What Are Solar Panels?

If you ask a scientist what are solar panels, the first answer you will receive is solar panels are photovoltaic cells and you may not understand anything at all. But if someone explains to you that solar panels are something that can convert the energy of the sun into a form in which you can use it to reduce your electricity bill by, say, forty per cent you will at least try to comprehend the ways in which it works. Am I right? And, as you think it is too good to be true, the next question that would crop into your mind is solar energy pros and cons. Do they have some disadvantages as well? Let us explore here to know more about this very powerful source of renewable energy.

So, we start with the basic question again: what are solar panels? And, this time I will give you the same answer as your old scientist friend—“it is a collection of photovoltaic cells”. Actually, ‘photos’ means light and in simple terms these are cells that convert solar energy (that is light) into electrical energy. Each cell contains two layers of semiconductor materials like monocrystalline silicon or other materials like amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, copper indium gallium selenide or cadmium telluride. These material are capable of trapping electrons that is the basic requirement for generation of electricity. If you wish to know solar energy pros and cons you must know these basic facts about a solar panel.

When you ask someone what are solar panels – another basic information that you may receive is the current that is generated in solar panels is direct (DC) and most of the electrical equipments that we see around us need alternating current or AC as the source. So the panels have something that converts DC to AC in order to feed it to the appliances and run them smoothly. While considering solar energy pros and cons we must realize that in one hand advantages of solar energy are many but, on the other hand, there are few disadvantages as well -- the first being availability of sunlight. The place where you wish to put up a solar panel must have sunshine weather for sufficiently long duration. Otherwise, the plan will not be cost effective.

Now when you know what are solar panels you can guess that the initial investment can be slightly high. But, in days to come the cost would surely come down when more and more people would opt for it after judging solar energy pros and cons. After all, this system of power generation is completely green and does not pollute our environment. The conventional sources of power generation are based on fossil fuels and reservoirs of them are fast running out. In years to come if we do not explore other renewable sources including solar energy we are heading for a bleak future.

Your answers to what are solar panels would surely direct you go for solar energy. When you compare solar energy pros and cons you can see that their advantages outnumber the disadvantages. Talk to the experts and choose solar energy for a better tomorrow.


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