Solar project

The are two different types of diodes which may have an important role in the functioning of solar panels (actually the diodes themselves may be identical, it is the way in which they are used which has two possibilities). First let's confirm what a diode is and what it does - What is a Diode A diode uses a semiconductor material, usually silicon, with two terminals attached. It's function in it's simplest form is to allow electricity to pass in one direction but not the other. Blocking Diodes The diagram to the right shows a simple setup with two panels charging a battery (for simplicity no controller is shown) with a blocking diode in series with the two panels, which are also wired in series. When the sun shines, as long as the voltage produced by the two panels is greater than that of the battery, charging will take place. However, in the dark, when no voltage is being produced by the panels, the voltage of the battery would cause a current to flow in th...

Based on the principal that a solar cell receiving more light energy will produce more electricity, concentrating photovoltaic solar panels simply involve a method ( usually using a lens or mirrors) to concentrate more sunlight onto a photovoltaic cell. As fewer cells are then required for the same area of panel (or light capturing area) it may then become economical to use a highly efficient multi-junction cell. Potentially, this type of panel has the following advantages: Has a higher overall efficiency, capturing more solar energy per meter squared resulting in a smaller area of panels required for a particular output. Resulting efficiency levels can approach 50%. Potentially lower cost per watt of output due to lower number of solar cells required, while the material cost and manufacturing process of the optics (light concentration mechanism) is relatively inexpensive. Lower use of environmentally unfriendly chemicals involved in the panel manufacuring process due to lowe...

Thin film Solar panel technology, sometimes referred to as 2nd generation (low efficiency) and 3rd generation (higher efficiency) has two main aims: To be cheaper to produce than silicon cell panels (in spite of being an abundant mineral, purified silicon is expensive). To be more flexible in it's application, enabling the panels to be used in a wider variety of applications. Manufacture As in all cases of thin film panels, the photovoltaic material is not as fragile as thin silicon crystals, the thin film can be printed onto a flexible substrate and can be protected by a flexible transparent layer applied in a similar way. The solar panels are manufactured by depositing one or more thin layers of the photovoltaic material on to the substrate, which can be glass or a roll of of flexible plastic or metal. Actual methods used to deposit the photovoltaic material vary according to the material used but in some cases may be sprayed or printed on. The finished product, as w...

The Complete Module On the  How Panels Work  page, what we are really describing is one Solar Cell. Each cell consists of two wafers of "doped" silicon (p-type and n-type), in contact to form a junction, with each wafer having an electricla connection. Typically, each cell, whilst very thin, measures approximately 100mm across. One of these cells may be capable of producing up to 0.7 volt, with maximum power being produced at a voltage of around 0.4 V. Several of these Solar Cells will be wired together as a module and protected from the weather to create what we call a panel, or sometimes refered to as a module. A 24 volt (nominal) panel may have 72 Solar Cells within it, wired in series, giving its maximum power at a voltage of approximately: 0.4 x 72 = 28.8 volts. These cells will sit on a tough backing plate, while the grid of electrical connections lies above and below the cells of the cells. Electrical connecting strips will go from the bottom of one cell to the t...

First off, solar panels are large flat objects that may catch the wind and they are expensive - so they need to be securely fixed. Also, considering their value, you may want top make them difficult to remove! Secondly, there may be regulations in your area determining how they should be mounted, particularly if on a house roof. Thirdly, take care if working on a house roof. Someone once suggested that more people are likely to die falling off a roof while mounting solar panels, than are likely to be killed from radiation due to nuclear power. Which Direction Should They Face In most cases, if you are in the northern hemisphere they should face due south and if in the southern hemisphere, they should point due north. You may need to vary this slightly if you cannot avoid a hill or high trees etc blocking the sun at one end of the day. If hill to the west results in you losing the evening sun early, then use your judgement to point your panels SLIGHTLY towards the east. I e...

The first question to ask yourself is are you capable of doing this work or should you get an electrician to do it? However it should be within the capabilities of most DIYers. Depending on where you live, there may be regulations controlling the wiring of solar panels. Question number two - do you need to wire the panels in series or parallel? If your panels are 24 volt and your controller and batteries are 24 volt, then you would need to wire your panels in parallel- you would be connection all the positive connections together and separately connect all the negatives together. You can connect pairs of panels in series (sometimes referred to as a string), connecting the positive terminal of one panel to the negative of the next, to increase the voltage. The effects of  Partial Shading  on overall efficiency should be taken into account when considering series wiring. As you don't know how your system may develop in the future, it would be a good idea to buy your panels in ...

First let's consider what we mean by efficiency. Efficiency is a measurement of the output divided by a certain factor. When talking about solar cell or panel efficiency, we are gerally looking at output per given area. Therefore a more efficient panel will either give more power or be smaller than a less efficient one. This does not mean that a more efficient panel is more economic, in-fact the reverse may be the case. More efficient panels may be easier to mount, particularly if space is limited, or a tracking system is being used. There are several separate areas to consider here concerning the efficiency of pv solar panels, concerning the inherent efficiency of the cells in the panel you buy, the panel construction, and how your installation may affect panel efficiency. For home owners setting up there own system, efficiency is likely to be less important than the cost per nominal watt output. Solar Cell Efficiency Researchers are continually striving to improve...