Best Solar Energy Facts Today http://solarenergyfactstoday.com/articles Solar energy facts online resources Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:11:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 How Does Solar Power Work? http://solarenergyfactstoday.com/articles/how-does-solar-power-work/ http://solarenergyfactstoday.com/articles/how-does-solar-power-work/#comments Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:36:13 +0000 Leona Bliss http://solarenergyfactstoday.com/articles/?p=32 When you ask the question, “How does solar power work?” you may mean, “How do photovoltaic cells work?” Something has to change the energy from the rays of the sun into electricity. We know there is power in the sun’s rays because we have all experienced a sun burn or have used a magnifying glass to burn a piece of paper. In fact, the sun gives off about 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the earth’s surface. That is a lot of energy!

The way we harness that energy is to convert the energy from the sun through photovoltaic (PV) cells (photo meaning “light” and voltaic meaning “electricity”). The PV cell is made of a type of silicon known as a semiconductor. (Simplified version) When the light strikes the cell some of the energy is converted by the semiconductor. The PV cell has an electric field that helps the absorbed light to flow in a certain direction. This flow of electrons is drawn off by contacts on the PV cell and this is used to say power a calculator.

The better we become at making these cells and the more efficient they become, the more electricity we can generate to power whatever we need.  There is a very good article in Scientific American that explains this in more detail.

Most people are interested in powering their house. That probably sounds impossible or at least expensive. It actually does not have to be either. You do want to make sure you are getting or making good equipment and especially have good PV cells. You also want to make sure you track the sun to get the most from it. You need to pay attention to where your house is located and the direction your roof faces. If your roof does not face in the best direction, consider putting the solar panels in another part of your yard or on the garage. You do want to have them as close to your battery storage as possible and close to where the electricity will enter your house. For some other ideas, read “Solar-powering a House” at How Stuff Works.

Now, for the best part. There is a way you can make your own solar panels and everything you need to get started now at a price you can afford. You will even learn to get grants or tax rebates from the government to help pay for it. Over time, you will learn to live off the grid!

Click How Does Solar Power Work for instant access to detailed information on making your own solar panels, government tax credits, and making your own wind turbine.

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