The phenomenon of the conversion of sunlight into electricity was discovered 170 years ago. However, the first solar panel was made and applied only in 1954. This moment can be considered a reference point, after which the new technology has become well-known and generally available.
Nevertheless, for a long period, solar panels were practically never used. This was due to the fact that production was quite expensive, and the products themselves did not pay off. But the fuel crisis of the 70s of the last century forced the world community to reconsider its view on the technology for generating electricity from sunlight. After all, after 20, 30, 50 years, such a situation may develop that only the sun, wind and natural undercurrents will remain of the available energy sources.
Who can buy solar panels for home
Anyone who wants to at least slightly improve the environmental situation can buy and install a solar battery . Of course, if one or two people install panels that will partially cover their electricity needs, this will not fundamentally change the situation. But if there are one hundred, two hundred thousand such people, we can already talk about improving the environment. One solar panel cannot provide the whole house with electricity, but it is quite possible to use it to connect low-power household appliances.
Some people believe that it is pointless to install such a battery in the northern regions due to the small number of sunny days in a year. However, skeptics can be reminded that the technology for generating electricity from sunlight is most developed in the Czech Republic and Germany. Agree, these are not the warmest and sunniest countries in the world.
How to make a solar panel
Most people do not mind using clean and free energy. There remains a small nuance: the solar panel has a rather high cost, even despite the invention of a fundamentally new technology for cleaning silicon, which cheapened the production process by about half. The price of the batteries is different, it depends on the area of the working surface, the declared capacity (usually 10-20% higher, this must be taken into account when buying and installing), the manufacturer, the type of material used (single crystal, polycrystalline, tape and amorphous) and the method its application (conventional method or thin-film technology).
Due to the high cost, some prefer to manufacture panels themselves. The first method is artisanal: processing old diodes (they contain a photocell) and fixing them on a rigid frame. The second method is semi-professional: the solar panel is made from cells created industrially, but the installation is done at home on a makeshift frame.
You can do it easier and buy a panel. Moreover, it will serve, according to the manufacturers, for at least 30-40 years, and every year the problem of obtaining alternative energy is becoming increasingly important.