Why We Should Switch to Solar Power and How It Works

It is a very well thought through and modern technology that not nearly enough of us are using. The savings financially we can all gain from using solar power are just unthought of. So why are many of us still not using it and changing over? How does solar power work? We take power that has been harnessed from the sun and convert it into electricity via something known as photovoltaic cells.

It is one of the most forward-thinking advancements of the 21st century. We must acknowledge that the environmental advantages and climate change reversal impact that solar power has is far better than what the vast majority of humanity has still continued to abuse and that is fossil fuels. If we make the switch to renewable energy such as this and others like hydro, wind and geothermal, then there is unmatched flexibility that solar power possesses. How?

The sun shines everywhere somewhere in the world so it is constantly there. This means that the sun is a key source of energy and can assist us to move away from fossil fuels permanently. It is long long overdue we have had this technology for decades but still are far too focusses on profits instead of sustainable and clean energy. Although the sun is a very powerful source only a small number of megawatts per second actually reach the Earth. Too much can be catastrophic, but there is often more than enough for us to harness as energy.

Photons, powered by sunlight, travel through space at approximately 186,000 miles per hour to reach the Earth. Convert this into time and it works out roughly 8 minutes once it has left the surface of the sun. However, even though the sun that physically reaches the earth is reduced, normally because of water vapour and ozone layer absorption. There is still way more than enough for us to use as power permanently. We can harvest the photons it produces to power almost everything. Our phones, our homes, factories, electronics and will increase in importance as time goes on, So let’s start now.

In professional opinion, the most exciting thing about this power is that it creates opportunities for individual power consumers to get involved and play a role in the production of power even if only in a small manner. It gives them the power to have some control over the way in which you power those things close and personal to you that we have previously mentioned and where your energy actually comes from.

When it comes to looking at your own ways of harnessing solar power, it is fairly straight forward. Everyday batteries and devices can be charged by using this natural form of power. We just need to know-how. A solar cell is a solid semiconductor that produces a current of electricity when it gets stimulated by electrons from the atoms within. This leaves a void or gap which will bring in other free and available electrons to fill this gap. If one of the photons doesn’t fit into place, then the photons flow the other way which in turn creates an electrical current that can be taken from the surface of the cell to produce power.

When converting solar power efficiently, the cell is measured by a ratio of input energy to output energy. Solar cell efficiency mostly is dependent upon the spectral response. What is a spectral response? This is the wider the spectrum, the more power is generated. Ongoing research into this area, suggests that developed materials and techniques, can use more light from the spectrum and therefore, generate more power from each photovoltaic cell.

Next, we must think of the reflectivity of the surface in which we are using and how much light is actually being blocked from entering the surface electrodes. If the surface is antireflective, It assists with helping reduce the loss of photonic stimulation. Another factor to consider when it comes to cell efficiency is the temperature at which it operates. 

The hotter the cell gets the harder it is working and weirdly it produces less power, not more. One would think it’s the opposite way around but this is not the case, so to avoid this have them mounted somewhere where they can keep themselves cool, but still absorb the sunlight effectively. Silicone is a common and effective insulator material used in most solar-powered tools today.