Photovoltaic Cells - Silent Electricity

Especially in the more sunny parts of our country solar panels are becoming an increasingly common sight on rooftops in both city and rural environments. They convert sunlight to electricity which can be stored in batteries or used for immediate consumption. The devices which produce electricity in solar panels are photovoltaic cells. This is a very clean and silent way to let the sun do the work in which it is the best, supplying energy.

It has been known since 1839 that some materials could produce electricity when exposed to light, but only since the 1960s space program were they developed to a usable form. Then came the energy crisis of the 1970s which created a lot of interest in solar panels as a way to produce clean electricity. The space program added a lot of information and new technologies to produce PV Cells.

Up until recently, however, the cost of solar panels has been too high to achieve widespread use. But thanks to breakthroughs in photovoltaic technology they are now accessible to the average home owner.

A photovoltaic cell is constructed on semi-conducting material like silicon. A thin layer of this material is treated so that it can form an electrical field. When exposed to light electrons are released that the cell can use to create an electrical current.

Each cell by itself produces a small current, but they can be combined together into modules to provide certain levels of current – such as 12 volts. The modules themselves can be joined together into an array. Arrays can be wired to produce a variety of voltages and currents.

Small photovoltaic cells can be used to produce power for calculators or wrist watches calculators and the like. Larger arrays can be built to supply some or all of the power needs of a household or industrial building.

Solar panels are often used in conjunction with the power supply from traditional utility companies. They are connected to the power meter and used to supplement the power drawn from the utility. If an excess of solar electricity is produced it feeds back into the power grid causing the meter to run backwards, resulting in a credit for the customer. This called net metering and there are states like for example California that really encourages this by giving good returns on the power you add to the grid. Other states aren't that generous and there are even states that do not allow this practice at all. So it’s a good idea to do some thorough research about the situation in your area.

There is a great upside to PV systems, still there are other possibilities. Even if you live in the most sunlit area in the country it will still be dark at night. On the other hand the wind keeps blowing. So a wind turbine will continue to do its job 24 hours a day.

In some states there are nice financial rewards available when you want to generate environment friendly energy the rules and regulations differ widely from place to place
 

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