Photovoltaic Systems
View PDF | Print View
by: JosephWood | Total views: 34 | Word Count: 612
If you're interested in using solar energy to generate electricity, then you'll need a photovoltaic system. Photovoltaic systems are the ones that use PV solar panels, converting light in to electricity. That's what the word photovoltaic means, photo (light) and voltaic (electricity).
How They Work
The way that these systems create electricity is very different to the way all other systems do so. This goes for that created by fossil fuels, and other renewable energy sources. When it comes to those other sorts, they all have to do with making turbines spin, which spin electromagnets, which creates electricity.
So in a conventional power plant what happens is that they heat up water by burning a fossil fuel. This creates steam, and it is this steam which causes the turbines to spin. Other renewable systems also use turbines, using natural process on the Earth to make them spin. For example wind power uses wind to make them turn, tidal power uses the tide, that's how it usually work.
However photovoltaic systems are not in place in order to make turbines spin in order to create electricity, instead they create it much more directly. What happens is that they make it so there is a flow of electrons out of the solar panels, and flowing electrons is the description for electricity.
None of this would be possible though if it were not for semiconductors. That's because when photons (light particles) strike a semiconductor, it makes electrons move within that structure. Without light having an effect on the electrons, then light making electrons flow would not be possible. That is not quite enough though.
In order to create a flow of electrons, they have to be channelled in a particular way, namely along a wire to the house. Just connecting a wire to a semiconductor though will not create electricity. So what they do is split the solar cells in to two different halves.
One of the halves will be negatively charged, and the other half is positively charged. When light hits them, it causes electrons to switch sides which upsets the balance. In order to restore balance, the electrons have to flow along the connected wire and that is how the electricity is created.
Of course a lot more detail is required to fill in all the blanks there, but that would require more space than is available here. You'd also have to have a pretty good grounding in physics to understand it all.
Benefits Of Solar Panels
There are two major advantages that people can point to in terms of making use of solar energy. The one that will be of use to everyone, both now and in the future, are the benefits that the environment gets from not having so much carbon dioxide pumped in to the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels.
However the environmental benefits can only be felt if there are also financial benefits. Otherwise people would not be able to afford to invest in them, at least very few people would be able to do so. That's why it's also necessary that there are financial benefits as well.
The financial benefits come in two forms. First of all you have the savings that you make from not having to use so much electricity from your conventional supplier. However, in comparison with the cost of the installation, these savings are not very great. Although they will increase of course as energy costs go up, as they are set to do.
What makes solar panels for your home an even better investment though is the feed in tariff. In this scheme, introduced by the government, for every unit of energy you produce you get some money. This makes the investment opportunity far more attractive.
About the Author
To learn more about solar power, author Mohammed Watson writes lots more about the subject at photovoltaic Systems. Learn additional information regarding how it all works, such as how much money you'll be able to save, also you can get a free quote for an installation.
Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote
