Green Energy is the way!!

Solar panels are technically any kind of panel that uses solar thermal energy to produce electricity.

The basic element of solar panels is the same element that helped create the computer revolution -- pure silicon. Cells are the main component in solar power systems and many sources refer to solar panels as photovoltaic cells, which references the importance of light (photos) in the generation of electrical voltage.

However two plates of pure silicon would not generate electricity, because they have is no positive or negative charge created. So Cells are created by combining silicon with other elements (such as boron, which only has three electrons to offer) that do have positive or negative charges.

Solar Cells, or photovoltaic cells, are arranged in a grid-like pattern on the surface of the solar panel but are fragile so they must be mounted in a rigid frame, and the solar panels usually have a polka dot or checker pattern.

The two plates are sandwiched together in solar panels, with conductive wires running between them. With the two plates in place, it's now time to bring in the 'solar' aspect of solar panels. When the negative plates of solar cells are pointed at a proper angle to the sun, photons bombard the silicon/phosphorus atoms thus producing a charge. However the electricity generated by one solar cell is not very impressive, but when all of the conductive wires draw the free electrons away from the plates, there is enough electricity to power low amperage motors or other electronics. But If the angle of the solar panels is changed even slightly, the efficiency can drop by upto50 percent, so having a panel at the correct angle to the sun is crucial.

There are three types of solar panels: single crystal, multi- or poly-crystalline, and amorphous silicon. Single-crystal solar panels (also referred to as Mono-Crystalline Solar Panels ) are solar panels made from single crystal silicon are currently the most efficient type available, meaning that they produce the most power per square foot of module.

Multi-Crystalline Solar Panels: Multi-Crystalline (or Poly-Crystalline) solar panels are made from silicon wafers cut from multi-crystal silicon and are also more efficient than amorphous panels. However Poly-Crystalline panels are usually smaller than Mono-Crystalline panels but are slightly less efficient, meaning that they product less power per square foot of module compared to the single crystal (Mono-Crystalline Solar Panels).

All this taken into account any solar panel will work for an Motor home or Marine application. Basically a 100 watt monocrystalline solar panel should have the same output as a 100 watt polycrystalline panel and a 100 watt amorphous panel. The only difference is the panel size.

Solar panels can be used in a wide variety of applications including charging AA, AAA, 6 volt, 12 volt, Narrowboat, Caravan and Motor Home batteries, cell phones, and laptops.

A 12V nominal solar module is designed to charge a 12V battery. But to do so, it must produce a higher voltage than the battery. A fully charged 12V flooded lead-acid battery can register as high as 14V.

It is always recommended to use a solar regulator to connect your solar panel to your boat or motor home battery bank as this "regulates" the charging process, as the primary purpose of a charge controller (or regulator)is to prevent overcharging your battery. A solar panel and charge controller combination will increase the life of your battery by using charging algorithms.

A well-designed system, with sufficient battery capacity, will allow an extended stay in a remote area using your own power. There is no need to run the vehicle's engine to charge the battery.

This means that it is perfect for RV's, Caranans, motor homes, 4WD's and other portable applications.

Solar panels are a great way to reduce energy costs and to lower your greenhouse gas footprint, and to become more self-sufficient and are available in a wide range of sizes, technologies and outputs.

As solar panels are DC, you would generally require a power inverter that changes the voltage from one-voltage DC into another-voltage Alternating Current to make it compatible with the power that feeds required.

The current generation solar panels are extremely inefficient, and can really only harness a small percentage of a sun ray's power in the form of usable electricity.

Modern materials and new techniques for designing solar panels are on the horizon, but promises of increased efficiency have yet to be delivered. It is unclear how effective this technology could be, considering the fact that today best solar panels are about 20-23% efficient.

In the future solar panels are expected to generate more than 2,136,000kWh of electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by between 1,415 tonnes and 2,075 tonnes over their lifetime.

Although sales of solar panels are increasing in Britain, they remain far behind some other countries including Germany.

There is a lot of complex detail to how solar panels are made and how they work, but all you need to know is that they turn sun into beautiful clean, green renewable energy.

I must say that they go a long way to answering the need for renewable energy.

Produced by Smoothlinking For http://www.tsw-comsat-sales.co.uk/