PV Gap

Lois Said:

how does solar panel works ? basic principle?

We Answered:

Solar electric panels are made up of something called silicon, the same thing that makes up sand. There is more silicon on the planet than almost anything else. Even though you can find silicon almost everywhere, making a solar panel is difficult and expensive. The silicon has to be heated to super high temperatures in a big factory, and then formed into very thin wafers.

When sunlight hits a solar panel, it makes electrons in the silicon move around. (Electrons are teeny tiny specks--they?re way too small for us to see, even under a microscope.) The electrons flow through wires that were built into the solar panel. And presto! We have electricity! We can do whatever we want with this electricity, run a calculator, a CD player, or, if we have big enough solar panels, a satellite! [Solar panels are also called photovoltaic panels. "Photo" means light and "voltaic" means electricity.]

Leroy Said:

What are Solar Panels? and how do they work?

We Answered:

solar panels absorb energy from the sun and then converts it to energy that you can use. its obviously a renewable source, so its very good for the enviorment! unfortunately theyre expensive and there arent many of them.

Salvador Said:

Easy 10 points? Solar Panels and heaters?

We Answered:

Well ill start with the slorar panels, they work how there are cells in the panel and when the sun shines on it and reflects off the cells and produces energy.
Next the heater is just a plane heater with a object that stores up heat over time when its on and makes it hot and the room and thats amde by a tank or whatever its connected to,to transfer heat

Henry Said:

How do I make a solar panel that works?

We Answered:

First of all, be careful of scams. A site that has clickbank links, for example, suggests that it's a moneymaking scheme more than helpful information.

There is no cost-effective way to make your own solar electric panels, as far as I know. You can make a VERY weak panel - Google "cuprous oxide panel" for details on how to do that. That's good for science fairs, but is too weak to pay for the costs of its materials. You can make a panel out of broken solar cells, but that will cost almost as much as buying a commercial panel of the same wattage, and the power company will not let you connect a homemade panel to the grid.

You can build a solar water heater that works very well, but again, the cost saving is not great, and there may be issues with local building codes if you intend to connect to your house's water supply.