The depletion of energy reserves makes us look for new sources of energy. In such conditions, the best solution is to use renewable solar energy. A device for converting light energy into electrical energy is called a solar battery. Increasingly, people who care about saving finances are thinking about installing solar panels in their homes. In the article, we will understand the varieties of such batteries, their advantages and disadvantages, and also tell you which form is best for your home.
Fields of application
Solar panels have found application in many areas of human life. They are used at space stations and in aircraft construction. A solar-powered highway was built in France that provides electricity for street lighting in a small village. In the Mediterranean countries, such batteries are installed on the roofs of houses to meet the need for heating water. Use them in electric vehicles and street lights. Solar-powered luminaires are popular when decorating with decorative illumination of buildings, sculptures, parks and house adjoining territories. Portable devices are equipped with such energy sources: flashlights, calculators, players. In South Korea, they invented a solar battery that can be placed under the skin of a person to provide energy for implants, such as a pacemaker.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of solar panels is the use of environmentally friendly, renewable solar energy. Photocells do not pollute the environment and do not create noise. The battery design is quite simple, so breakdowns are rare. In addition, you can increase the power of the device by increasing the number of panels. Solar panels are durable, their service life is several tens of years. They do not require special care, you only need to periodically wipe them from dust.
The disadvantages include the complexity of the assembly and configuration of large systems. Portable batteries do not require tuning. Solar panels have a low efficiency, only about 20%. To meet the electricity needs of a small house, it is necessary to install batteries over a large area. The cost of solar panels is still high. This is due to the features of their production.
Principle of operation
The most popular material for the manufacture of household solar cells are silicon crystals. Silicon wafers are a semiconductor that converts the light energy of the sun into electrical energy. It accumulates in the battery. Solar panels produce direct current. It is suitable for powering LEDs. If the energy of the sun is used to power household appliances, the design should be supplemented with an inverter DC to AC converter. The solar module is covered with tempered glass to protect it from atmospheric phenomena and dust.
Kinds
Silicon solar cells come in three forms: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous.
Monocrystalline panels are made of highly purified silicon under the influence of a temperature of 1400 degrees Celsius. The result is a crystal with a diameter of 14-20 cm and a length of 2 meters. The crystal is cut into plates with a thickness of 250-300 microns and laid on a grid of electrodes. The efficiency of such panels reaches 19%, household modules boast 14-18%. Due to the complex production technology, single-crystal panels are more expensive than polycrystalline solar panels. In addition, the silicon crystal is a polygon, because of which it is not possible to completely fill the useful area of the module. The color of single crystals is black or dark blue.
Polycrystalline solar cells are manufactured using simplified technology at lower temperatures. Semiconductor crystals have a different orientation, due to which the efficiency decreases to 12-14%. In addition, the life of polycrystalline batteries is 25 years, which is two times less than that of single crystals. Polycrystals have a bright blue color and completely fill the solar module. The advantage of polycrystalline solar cells over single crystals is the ability to absorb scattered light. Thus, the accumulation of energy is carried out even in cloudy weather and at dusk.
Amorphous solar panels are made of silicon hydrogen using film technology. The efficiency of such modules is quite low, about 5%. However, they absorb diffused light 20 times better than other types of batteries. Often there are combinations of amorphous silicon with poly- or single crystals. This allows you to combine the advantages of different types of semiconductors.
How to choose?
So what to choose, on polycrystalline or monocrystalline solar panels?
It should be noted that the required power can be obtained from any type of battery. The question is in the available area for their installation. If there is not enough space, it is better to dwell on single-crystal modules with the highest efficiency. If the issue of area is not significant - the best solution would be polycrystalline solar panels for the home. With equal power and taking into account the fact that polycrystals are about 10% cheaper, the total cost of a solar farm will be slightly cheaper. In addition, polycrystalline solar panels absorb energy in cloudy weather.
The problem of depletion of fossil energy is aggravated every year, and the degree of environmental pollution is becoming more acute. In this regard, many people have paid close attention to alternative energy sources. A promising direction is to obtain electricity from the light energy of the sun. Solar panels are used to convert light to electricity. They are durable, do not create noise, easy to operate. In the production of solar modules, single and polycrystals of silicon are used. Monocrystalline panels have a higher efficiency, and polycrystalline solar panels can absorb scattered light and are somewhat cheaper.