Portable Solar Panel

Build Portable Solar Panels...Click Here

These days, renewable energy sources are popular. There are now commercially available portable solar panels that are sold to help consumers significantly reduce overall electricity costs. As households’ electric bills get volatile, being adjusted up month after month due to energy supply instability, many people are now committed to finally using the solar technology for power generation.

How do solar panels work? You would surely be surprised and amazed at how simple solar power generating devices are. They may look sophisticated and complicated but they are certainly are simple to use, install, and even assemble. In fact, you could make your own solar panel even if you are not a handyman.

The Solar Revolution

It is a common knowledge that the sun is the main source of all forms of energy in the solar system. For the last two decades, you probably have been hearing much ado and discussions about what people call the ‘solar revolution.’ The idea is that there would come a day when people would fully get electricity from the sun itself. This is taking shape now.

Imagine, on an average sunny day, up to 1,000 watts of solar energy for every square meter is conducted into the earth’s surface. Researchers point out that if people would only gather all that energy, there would be more than enough of electricity to power homes, offices, public venues, and major industries. Saving energy would not be called for anymore.

Examples of Simple Solar Panels

To be able to understand how solar panels work, it would be appropriate if you would take the example of solar cells found in solar calculators. Such computing devices are popular because they are not run by the conventional batteries, which run out through time. Solar calculators simply use sunlight or light to operate. You would certainly notice a strip consisting of solar cells in the surface of the calculator. This is obviously for light collection.

On a larger scale, orbiting satellites are mostly equipped with solar cell arrays. The wing-like structures in such orbit satellites actually comprise of portable solar panels. The cells are the source of electricity of the satellite. The panel would gather sunlight and directly convert it into electric currents that are needed.

An Introduction to Photovoltaic Cells

Solar cells that are apparent in solar calculators and satellites are commonly called photovoltaic cells (from Greek words photo, meaning light and voltaic, meaning electricity). They are also called modules (or groups of cells that are packaged and connected electrically in a single frame). Photovoltaic cells are able to facilitate conversion of sunlight into electricity.

Photovoltaic cells are generally made of semiconductors, special materials that are ideal for electric conduction. The moment sunlight or any light strikes the cells, the semiconductor absorbs it. The semiconductor would then proceed to knock electrons loose, which would allow those charged particles to flow freely.

Electric Fields

Photovoltaic cells have several electric fields, which function to force electrons (negatively charged particles) to flow going to a specific direction. This electron flow would then be considered a current. The electricity produced would then be taken through putting metal conductors on the surface of the photovoltaic cells.

From there, the electric current could be drawn and used externally. Take back the example of the solar calculator. The current with the cell’s voltage would then determine the wattage or power that could be produced. That is the basic process of photovoltaic cells used in solar power equipments.

Light Collection of the Panels

It is imperative that solar panels attain and collect adequate supply of sunlight or any other form of strong light. That is because photovoltaic cells would not have other sources of energy. Thus, most solar cells used in buildings and homes are placed at the rooftop or at specific outdoor areas where they could logically and apparently collect enough light.

If that is the case, would it be possible to generate electricity at night or during cloudy or rainy days? Logically, it is not possible. However, most portable solar panels  come with integrated batteries, which store electricity generated from the photovoltaic cells. Thus, power could still be used at night or during cloudy or rainy days.