How Is Solar Power Panels Made

Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity either directly using photovoltaics pv indirectly using concentrated solar power or a combination.

How is solar power panels made.

Solar cells are made out of silicon wafers. Photovoltaic pv solar panels are made up of many solar cells. Solar panels contain cells of semiconductive material usually silicon usually encased in a metallic frame and tempered glass. They are constructed with a positive layer and a negative layer which together create an electric field just like in a battery.

The other type of solar energy is called solar thermal which is made by using the heat from the sun to heat water. Solar cells are made of silicon like semiconductors. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. The large black solar panels you see on homes and businesses are made of a bunch of solar cells or photovoltaic cells made of silicon semiconductors that absorb sunlight and create an electric current.

The silicon in solar panels is manufactured through a reduction process in which the silica is heated with a carbon material and the oxygen is removed leaving behind purer metallurgical grade silicon. Both of the primary types of solar power are made by capturing energy from sunlight. Most solar panels are made of silicon that is the main component in natural beach sand. Solar pv modules top and two solar hot water panels bottom mounted on rooftops the term solar panel is used colloquially for a photo voltaic pv module.

These individual cells are connected together to make one solar panel. Photo voltaic cells use sunlight as a source of energy and generate direct current electricity. A pv module is an assembly of photo voltaic cells mounted in a framework for installation. Photovoltaic solar energy is the most common type and is produced when photons contained in sunlight hit a silicon solar panel.

Module assembly in general all solar panels consist of solar cells with a glass layer on front and a protective backsheet on the rear. These are made out of the element silicon a hard and brittle crystalline solid that is the second most abundant element in the earth s crust after. Usually made from a type of polymer backsheets adhere to the backside of modules to provide electrical insulation. Silicon is abundantly available making it the second most available element on earth.

However converting sand into high grade silicon comes at a high price as well as is an energy intensive process. First there s the panel itself.