within and interconnecting the panel cells, and automating silicon cell handling to maintain the highest possible quality. Because of these advances, BP Solar multi-crystalline panels have an efficiency of 18%, almost 20% higher than many single crystal cells. In addition, panel durability allows secure mounting to almost any flat or sloped roof regardless of roofing material including slate, metal, Spanish tile, asphalt shingles, or shakes.
Remember, solar energy may be inexhaustible but your piece of it is limited to the size of your system and every KW of energy you will use means more equipment, investment required. Design of a system appropriate to your goals, needs, home site, and budget is crucial. BP Solar has recently teamed with Home Depot to market “BP Solar Home Solutions®” for the planning, design, and installation of home solar systems.
A BP Solar representative can assess your options based on passed energy use, a determination roof area, orientation, pitch, shading, and overall condition and ascertain the optimal size for your solar electric system based on sunlight access and intensity for your latitude and the exact path of the sun over your home. With this information, BP Solar can provide a quote for the complete system....
Solar Power for Homes
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010When people think of solar power for homes, they often come to the conclusion that it is going to be expensive, and that it will not pay off before the hardware needs to be replaced. In addition to this, many consumers don’t know where to begin with their buying options. After all, many stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot have a limited selection on most green energy products, and many people are not familiar with installing them. So, the question that needs to be answered about powering a home with the power of the sun is what will the costs be compared to the benefits. The answer can be found by doing research and getting quotes....