<h2 class = 'uawtitle'>How Do Solar Panels Work</h2><br />
<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>by Hedrick Lepsch</div><br /><br />
<div class='uawarticle'>Solar technology based in photovoltaic cells has become increasingly more popular as the years have rolled by. Photovoltaics were first used primarily in space dating back in the 1960s. As time went on you could easily find this technology in consumer items like solar calculators that often don't use any traditional batteries. Eventually panels and shingles came into the consumer marketplace to be used for private energy collection. To understand how the panels themselves work you need to understand photovoltaics. Here is the rundown of a basic system (there are other options to consider).<br />
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Background Deep cycle lead acid batteries are the simplest as well as the oldest battery. It was actually invented back in the 19th century and you will most commonly see it used under the hood of cars and trucks, making it the 'bestselling batteries.'<br />
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These batteries are very heavy because they are packed with lead and lead-oxide sheets which are both very dense materials. While they are old and do represent a serious environmental risk if disposed of incorrectly, lead and lead oxide are plentiful in nature and making the effective battery cheap to produce. This is why 19th century technology is still so popular.<br />
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The decade that began unprecedented solar energy growth was in the 1990s. It is said that solar energy use increased by about 20 percent each year-year after year. And that growth continues, largely to dramatic improvements to the technology of solar panels. This improvement has made solar panels more efficient and less expensive.<br />
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Engineering Now that you understand the basics of the chemical reaction let's talk about the engineering. Batteries can be broken down into energy or power. Batteries will be optimized to be either high power (release large amounts of energy quickly) or high energy (they can store large amounts of energy and release it for a long period of time).<br />
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Controller and Inverter<br />
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Between your solar panels and battery you have a charge controller which prevents the batteries from being overcharged or drained too much helping to extend the life of your battery. Once the batteries are fully charged the controller will not allow any current from your panels to enter the battery and conversely if your battery is drained to a certain level the controller will not allow any more energy to leave.<br />
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The battery that you would use if you had Helios 255 watt panels on your roof for a solar energy system would be high energy so you can store more energy and release it slowly with use. More specifically you would use a deep-cycle battery which is designed to be regularly discharge for 50-80 percent of its capacity without destroying the battery.<br />
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Deep cycle batteries will have thicker electrodes (than a car battery) for increased energy density and be spaced farther apart. The extra space allows the sulfate debris that builds up to fall down below the plates into a storage area. Deep cycle batteries are larger, heavier, and give off a lower current than a car battery.<br />
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The increased level of efficiency is a great improvement for the industry. Now, with the same amount of physical space necessary for the solar panels, people can get 0.3 percent more energy from the panels. This may seem like a small improvement, but, depending on the location, this improvement can be as much as a 20 percent increase in efficiency.<br />
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<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br />
About the Author:<br />
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<div class='uawlinks'>SimpleRay was founded in 2007 with one goal: simplifying solar for families, business owners, installers and non-profits. We believe in the importance of <a href="http://www.simpleray.com/Buy-Siliken-Solar-Panels-s/158.htm">Siliken solar panels</a>, wind and other renewable energy products to the future of our global community. We offer inexpensive solar panels for sale that will help to save costs on your energy bills.</div><br />
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