Issue 23: Solar panels

Solar electricity panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in many applications including process plants and home use. Solar panels allow individuals or organisations to generate their own renewable energy. A solar PV panel consist of many cells made from layers of
semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created. The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy says. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity generated. Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain around 10 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. Depending on the electricity’s application an invertor may be installed to convert DC electricity to alternating current (AC), appliances throughout your home are predominantly operating on AC.

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