As we become more concerned with the environment we have begun research on alternative sources of energy. One such source that is gaining traction is solar power. Solar light can be harnessed in various ways, but the main use on a residential level is in the form of solar cells to generate electricity. Electricity is formed by the movement of electrons apart two plates that can be made from silicon, or various other materials. Crystal silicon is very expensive to make and thus there are various quality levels of solar panels with various efficiency and cost factors.
Three types of Solar Panels
1. The most expensive as one of the most efficient residential type is Mono-crystalline panels. It allows for up to 25% efficiency and can be used to produce a large portion of a house’s energy needs as well in some areas selling back to the power companies for profit.
2. The next best type of panel is poly-crystalline panels. As the name implies, this panel is made up as multiple crystals which can be seen directly on panels. It can be described as a Mono-crystalline panel that has been severely cracked. Because of this, efficiency for these panels is not as good, but since they basically use the scraps of Mono-crystalline panels, they are cheaper to purchase.
3. A third type of panel is amorphous solar cells, or thin film. Often this is put into a paint that can be coated on a surface. Since the crystal saturation is far less than the other two panels, this method is by far the least efficient, but because of how much silicon is used and how relatively easy it is to make, it is the cheapest solution.
Solar cells will continue to advance and come down in price. This is a necessity because currently solar homes add a significant price to a home which causes many people to not want to spend the extra money. Finally, Solar Panel importance is increasing day by day...
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