Passive and passive solar refers to the building design. Passive is more advanced in its building design as it has super-insulation and a structure that can hold heat when its cold and can keep the house cool when its hot because it is a built system that does not depend on the sun. Passive solar also collects heat from the sun but it leaks air. The key difference is that Passive systems holds the heat and keeps the cool while...
Generally solar powered systems can be used to power both lighting and water heating systems. Did you know that if you use less electricity than you receive from your solar panels, in other words you have extra electricity stored up, you can sell this extra electricity back to your electric company for extra cash!
The photoelectric effect is the scientific principle that makes solar power possible. The photoelectric effect is the principle referring to when electrons are released by photons making an electrical current, which is what makes it possible for the harvesting of electricity through the use of solar cells.
For photovoltaic (PV) system to work, all you need is unobstructed access to the sunlight for most or during the day. Climate is not really a concern, because PV systems are relatively unaffected by severe weather. In fact, some PV modules actually work better in colder weather. Most PV modules are angled to catch the sun's rays, so any snow that collects on them usually melts quickly. There is enough sunlight to make solar energy systems useful and effective nearly...
20-30 years ago when solar technology was considered relatively new, installing a complete system used to be a very long and involved process that required a site inspection and many other preliminary steps . Today, a complete solar kit installation takes only a few weeks, from the planning and configuring stages through to the actual ordering and installing.
With the advent of technology, people have discovered ways to harvest electricity from the sun's light. The sun's light has energy and usually when it hits a surface, the energy turns into heat. For example when you turn your face to the sunlight, the warmth that you feel on your skin is actually the result of the energy in the sun's light turning into heat as the light touches your face. When the sunlight hits specific materials like silicon, the...
Contrary to common belief, solar power can work practically anywhere. Even if you live in a cloudy climate, there is usually enough sunlight to supply your electricity needs. Germany receives less sunlight hours than places like Seattle and Alaska, but still provides half of it's country/s energy from solar. The second factor considered is the amount of available roof space on your building. However, it is surprising how much electricity can be generated from a small amount of surface area...
In order to protect your solar panel from damage you must occasionally clean the panel and keep it free of debris. If you are living in a colder climate make sure that you keep heavy snow off of your solar panel as much as possible.
Photovoltaic cells refers to the solar cells which are responsible for converting light into electricity.
Each component in the kit will have a different reaction to the temperature but the two that react most notably are the solar panel and the battery bank. Solar panels perform better at lower temperatures due to the inner workings of the panel. Solar panels are created by using two different types of silicon, called n-type and p-type. N-type silicon has free electrons that want to flow, and P-type silicon has holes that want to accept those electrons. This creates a...
