Solar Panels Can Be Sustainable Energy Source
Energy is something people see all over the world. It is used in hospitals, houses, cars, restaurants, computer technology, lighting, heating. Everything humanity relies on has some basis in energy. However, fossil fuels and the energy provided by them and other energy sources, are slowly wearing down. It might be time to start considering solar panels as a renewable energy source.
The energy of fossil fuels as a power source is derived from burning the fuel, which is rich in hydro-carbons. Taken from organic materials found in the earth, the fuel is burned and used to create steam. It’s this steam that turns turbine engines, which in turn create electricity. Electricity is used around the world. Fossil fuels are a limited supply power source and have the unfortunate effect of polluting the earth.
Solar panels, on the other hand, use a renewable source of energy, namely the sun. The life of a sun is quite long compared to human lifespans. The sun will be around for a very long time, providing the same kind of energy possibilities in the future as it could provide now. Solar panels use this energy to create electricity, much the same as fossil fuels and other energy sources.
Each individual solar panel is made up of solar cells. These are also called photovoltaic cells. In a general sense of the process, photovoltaic cells collect the sun’s energy, cleanly and efficiently, and turn it into useable electricity as a power source.
A solar panel gets its energy directly from the sun. Inside the sun, hydrogen atoms are constantly fusing with helium atoms, causing a constant stream of thermonuclear explosions. This sets off radiation, which pours over the earth as light. Panels set at the earth’s equator can catch this light and store it for use in batteries. A photovoltaic cell that is about one fifth of a meter in diameter can catch sun and turn it into two amps of energy at two volts. Space based solar paneling is even more efficient.
Typically solar panels are made from crystalline silicon. They can also be made from amorphous silicon, a newer technology that allows the panels to be thinner and more efficient. High efficiency solar cells are constructed from gallium arsenide, but this process, called molecular beam epitaxy, is ideal. That makes these particular solar panels not ideal for everyday use.
It is possible to include plastic in the making of solar panels. This would allow such technological breakthroughs as having solar cells layered over a laptop’s screen for example, to allow a constant source of power. This technology is also cheaper than silicon based solar panel creation. The challenge is that the energy output is about eleven percent of the other types of panels. This makes the plastic variety of solar panels not very productive.
People are looking for new ways to change how they use energy and how they view energy sources. So much of what people rely on and use in their every day requires energy, to produce, consume or provide everything people use. A clean and efficient pollution free energy source like the sun can help people protect and preserve the environment. Enough light envelops the earth in a single day to provide energy for the entire world for a year. Using solar panels, this energy can be gathered and stored, without leaving a footprint on the earth’s depleting energy resources.
Switch your home to the use of solar panel to save money. By going online you can even discover ways of making solar panels yourself. Go there now and discover out more!
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