What Are Solar Panels?

Solar panels are active solar devices that convert sunlight into electricity. They come in a variety of rectangular shapes and are usually installed in combination to produce electricity. - Cenergy solar

Here is an image which will help you better understand some basic terminology.

Solar Cell: Semiconductor device that converts sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity

Module: PV modules consist of PV cell circuits sealed in an environmentally protective laminate and are the fundamental building block of PV systems

Solar Panel: Includes one or more PV modules assembled as a pre-wired, field-installable unit

Array: A PV array is the complete power-generating unit, consisting of any number of PV modules and panels

Where Are Solar Panel's Used?

The following is a breakdown (based on installations in the USA) showing where solar panels are used.

What are Solar Panels Made of?

The primary component of a solar panel is the solar cells, or photovoltaic cell. This is the key component that converts sunlight into electricity.

At the present time about 80% of all solar panels are made from crystalline silicon (i.e.,monocrystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous silicon, or hybrids) solar cells. Typically the solar cells are laid out in a grid pattern – with perhaps as many as 72 different solar cells.

The other 20% consist primarily of solar cells made mostly from Cadmium Telluride and a small but growing amount from CIGS. The appeal of these types of cells is their low cost resulting from the fact they can be made in large single sheets.

There is a lot of research going on in the industry to develop more efficient and lower cost solar panels. Click on Solar Research to learn about some of these developments.

The solar panels, after usually after being hermetically sealed to protect them are covered in a non-reflective glass to protect the solar cells from environmental damage and placed into a rigid frame.

Typically, the frame is designed to prevent it from deforming due to freezing weather or strong winds. The frame will usually include a drainage hole to help prevent water buildup on the panels, which can reduce output.

The back of the panel is also sealed to prevent damage. This is typically where the junction box is located.

Tip: Several companies have begun embedding electronics into PV junction boxes. This enables performing Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) for each module individually, and the measurement of performance data for monitoring and fault detection at module level. Some of these solutions make use of Power Optimizers, a DC to DC converter technology developed to maximize the power harvest from solar photovoltaic systems.

How Are Solar Panels Made?

Typically – solar panels are made in two basic steps – making of the cells, and final module assembly and packing

The following video produced by Suntech (the largest producer of crystalline solar panels), that shows how their solar panels are produced.

Cenergy solar

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