We’ve been using the sun for all kinds of things since ancient times, and it’s only natural that as technology has advanced, there have been better ways to utilize the power of the sun, the most prevalent of which is through solar panels. While they have been around for over a hundred years, the tech was not fully there to support the idea behind it, but today, you can easily get solar panels for your household to take an advantage of all the benefits that they offer. Here’s how they work.
Photovoltaic Technology: the essence of modern solar panels
Devices that generate electricity by using the power of the sun are called photovoltaic devices. The photovoltaic process happens completely naturally in specific materials. As the electrons from the sun are absorbed, they are then released through the power grid in the panel. These photovoltaic devices can be used to power pretty much anything from smaller items such as calculators to large complexes such as theme parks.
Storage batteries for constant availability of electricity
Of course, it is becoming more and more common that these commercial solar panels are being used in newly constructed buildings as well: they are very easy to install and maintain, which is what every business wants. The future of generating electricity definitely looks like it is on the shoulders of solar energy, especially because of the storage potential they have. In the past, it was quite troublesome to utilize solar energy once the sun went down, but, with modern methods of storage done through batteries, it is possible to utilize the sun’s energy even after sunset. Batteries today usually have their own inverter, and thus they allow an integrated conversion of energy. Of course, the higher the capacity is, the better the storage.
Modern metal conductive plates tie everything together
While using the devices that can turn solar energy into electricity are definitely the essence of the system, nothing would be possible without the conductive metal plates. Today’s plates are so thin that they are equal to 1/100th of a human hair’s width, which is 1.3 microns. This also makes them extremely light, and thus gives engineers the opportunity to use these plates in all kinds of places, including as architecture, wearable electronics, and aerospace technologies.
Solar panel technology is still not at its peak, and there are still some problems to be solved. However, even with work to be done, the technology is so good for both the economy and the environment that it is becoming more widespread.
