WiMax,Mobiles,Electronics,IT,Engineering,Technology and more informations under one roof.

A typical solar panel

Solar energy is comes from the sun.

Solar energy can be classified in two different ways.

1- One way is through photovoltaic conversion.
2- Second way is through solar thermal conversion.

During photovoltaic conversion, solar energy is collected through panels, called solar panels. Solar panels are covered with large modules which are covered with lots of little PV cells, or photovoltaic cells. The PV cells collect the light from the sun. Once the light is inside a PV cell, there is a semiconductor made of a thin sheet of silicone crystal which takes in the photons from the sunlight. A photon is a particle of solar energy.
Within the semiconductor, energy of the photons shifts to the electrons. This energizes the electrons. Then the electrons break out of the semiconductor to get to the silicone atoms. Then they flow into the electric current. Usually a solar cell is made of a glass protective layer, an anti-reflective coat, and electric contacts.
We use PV cell systems every day. Common tools like watches and calculators are powered with PV systems. Look at the top of a calculator. Do you see the little squares at the top? Those are lots of little PV cells. Usually PV cells don’t generate much electricity. PV cells generate about ½ a volt per square decimeter. A solar panel making fifty watts of electricity is about four decimeters by ten decimeters. What if you don’t know how much energy your appliance or machine needs? Well, the answer is easy. Find out the maximum amount of watts the appliance or machine needs and multiply that by the number of hours each day it is averagely used. The answer is "the number you come up with" watt-hours. To explain it more, let’s say my microwave oven uses a maximum of 2000 watts and it is used ½ an hour each day. 2000 multiplied by ½ an hour equals 1000, so I need my PV system (my solar panels) to supply 1000 watt-hours for that microwave oven. Since I need to be ready for a crash or a change of appliance, I should really have my solar panels supply about 2000 watt-hours
Well, more about a PV cell system. Most PV cells are grouped together in arrays. Second, groups of PV cells generate a DC or direct current. That is the kind of electricity made by batteries. Some appliances and other machines like microwave ovens use AC, or alternating current, so inverters are used to change the DC into an AC.
Another type of solar energy is solar thermal conversion. In this process, there are thermal conversion panels (panels that absorb heat) which are grouped together often in a dish or trough system. The solar energy is then absorbed and concentrated into a line or a point that heats a pipe filled with fluid. These systems can concentrate the intensity of sunlight up to 10,000 times of normal sunlight.
Many people use a solar heating system to heat their house. This type of system is more effective than using a PV system to heat homes or water. You can tell the difference because solar heaters can turn 60% of the sun's energy into heat whereas PV systems can only change 12% to 15%. Solar heaters are able to heat large things like pools, water, and houses. So as you can see, when it’s heating, you are better off using a solar heater