No wonder we all have this thought that how solar panels plant work, in short, these panels are able to produce electricity with the help of Sunlight. Each Panel is constructed of silicon cells, glass surrounded by a special film and wiring, and also a metal frame, these panels are kept in an open environment where the panels are directly exposed to the sunlight. In order to get the maximum electricity produced by these solar panels, they are grouped into arrays (Multiple panels placed together) Solar Panels plant contain Cells that absorb the sunlight, these cells are called Photovoltaic cell that Generate solar energy. Commonly, these solar cells are made up of silicon, a semiconductor, the second most abundant element on earth.
A solar cell absorbs the energy from sunlight in a same way leaf does in a plant! Sun emits the energy in form of waves, these waves are of different lengths from the short ultraviolet waves the rainbow of visible spectrum long infrared waves. When Sun Arises and starts shining the waves hit the cells of solar panel to Generate solar energy. Let’s get into Little Bit Detail of Solar Panels plants structure, the active part of the solar panel’s cell is called Wafer, which is made up of semi-conductor Material, mostly silicon, to make it perform more Efficiently certain conditions are implemented.
The semiconductor part of the solar cell is consist of 3 Layers Top, Middle, Bottom, Top Layer has Silicon and small amount of Phosphorus it contains more amount of electron than Silicon also this layer is called Negative charge, the electrons in this layer are free to move and transport and Make the material conductive. The middle Layer has fewer p-type electrons. The Bottom Layer has Silicon and Boron that has lesser Electrons in comparison of silicon and that means the bottom layer has fewer electron that can move or transport, and it makes the material less conductive for Electrons and it is called positive charge because it prefers the collection of positive charges.
The Top Negative Charge Layer Has printed Thin Metal Layers made up of silver mostly whereas the bottom positive charged layer is in contact with Aluminum plate. When the top layer is exposed to sunlight the (silicon solar cell) only the light with the wavelength of (350-1140nm) is absorbed by the middle layer this wavelength range includes visible spectrum because the ultraviolet wave is a short length wave they only reaches the surface and stop & infrared waves are too Long to pass and absorbed directly and produce electricity.
The waves of the light knock off the Electron from a silicon Atom, it makes the electron loose the position and leave the space of positive charge electron, & make empty space (a hole like space), all this process occurs in the Middle layer and, then the loose electron then move towards the top N-Type Layer and that willingly accepts the loose electron, then the loose hole moves towards the bottom layer that accepts the empty hole, the process keep repeating till the sunlight shines on the panels . After the hole and the electron is separated a wire is connected between top the metal electrodes makes a pathway for electrons to move towards holes, the electron flow is the electric current.
One cell Generates several watts that is not enough that is why many solar plates are combined together to produce electricity that will be sufficient. Generate solar energy in night by these panels is not possible but it can be stored and it’s another challenging process. This was the process how the solar energy is produced via the solar panels within the cells presents in the solar panels.
Solar panels, often referred to as PV panels, are a sustainable source of electricity, utilizing sunlight through the photovoltaic effect.
These panels consist of many solar cells, typically made from silicon, with two semiconductor layers. When sunlight, composed of photons, hits these cells, it excites electrons within the material. This excitation generates an electrical current as electrons move from the negatively charged layer to the positively charged layer, creating direct current (DC) electricity.
To ensure efficient and eco-friendly operation, employing energy monitoring devices and solar energy monitoring systems is essential. These systems continuously monitor panel performance, tracking energy production, overall efficiency, and potential issues like dirt or shading.
Energy monitoring devices and solar energy monitoring systems collect data to help users optimize solar energy production and reduce their environmental impact. Solar panels, in combination with these monitoring tools, enable us to harness renewable energy, significantly minimizing our carbon footprint and contributing to a cleaner, greener future. Towards future sustainability it’s a great step if most of the people start moving to solar systems. Solar energy is the one of the best source of energy that we can utilize.