How To Absorb Solar Energy

A solar panel is deigned to absorb light energy from the sun. From there, the energy is converted into an electrical current and can produce electricity or heat. As promising as solar energy is, are solar panels an efficient means of producing electricity and does solar energy benefit the greater population? To understand the efficiency of a solar panel, there is essential information on solar energy, that once understood, helps to answer whether solar panels are energy efficient. First, what is it that encompasses a solar panel? Solar panels are made up of solar cells. A solar cell is a small portion of a semiconductor, which is made to reflect as little light as possible. Depending on the material used to make the solar cell, the overall …show more content…
Topaz Solar Farm is successful because it is located in the right region, however, not every region is exposed to this amount of sunlight. Areas in the Earth’s upper northern hemisphere, such as the Scandinavian countries, experience polar nights, which would cause solar panels to stop generating any electricity during this time period. Furthermore, some locations may not receive much sunlight due to the environment. For example, the Pacific Northwest’s weather patterns are typically overcast and even when sunny, the time from morning to early afternoon is still cloudy. However, while these areas may not receive solar energy for large periods of time this does not render solar panels useless to these regions. Solar panels are still efficient due to the batteries which store electricity for when there is little or no …show more content…
The primary function of a battery is to store energy generated during sunny periods. This then allows a regular power supply to support a portion of the energy needs of a building. However, solar panels use batteries that are slightly different from the average battery. Deep cycle batteries are capable of all the above functions like storing energy, but they are still unique from other batteries, like a car battery. With a car battery the energy that is stored is released all at once to get the engine going and then receives a massive recharge. Deep cycle batteries, on the other hand, release and recharge at a much slower pace. For example, a deep cycle battery could use 30% of the energy it’s stored and then will wait for additional energy to be collected by the solar panel. Currently, the two most commonly used batteries for a solar panel system are flooded lead-acid (FLA) deep cycle batteries and sealed deep cycle