Benefits Of Using Solar Panels

Many think solar panels are neat, but don't fully understand how they work. So let’s get into it! 

How Solar Panels Work

An electric field occurs when opposite charges are separated. This is done by putting phosphorous into the top layer of silicon, this adds extra electrons creating a negative charge. The bottom layer gets a dose of boron, which results in fewer electrons, which creates a positive charge. This creates an electric field at the junction between the silicon layers.

When a photon of sunlight knocks an electron free, the electric field will push that electron out of the silicon junction. Other components of the cell turn these electrons into usable power. Metal conductive plates on the sides of the cell collect the electrons and transfer them to wires. At that point, the electrons can flow like any other source of electricity. 

4 Main Components

Solar panels are made up of multiple different parts, lets break these down.

The first component of a solar powered system is a solar panel. A typical panel is comprised of many solar cells wired together and protected with a covering. The cells work when photons or particles of light collide with the atoms in the cell knocking off electrons and causing an electrical current to flow.

The second component is a charge controller. The charge controller constantly monitors and adjusts the flow of energy coming from the solar panel to the battery. Overcharging a battery is very dangerous because it can damage the battery and is also a fire hazard.

A third component is the battery. The battery stores the energy collected by the panel so that you can run your electrical appliances when the sun isn’t out.

The inverter is the final piece of the system. The type of electricity stored in your battery is Direct Current or DC. The inverter transforms the electricity stored in the battery into Alternating Current or AC, which is the type of electricity most appliances use.

Benefits Of Solar Energy

There are plenty of different reasons why solar energy is advantageous. Here are seven benefits of renewable solar energy:

1. Reduces air pollution. Your solar panels create clean energy that won’t contribute to air pollution.
2. Reduces dependence on nonrenewable energy sources. Nonrenewable energy resources create a lot of the pollutants that negatively impact our air quality, and eventually they will run out.
3. Improves health. Cleaner air means cleaner lungs.
4. Helps fight climate change. The continual dump of pollutants and additional CO2 into the air makes it difficult for the environment to clean the air. As the carbon count continues to increase, so will our retention of heat from the sun. These changing air conditions will continue to have an effect on different climates, causing some to warm, others to cool, and causing weather patterns everywhere to become more sudden and volatile. Solar energy is one of the ways we can try to prevent the effects of climate change. By reducing our CO2 emissions, and releasing fewer pollutants in the air, we can all do our part to slow down climate change.
5. Altogether healthier for the environment. Solar energy has the least negative impact on the environment compared to any other energy source. It does not produce greenhouse gases and does not pollute the water. It also requires very little water for its maintenance.
6. Reduce your energy bill. The more energy you produce, the less you will need from the supplier which will increase your energy self reliance.
7. Solar energy is applicable everywhere. As long as there is sunshine, solar energy can be deployed anywhere. This is particularly useful for remote regions with no access to any other source of electricity.

Hope that helps you can make an informed decision as to whether they are a good fit for you and your family.  Let's do our part to help protect our beautiful earth. The best part is, by taking steps to be eco-friendly we also benefit ourselves.

If you would like some tips to become more eco-friendly, check out our blog “Do You Want To Be More Eco-Friendly?" Follow our social media platforms- Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest.