Solar Panels – Advice From An Expert
Everyday it seems that there is a new report on the situation of the world’s natural resources; news articles that are seemingly designed to scare us into stopping using our cars and lighting our homes. Unfortunately, although some of these reports may be ‘dressed up’ to make the situation out to be worse than it is, the fact of the matter is that this is the situation – the world’s natural resources, such as fossil fuels like coal and oil, are running out and we will eventually have to find alternative sources of energy to replace them. While many people have suggested that advanced power generation technologies, such as nuclear fission, will take over and ‘save us’, the more sensible choice at this moment in time is to begin looking into renewable energy sources.
In terms of renewable energy sources, one of the most cost efficient alternatives, especially for the individual user, is solar energy. Since its inception, solar panel technology has been continuously developed in different ways, and it is said that the only limiting factor to this kind of power source is human ingenuity. Solar panel use is becoming more widespread as the technology becomes cheaper to manufacture. The primary types of solar panels are described below. Monocrystalline silicon panels are made up of one single layer of silicon sheet, lined with metal edges to improve conductivity. This type of solar panel is the most expensive you can buy, but the electricity return rate is the highest of all types at between 14% and 18%. Polycrystalline (or multicrystalline) solar panels are slightly different and use a number of small photovoltaic cells instead of one large cell. They are typically less efficient than monocrystalline panels but are cheaper to manufacture and maintain.
An adaptation on the arrangement of photovoltaic cells is the string ribbon silicon panel. This type of solar panel technology uses rows of photovoltaic cells linked together with conductive materials. This type of technology is said to be easier to manufacture than polycrystalline panels but can achieve a better electricity return rate at 12 to 14%, though costs are slightly higher. One of the cheapest forms of solar panel is the amorphous silicon panel. As this technology does not use crystalline and it is, in fact, just a single film of silicon, it is somewhat easier to manufacture than other types of solar panel, making it much more inexpensive. Although it only offers a relatively poor electricity return rate of 5-6%, with this kind of technology it is possible to create flexible solar panels, unlike with poly or monocrystalline cells.
Now Try – Solar Panels
