What is Solar Panel? How Solar Panels Work?
Solar Panels also are known as Photovoltaic Solar Panels are made of smaller units of silicon called solar cells which convert solar energy into electrical energy. Silicon is a semiconductor which is sandwiched between conductive layers in a solar cell. The process starts when the sun starts shining in day time. The sun rays falls on Solar PV Panels that have been installed on your rooftop. Photovoltaic refers to the scientific process by which solar energy is converted into electrical energy. There are a number of silicon cells within each PV panel. These cells react with photons (unit of light) coming from the sun to produce DC (direct current) or electricity. The direct current (DC) then travels into an inverter which converts DC into AC (Alternating Current), that can be used in your home, office, play grounds etc. The AC current travels to the distribution network in your home, which powers electrical appliances of your house. When Solar Panels produce more electricity than your home is using, the extra electricity gets fed back into the grid. You will receive the benefits for the extra electricity your solar panels generate.
Solar Panel Price in India
Solar Panels, the best products which consume sunlight to generate electricity. These products are in great demand as these are energy preservers, electricity bill saver and contributes to the environment. The solar panel price in India is different at several manufacturers and dealers. You can check out solar panel price list from top solar panel manufacturers at SolarClue and analyze the features of the solar panels then select the best one.
There are many top brands available for solar panels on SolarClue, an important thing that matters while choosing the solar panel for yourself is the quality of the product, its durability, and reliability. After that, solar panel price as everyone wants to spend on the product which is of superior quality. You can find the solar panel price list from different brands on SolarClue. There are different categories of solar panels and according to that, different solar panel cost is available from different brands. You can even do solar panel price comparison here and select the best one which suits to your budget. Solar Energy is already much cheaper and safer than available alternatives.
Working Principle of Solar Panels
Photovoltaic directly convert solar energy (sunlight) into electricity. They work on the principle of the photovoltaic effect. When certain materials are exposed to light, they absorb photons and release free electrons. This phenomenon is called as the photoelectric effect. Photovoltaic effect is a method of producing direct current electricity based on the principle of the photoelectric effect. Based on the principle of photovoltaic effect, solar cells or photovoltaic cells are made. They convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. A single photovoltaic cell does not produce enough amount of electricity. Therefore, a number of photovoltaic cells are mounted on a supporting frame and are electrically connected to each other to form a photovoltaic module or solar panel. The current solar panels produce is directly dependent on the incident light. Solar Panels are available in different sizes and different price ranges.
Types of Solar Panels
Solar Panels are classified as Monocrystalline Solar Panels and Polycrystalline Solar Panels:
Monocrystalline Solar Panels
Monocrystalline Solar Panels are made of mono (single) silicon crystal which of extremely high purity. They are more efficient in converting solar energy into electricity per square meter area but is also the most expensive one. Thus less space is required in monocrystalline PV panel. Monocrystalline solar panels are suitable if you have limited space where you can install the panels or if the price is not an issue to your budget. With Monocrystalline panels you will get the most electricity output per panels used.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Polycrystalline solar panels are made up of poly (multiple) silicon crystals. Polycrystalline cells contains less silicon which makes the panels bit less efficient, but also less expensive, than monocrystalline solar panels. Since polycrystalline panels are less efficient, you need to install larger number of panels to generate electricity required to meet your consumption needs. Polycrystalline solar panels are the most commonly used type since they offer a good balance between price and efficiency.
Difference between Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Solar Panel
The difference between Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline panels is not as dramatic as it once was. Advances in technology have made them practically interchangeable. The monocrystalline solar panel is a consistent black or very dark blue whereas Polycrystalline panel has blue mottled look. Due to the technology, the manufacturing process of Monocrystalline panels is quite expensive as compare to Polycrystalline panels. Therefore monocrystalline panels tend to be little more expensive than polycrystalline panels. Monocrystalline Solar Panels tend to be more efficient than polycrystalline solar panels. It means you can have slightly more power in the same size and space with monocrystalline panels. To produce the same amount of electrical energy from polycrystalline panels needs more equipment. So while the cost of the solar panels may be less for polycrystalline, the overall cost may be the same when you take the extra equipment into account. When it comes to temperature, Monocrystalline panels handle the heat slightly better than polycrystalline solar panels. In extreme desert conditions, the difference may be big enough to notice but for most of the residential environments, the difference is quite small. Monocrystalline can perform little better on hazy skies than polycrystalline panels. So your choice of crystalline technology to use may simply come down to color preference or space constrains.
