Trystan Casey
Solar power is a popular renewable energy source that harnesses the sun's energy to generate electricity and heat. This process, known as the photovoltaic effect, involves using solar panels made of photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert sunlight into electricity. The PV cells, typically composed of silicon, absorb photons from sunlight, releasing electrons and creating an electric charge. This direct current (DC) electricity is then converted into alternating current (AC) by an inverter, making it suitable for everyday use. The efficiency of solar panels depends on various factors, including temperature, angle, orientation, and amount of direct sunlight. As solar energy production gains traction, countries like the US and UK are aiming for decarbonization of their electricity systems by increasing their reliance on solar power.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How electricity is made from the sun | Photons from the sun strike solar cells, which are made of semiconductor material, usually silicon. This knocks electrons loose, creating an electric current. |
| Solar panel efficiency | Commercially available panels have an efficiency rate of around 15-20%, with some high-end models reaching 22-25%. |
| Factors affecting efficiency | - Temperature: panels become less efficient as they heat up. |
| - Angle and orientation: panels should be angled and oriented to receive the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day. | |
| Solar energy production | Solar energy production is highly dependent on the amount of sunlight a solar panel receives, known as solar irradiance. |
| Factors affecting solar energy production | - Geographic location |
| - Time of day | |
| - Season | |
| Solar power generation by country | As of 2022, China is the largest producer of solar-powered electricity, followed by the US, Japan, Germany, and India. |
| Solar power goals | - The US Department of Energy's Solar Futures Study (2021) discusses a blueprint for a zero-carbon grid, with 40% of the nation's electricity powered by solar energy by 2035. |
| - The UK and US governments aim to decarbonize their electricity systems by 2035, with renewable energy sources like solar power playing a major role. |
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What You'll Learn
Photovoltaic solar panels
Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are a simple and reliable source of electricity. They are the most common type of solar panel. PV solar panels are made up of rows of solar cells or photovoltaic cells. These cells are flat, square structures constructed of glass and silicon layers. The silicon core makes up the semiconductor material that is essential for the photovoltaic effect.
The photovoltaic effect was discovered by French physicist Edmond Becquerel in 1839. PV cells are non-mechanical devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. When sunlight hits the solar panel, the energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel. This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electric field in the cell, causing electricity to flow. This movement of excited electrons generates an electric field and an electric current.
The amount of electricity generated by PV panels depends on the number of cells in the panel or the surface area of the panel. PV panels can be connected in groups to form a PV array, which can power water pumps, individual homes, or provide utility-scale electricity generation. The efficiency of PV cells in converting sunlight to electricity varies depending on the type of semiconductor material and PV cell technology.
PV systems can also charge a battery to provide electricity when the sun is not shining. This stored electricity can then be used to power devices or sent to the electric power grid.
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Solar thermal panels
The basic principle of solar thermal heating is to utilize the sun's energy and convert it into heat. This heat is then transferred into a home or business heating system in the form of hot water and space heating. The main source of heat generation is through roof-mounted solar panels used in conjunction with a boiler, collector, or immersion heater. The solar collector uses the sun's rays to heat a transfer fluid, usually a mixture of water and glycol (antifreeze), to prevent the water from freezing. The heated water is pumped to a heat exchanger inside the water tank in the home, and after releasing its heat, the water flows back to the collectors for reheating.
There are two main types of solar thermal collectors in common use: flat plate and evacuated tube. Flat plate collectors normally have a Perspex cover mounted over an absorptive panel, through which the collection fluid is pumped, while the whole unit is insulated below and at the sides. Evacuated tube collectors consist of one tube contained within another, with a vacuum between them. The vacuum allows radiation from the sun to pass through to the inner tube, which contains the collection fluid, while reducing heat loss.
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Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP)
Solar energy is one of the most important sources of renewable energy. There are two main types of solar energy technologies: photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP). CSP systems use mirrors or lenses to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy. This energy is then converted to heat, which can be used to produce electricity or stored for later use. This heat can also be used for industrial processes like water desalination, enhanced oil recovery, food processing, chemical production, and mineral processing.
CSP technologies can be used to generate electricity by converting solar energy into heat to power a turbine. The heat is used to drive a heat engine (usually a steam turbine) connected to an electrical power generator. The solar concentrators used in CSP systems can also be used to provide industrial process heating or cooling, such as in solar air conditioning. CSP is used to produce electricity, sometimes called solar thermoelectricity, which is usually generated through steam.
CSP systems have four optical types: parabolic trough, dish, concentrating linear Fresnel reflector, and solar power tower. Most CSP plants use the parabolic trough design, with curved solar-reflecting mirrors suspended from the ceiling of a glasshouse. The glasshouse creates a protected environment to withstand the elements that can negatively impact the reliability and efficiency of the solar thermal system. Trough systems are the most developed CSP technology.
CSP has been very successful, with the cost of electricity produced dropping more than 50% in the past decade due to more efficient systems and the wider use of thermal energy storage. CSP is increasingly seen as competing with natural gas and PV with batteries for flexible, dispatchable power. The US Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) supports CSP research and development projects aimed at improving performance, reducing costs, and enhancing the lifetime and reliability of CSP technologies.
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Photovoltaic effect
The photovoltaic effect is a process that generates voltage or electric current in a photovoltaic cell when exposed to sunlight. The photovoltaic effect was first discovered in 1839 by French physicist Edmund Becquerel during experiments with an electrolytic cell. Becquerel found that exposing certain materials to sunlight generated a weak electrical current.
Photovoltaic cells are made from two layers of silicon, one 'doped' with phosphorus (n-type) and the other with boron (p-type). When photons of sunlight hit the cell, they excite the electrons in the n-type layer, and they travel across to the p-type layer. This movement creates an electric current. The photons' energy can also create electron-hole pairs, which are pulled apart by the electric field, with electrons travelling to the n-type side and holes to the p-type side. This process creates a current in the cell.
The photovoltaic effect is the basis for solar panels, which are usually made from silicon or another semiconductor material. When exposed to sunlight, the material releases electrons and produces an electric charge. This direct current (DC) is then converted to alternating current (AC) by an inverter, which is the type of current used in household appliances.
The photovoltaic effect is closely related to the photoelectric effect, where light is absorbed and causes the excitation of an electron. The difference is that in the photoelectric effect, the electron is ejected from the material, whereas in the photovoltaic effect, the excited electron remains contained within the material.
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Solar radiation
Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy, such as electricity and heat. There are two main types of solar energy technologies: photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP). PV technology is the most common and well-known type, as it is used in solar panels. These panels are usually made from silicon or another semiconductor material installed in a metal panel frame with a glass casing.
Photovoltaic cells within the solar panels absorb and convert solar radiation into electricity. When photons from the solar radiation hit the photovoltaic cells, they knock electrons loose from the atoms of the semiconductor material. The freed electrons migrate to the surface of the PV cell, creating an electrical current. This PV charge creates an electric current (direct current or DC), which is captured by the wiring in solar panels. This DC electricity is then converted to alternating current (AC) by an inverter. AC is the type of electrical current used when plugging appliances into normal wall sockets.
The rate at which solar panels generate electricity depends on various factors, including the amount of direct sunlight, quality, size, number, and location of panels in use. Solar panels also work more efficiently when they are cool, as high temperatures can reduce their electricity production. Additionally, solar panels are affected by shading, with panels in the shade producing less electricity. To address this issue, solar farms spanning several acres of land are used to harvest large amounts of solar energy simultaneously.
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Frequently asked questions
Solar panels are made from silicon or another semiconductor material installed in a metal panel frame with a glass casing. When exposed to sunlight, the photons from the solar radiation knock electrons loose, creating an electric current. This is called the photovoltaic effect.
Photovoltaic (PV) cells, which are used in solar panels, are made of two layers of a semiconductor material, usually silicon. When the sun shines onto a solar panel, the photons from the solar radiation knock electrons loose in the semiconductor material, creating a flow of electrical current. This electricity is then converted to alternating current (AC) by an inverter. AC is the type of electrical current used when plugging appliances into normal wall sockets.
The rate at which solar panels generate electricity depends on the amount of sunlight and the quality, size, number, and location of panels in use. Solar panels work better when they are cool as the hotter a solar panel gets, the higher its internal resistance. Therefore, a cool solar panel will produce more electricity than a hot one.
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